The ninth edition of the HKUST School of Engineering (SENG) Status Report, covering the period 2009 to 2011, finds the School has been energetically moving forward in its role as a global teaching and research powerhouse.
Since the founding of the research-intensive Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 1991, the School has established a strong international reputation and consistently ranks among the top engineering schools in Greater China, Asia and around the world.
SENG is the largest of the five Schools at HKUST and enrolls almost 40% of the University’s student body and over one-third of the University’s faculty members.
Through our six departments – Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Electronic and Computer Engineering, Industrial Engineering and Logistics Management, and Mechanical Engineering – we offer wide-ranging coverage of the field and exciting opportunities for cutting-edge education and research.
The School provides more than 40 degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels, including innovative interdisciplinary programs that bring together the expertise of different departments within the School and across the University. We also collaborate with top global engineering schools to offer joint degree programs at the postgraduate level.
Continuously seeking to advance, the School has added to people’s lives in many different ways: through significant research discoveries and globally recognized excellence; by contributing to the social and economic development of Hong Kong and its transition to a knowledge-based society; in evolving a pace-setting education experience for 21st century engineers; through our internationalization and multiple perspectives; and by participating in solution-building to overcome the grand challenges the world faces in areas such as sustainable development and energy.
As the report indicates, the School is taking exciting strides to further our endeavors and to raise awareness of the essential role that engineers play in technological advancement and social development. This is how we are Leading Change. We welcome forward-looking students, faculty members, researchers, alumni, administrators, industrial and community partners, and benefactors to join us in our quest.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dean’s Message
Generating Global Impact
Inspiring Future Leaders
Reinventing the Undergraduate Experience Advancing Postgraduate Research Education Embedding Lifelong Learning
Tackling the Grand Challenges
Cultivating Wider Vision
Empowering Excellence
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Department of Computer Science and Engineering Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering
Department of Industrial Engineering and Logistics Management Department of Mechanical Engineering
Driving the Future
Honors and AchievementsFaculty Students Alumni
Advisory Committee Faculty Appointments Donations and Sponsorships Teaching and Research Laboratories Facts and Figures
p.02 p.04 p.08 p.22 p.28 p.34 p.60
I was honored to take up the position of Dean of the School of Engineering in 2009 and have sought in the active and rewarding years since then to build on the solid foundations created by my predecessors and to propel the School to new heights of achievement.
I have been well supported in this task by our productive and inspiring faculty members, our hard-working and innovative students, and our stalwart administrative team who keep everything running behind the scenes. As a result, there have been many outstanding accomplishments, with members of the School collectively helping to raise the bar across the engineering spectrum.
My vision when taking up the post was to see the School become a “beacon of excellence”, from teaching, research and knowledge transfer to raising awareness of our capabilities in the community, strengthening our ties with alumni and extending our global reach and achievements.
The School has already acquired a sterling reputation and is consistently ranked one of the leading engineering schools in the world. However, we are continuously seeking to improve.
International Solution-finders
One of our biggest and most exciting challenges over this reporting period has been preparing for the move from a three-year to a four-three-year degree system, a change affecting higher education across Hong Kong from September 2012. It has proved an incredible opportunity to revitalize our curriculum and methods of teaching in line with the new needs of society. The problems that the global community faces today are large and complex. Issues such as the environment, energy and healthcare need to be looked at from many different perspectives and mobilize different fields if they are to be resolved.
For our students, this means enabling them to be solution-finders who can usefully assist in resolving problems wherever they may work in the world. They need to be given the opportunity to participate interactively in an education that equips them with the ability to understand and optimize advanced technologies, work on multidisciplinary projects and in multicultural teams, communicate their ideas, and fully consider the impact of what they undertake.
Advancing Engineering Education
We believe our Engineering PLUS concept, carefully worked on and developed by our faculty members, will provide the holistic, cutting-edge educational experience needed for our undergraduates to become the leading young engineers of today and tomorrow.We have also recognized the importance of enhancing the personal development of our postgraduates in addition to providing a top-quality research environment. Through workshops and other activities, the School is now helping these students to extend their life skills and networks to add to their competitive edge as professional engineers, researchers, entrepreneurs and managers.
The School’s commitment to leading engineering education practice and scholarship took another stride forward with the setting-up of the Center for Engineering Education Innovation (E²I). With its slogan of “Learning to Teach, Teaching to Learn”, the pioneering Center seeks to bring the latest research
findings to our educational practice and to contribute to the literature through our own studies.
E²I founding director is the respected international engineering education expert and faculty member, Prof Edmond Ko, who unexpectedly passed away in April 2012. We will be continuing to move forward on this as part of the rich educational legacy Prof Ko has left the School.
Generating Global Awareness
Other key areas of focus for this reporting period include internationalization and student diversity. The goal has been to develop the multicultural dimension of our student body at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels and bring in stimulating new perspectives, ways of thinking, and worldwide connections. Widening our international recruitment and expanding our popular student exchange are two successful ways we have advanced our efforts.
