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HONG KONG UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
March 2002
Issue No: 12
Negative economic times require positive thinkers to beat the gloom and forge ahead. With HKUST's emphasis on creative, independent thinking and its spirit of adventure, our alumni — from founding students to recent graduates — are proving themselves ideally placed to light the way even when the outlook is gray.
Mr Sing-cheong Liu, Managing Director
of Pearl River - Hang Cheong in Guangzhou
Despite the recent downturn for many real estate firms, chartered surveyor Mr Sing-cheong Liu (1994 PT MBA) has been able to push his own company forward through a combination of long-term vision and enterprise.Mr Liu, one of HKUST's first postgraduate students in 1991, built up a successful business in the local real estate market in the early 1990s. In 1993, he decided to re-direct his focus to the mainland and established Pearl River - Hang Cheong Real Estate Consultants Ltd.
It was a bold move. At the time, the mainland real estate business was still developing and people's knowledge about property agencies was limited. But Mr Liu was undaunted. To gain customers' confidence, he developed a strategy of offering quality service at a low price. He maintained a good working relationship with his staff, by not setting himself apart from them and by living in an ordinary rented flat.
It took time, great effort and innovative thinking, but Mr Liu's foresight paid off. By the late 1990s business was booming and Pearl River now employs over 200 staff.
Mr Liu maintained close ties with HKUST during the time he was building up his company in Guangzhou, and is now able to share his
How to become a success
even when times are tough
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from Alumni Relations Section,
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experiences as Corporate Advisor to the School of Business and Management and as a member of the Advisory Committee on Entrepreneurship. In 2001, he was made an Honorary Fellow of HKUST.
Perseverance is one of the most important factors in overcoming challenges, according to Mr Liu. "To succeed, you need to set your goal and then stick to it," he said.
MicroWeb Ltd, an HKUST Start-up
P e r s e v e r a n c e i s s o m e t h i n g y o u n g entrepreneurs Pervez Iqbal (2001 BBA-MGTO) and Nelson Wong (2001 BBA-MGTO) well understand after two years of running their own hi-tech business, through good times and bad. The pair launched HKUST start-up MicroWeb Ltd in January 2000 to market hi-tech services and enable SMEs to make the most of new technology. They took on a staff comprising HKUST graduates and guaranteed good service at a competitive price.Initially all went well. Then came the bursting of the Internet bubble and the '911' tragedy. Budget constraints saw some companies canceling their arrangements with MicroWeb. The drop in enthusiasm for hi-tech industries also had an impact.
While many IT companies closed, the MicroWeb team did not give up. Instead they thought of new ideas to complement their original mission. The company started to undertake consultancy work for Internet and e-commerce services and also to retail computer software and hardware.
As Pervez Iqbal said: "The situation is tough but we should be ashamed of ourselves if we thought it too hard to handle. After all, we are young and there are always opportunities to be found in Hong Kong."
As Pearl River and MicroWeb show, when HKUST alumni of any generation set to work, there is no such word as "can't".
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New Credit Card for Every HKUST Alumni
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A unique HKUST Alumni Credit Card is now available offering you a host of special benefits as well as a way to boost University funds. The card, jointly launched by the University, the HKUST Alumni Association, the Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited and the Bank of China Credit Card (International) Limited, entitles holders to a variety of privileges, including special offers on HKUST Alumni Association lifetime membership and parking on campus. What's more, every time you use your HKUST Alumni Credit Card, 0.3% of the amount you spend will be donated to HKUST for educational development, research and University’s development. You will also enjoy an annual fee waiver for the first three years. Don't miss out on this chance to make a contribution to your alma mater at no extra cost. See the enclosed leaflet for more details — and apply now! !"#$%&'()*+,-./>= !"#$%&'()*+, !"#$%&'()*+ !,-./0123456789: !"#$ %#&'()*+,-./0123 456478 !"#$%&'()*+,-./0(12MKPB !"#$" !"#$%&'()*+%,'-./012'3456789:; !"#$$%&'()*&+,-./0123-456789&: ! !
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New Credit Card for Every HKUST Alumni
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MB
Free email
http://www.alumni.ust.hk
$10/hour for the first two hours, and $50/hour thereafter. With effect from 2 April 2002, HKUST Alumni Association members and HKUST Alumni Credit Card holders need only pay $10 for one hour, $20 for two hours or $30 all day. In addition to the Southern Access Car Park, these cardholders are also free to park their cars in marked parking bays elsewhere on campus subject to the usual conditions of no parking overnight or in “residents only” bays.
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Don't forget that all alumni can make use of the following first-class facilities and services at the University:
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Annual or lifetime library cards are available on payment of the appropriate fee. The first year's fee is waived for HKUST Alumni Association members. For details, contact the Library Circulation Department on 2358 6777 or visit http://library.ust.hk/serv/cardap.html.