We have been building up our research collaborations with academics, institutions and enterprises globally, with the pioneering research work of our faculty members putting our School in a strong position to develop such partnerships. Closer to home, research opportunities have continued to grow in the Pearl River Delta, a hugely significant industrial and manufacturing hub for China – and the world. The area is located next door to Hong Kong and seeking to upgrade to the next level of technology and human resources. The University’s research facilities in Nansha and Shenzhen as well as our well-equipped main campus in scenic Clear Water Bay in Hong Kong are assisting faculty in maximizing these openings. As a result, our interaction with different parts of the world has expanded considerably, helping to raise our profile while at the same time providing us with fresh ideas and wider global awareness.
Research Edge
With our international research reputation, excellent research infrastructure and the development dynamism within the region, the School has remained an attractive place for senior and rising faculty to base themselves. This in turn keeps our
research at the forefront of change and our teaching at the cutting-edge of discovery.
Collaborative research involving faculty from different fields within the School is also being encouraged in order to
contribute to the grand challenges the world faces in areas that stretch across a multitude of fields, such as the environment. The School has thus been developing strategies to draw our senior faculty and other researchers together to work on theme-based research and other key initiatives, such as the establishment of an Energy Institute at HKUST.
Drivers of Technological Development
The impact that engineers have on the world often goes unrecognized in today’s society. Technological achievements from medical technology to wireless communication are applauded yet the vital role of engineers in designing and implementing such advances is often overlooked.I have been keen to alter such a view. As this report shows, the School has made great efforts to bring engineering into the community. This has taken many forms, from much greater interaction with secondary school students to public exhibitions. In addition, we have encouraged our students to put their knowledge to work on social projects, including practical innovations to assist those in need, to develop understanding on both sides.
As the largest School at HKUST, with the highest number of undergraduates, graduates and faculty and the most comprehensive range of engineering fields in Hong Kong, we have a pivotal role in building recognition of the role that engineers play and how they improve lives.
We are still working on these goals but I believe in the past three years we have taken major steps forward toward reaching them.
Prof Khaled Ben Letaief
Dean of Engineering De an’s M ess age G ene ratin g G lob al Im pac t Ins pirin g F utu re L ead ers T ack ling th e G ran d C halle nge s Cu ltiv atin g W ide r V isio n Em pow erin g E xce llen ce D rivin g th e F utu re
GENERATING GLOBAL
IMPACT
In 2009-11, the School of Engineering has continued to build
international awareness of its academic accomplishments
through the renowned work of faculty members and HKUST’s
strong showing in leading engineering rankings
In the past three years, which included HKUST’s 20th Anniversary in 2011, the School of Engineering has sought to advance and apply knowledge at the forefront of engineering education and research in line with our goal of continuous improvement. Building on the foundation of excellence put in place over the past two decades, the School was pleased to see our efforts recognized internationally and to further raise HKUST’s academic leadership profile. While rankings offer a highly visible indication of the School’s achievements, the highlights in this section also show some of the many other ways that our pioneering academics generated impact in 2009-11 as we strive to advance the major issues of our time.
Decade of Achievement
The Geotechnical Group retained its No. 1 ranking for the total number of papers published in four major geotechnical journals in the 10 years from 2001-10, according to online academic database service Web of Science®. The greataccomplishment was a result of the collective work of members of the Civil and Environmental Engineering group, namely
Profs Charles Ng, Gang Wang, Jui Pin Wang, Yu Hsing Wang, Limin Zhang, and Jidong Zhao. The
journals were Géotechnique, Journal
of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering, Canadian Geotechnical Journal, and Soils and Foundations.
GENERATING GLOBAL
IMPACT
World-class Performance
The all-round drive for first-rate scholarship and a fulfilling student experience at the School saw HKUST maintain its strong presence in international engineering rankings surveys.
HKUST was ranked No. 26 in the Times Higher Education-QS World University Rankings in Engineering & IT in 2009, the last year of the rankings partnership between Times Higher Education and QS. (Subsequently, each organization has produced rankings independently.)
In the QS World University Rankings – Engineering & Technology in 2010 and 2011, HKUST was placed at No. 26 and No. 22 respectively worldwide, and was the No. 1 university in Hong Kong in this field in both years. Criteria included academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty and internationalization. In 2010 and 2011, HKUST was ranked within the top 30 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings – Engineering & Technology, and No. 1 in Greater China in 2011. The rankings considered teaching, research, citations, industry income and international outlook.
2009 2010 2011
QS World University Rankings Overall / 40 40
Engineering & Technology / 26 22
QS Asian University Rankings Overall 4 2 1
IT & Engineering 6 7 7
QS World University Rankings by Subject - Engineering and Technology Computer Science / / 26 Electrical Engineering / / 28 Civil Engineering / / 42 Mechanical Engineering / / 44 Chemical Engineering / / 51-100
Times Higher Education-QS World
University Rankings
Overall 35 / /
Engineering & IT 26 / /
Times Higher Education World
University Rankings
Overall / 41 62
Engineering & Technology / 20 28
Academic Ranking of World Universities, by Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Engineering/Technology &
Computer Sciences 36 39 36