Sports Facilities E !"#$%F
All alumni are entitled to a free Sports Facilities User Card. Apply in person at the Student Affairs Office's Amenities Service Counter on LG3. Enquiries: 2358 6666.
On-Campus Accommodation E !"#F
Alumni can reserve rooms for themselves and guests at the Visitor Center. For rates and bookings, call 2358 6158.
Career Services E !F
Alumni are welcome to use the Career Center and can contact a student counselor for an individual consultation. Appointments can be made in person or by calling 2358 8590.
Parking E !F
Spaces are available at the Southern Access Car Park at
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Keep in touch with free email
To strengthen ties, HKUST has set up a free email service for alumni to stay in contact with the University and with each other. The service provides users with 5 MB storage capacity for personal communication. For details, please visit the ISA website at http://www.alumni.ust.hk or email [email protected].
MAKE THE MOST OF HKUST
Alumni and friends having lunch at China Garden.
New Catering Outlets
The spanking new China Garden on G/F offers Chinese food and dim sum. Due to limited seating, this new restaurant only serves University members and their guests. As alumni, you are welcome to go there. Note that it is a bookable venue (Tel: 2358 1133). For proof of identity, please take a look at "What's New" a t h t t p : / / w w w . u s t . h k / a l u m n i .
The LG1 new restaurant, which is open to all, offers three styles of cuisine. Come and try out these exciting new dining venues!
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ALUMNI NEWS
PTC - G9128
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UNIVERSITY SPOTLIGHT
Alumni News is published quarterly by
HKUST’s Office of University Development and Public Affairs (OUDPA), focusing on alumni information, activities and services, and highlights of the University’s development.
Design and Production
Publishing Technology Center, HKUST
OUDPA reserves the right to publish and edit any material submitted for publication. Views expressed in this Alumni News by individual contributors do not necessarily represent those of the University. Please acknowledge source when any part of the Alumni News is quoted.
The next issue of Alumni News will be published in June 2002. Please send your contributions by 20 April 2002.
Editorial Advisory Group
Terri Lai (OUDPA) Michelle Cheung (OUDPA)
Parker Lau (HKUST Alumni Association) Mavis Lee (HKUST Alumni Association)
Editors
Amy Yap (Chinese editor) Sally Course (English editor)
Alumni Relations Section, OUDPA
Room 1364, Academic Building, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology,
Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong Phone: (852) 2358 6316
Fax: (852) 2358 0537 E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://www.ust.hk/alumni
Prof Chu and Prof Neal Lane meet with President Jiang Zemin
HKUST President Prof Paul Ching-Wu Chu and Prof Neal Lane, former Director of both the US National Science Foundation and the White House Office of Science and Technology, met with Chinese President Jiang Zemin in Beijing on 26 November 2001.Topics discussed at the meeting included global development trends in science and technology. Prof Lane also visited HKUST on 21 November 2001 and toured the University’s leading-edge facilities.
Vice-President for Academic Affairs appointed
Prof Yuk-Shee Chan was appointed Vice-President for Academic Affairs in December 2001. Prof Chan was founding Dean of HKUST's School of Business and Management and has led the School to world-class status and number one ranking in Asia in just a decade.
Recognition
• Prof Nancy Ip has been elected Academician of the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS), the highest academic honor bestowed to a Chinese scientist. Prof Ip is the Associate Dean of Science, Head and Professor of the Department of Biochemistry, and Director of the Biotechnology Research Institute at HKUST.
• Prof Ping Sheng, Head of the Department of Physics, has been named Leader of the Year for Technology by the Sing Tao Group.
• Prof Ping K Ko, Professor of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, has b e e n a w a rd e d t h e 2 0 0 2 I E E E S o l i d - S t a t e C i rc u i t s Aw a rd f o r t h e development of device models used for IC design. He shares the award with Prof Chenming Hu of UC Berkeley.
• Business School moves up...again!
Just one year after it placed 48th in the Financial Times 2001 MBA rankings of the world's top business schools, HKUST's School of Business and Management has moved up the list to 47. It remains the only university in Asia to be included in this prestigious top-50 list.
Alumni spark ‘giving’ spirit
Alumni spark ‘giving’ spirit
There are many different opportunities for alumni to add to life at HKUST. This spirit of "giving" was wonderfully illustrated during the University's 10th anniversary celebrations with the creation of the HKUST alumni song,
Fei Xiang (Soaring), and a fund-raising drive last autumn.
As added encouragement, University Council Chairman Dr Vincent H S Lo pledged to support the drive with a "Dollar-for-Dollar Matching Scheme". With $15,600 donated by alumni and matching funds from Dr Lo, the total raised came to $31,200. The money will be used to set up four scholarships, one for each School.
It only takes a spark to get a fire going, and soon all those around can warm up in its glowing. Let's kindle the
"giving" spirit within all HKUST alumni – and keep it growing. New programs providing ways for alumni to give will take place in the coming months. We will be counting on your support!
Your generosity
Huge thanks to the alumni listed below (in alphabetical order) for their donations to the autumn fund-raiser. Thanks also to those who prefer to remain anonymous.
Ms Cheung Yuet Fun
1996 BBA(MGTO)
Mr Chiew Tse Vun
1995 MSc(CIVL)
Mr Chung Kam Wing
2001 BEng(ELEC&CPEG)
Mr Lam Siu Kei
1994 BEng(ELEC)
Mr Lau Chun Tak
1995 MPhil(CHEM)
Mr Lo Wah Chi
2000 BBA(MGTO)
Mr Sum Chi Wing
2001 BEng(COMP)
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ALUMNI POSTCARDS
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My life science website (http://genomicshome.com) is now recognized among the international research community and I have to thank HKUST for providing me with the right educational environment to set me on my way in both research and creative thinking. After my two degrees at HKUST, I took up clinical research at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. My work focused on human genetic eye diseases and, as it entailed using state-of-the-art DNA chips and genome mapping technologies, I collected many relevant resources about these technologies as well as information on life science research areas, such as functional genomics, proteomics and bioinformatics. I then decided I should create my own website to share what I had found via the Internet.
The scientific research community has really welcomed the site and it has been widely linked with renowned institutes all over the world, including the US National Institutes of Health. It was also recently recommended by Science magazine.
For this success, I have HKUST and my fellow students to thank. I had very good supervisors, colleagues and classmates at the University, and the exceptionally dynamic atmosphere and research environment laid down an outstanding foundation for my life today.
Best wishes to you all!
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How HKUST helped me make
my mark on life sciences
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ALUMNI UPDATE
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The MBA Alumni Association (MBAAA) has helped set the pace for future Trailwalker participants by raising the highest amount for teams in the education sector in last year's event. The achievement was recognized at an award presentation ceremony organized by Oxfam Hong Kong in February to celebrate top teams in eight different categories. The 16 members of the four HKUST MBA alumni teams raised a total of $136,510.
In his opening speech, Mr Chong Chan-yau, Executive Director of Oxfam Hong Kong, said that the active participation of university students, including those from HKUST, was most encouraging and showed students were still keen to get involved in community work and charitable causes.
Five of the alumni Trailwalkers and MBAAA representatives attended the presentation ceremony.
Isabel Lui (1999 PT MBA)
MBA Trailwalkers score fundraising success
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`~êã~å=`Ü~å=ENVVQ=_pÅEj^qeFI NVVS=jpÅ=Ej^qeFF hÉå=pÜÉ~ê !" !"#== !"#$% !"#$%&'()*+&,-./*0" !"#$%&'()*+,-./01234 !"#$%&'()*+!",-.Down to business in Shanghainese
Business Shanghainese, co-authored by Houghton Lee (1994 PT MBA) and Dr Tang Zhixiang, is now available.
The book introduces the Shanghainese required in different business contexts. Along with useful phrases and grammatical rules, the book, together with the accompanying CD, explains many current slang terms and idiomatic expressions. HKUST alumni can receive a special 10% discount (HK$79 per copy) and free local delivery by placing their order with Houghton at
HKUST PhD candidate James She (2000 MPhil (ELEC)) has became the youngest recipient of one of Hong Kong's Ten Outstanding Young Digi Persons awards in recognition of his services to IT in the community. Mr She is co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of start-up company SinoCDN, which he launched in 2000. Mr She, who set up the company with his HKUST MPhil supervisor, Professor Danny Tsang,
was presented with the award in December 2001. Also in 2001, SinoCDN gained two Hong Kong awards for its innovative technologies.
New MBAAA Executive Committee for 2002: President Lawrence Liu (third left, front row), Vice-President of Communications and Public Relations Isabel Lui (third right, front row), Prof KC Chan (left), Dr Steve DeKrey (right) and other committee members at the MBAAA Annual Dinner in January.
Lesley Kong (2000 PT MBA) and Carsten Paasch (1994 FT MBA) receive their award from Mr Michael McCarthy of State Street, principal sponsor of Trailwalker 2001.
Young alumnus inventor
Congratulations to PhD candidate Fu Ming-sun (2000 MPhil(ELEC)) who reached the finals of the 2001 Young Inventors Award, sponsored by the Far Eastern Economic Review. He was one of only 14 finalists chosen from a total of 216 entries from universities around Asia. He received recognition for inventing a halftone-image watermark technique that hides information in a picture and can prove its authenticity. A US patent is pending on the technology.
Start-up founder wins “Outstanding Young Digi Person” award
If you would like to share news or
updates with us, please email to
OUDPA at [email protected].
MBAAA’s updates:
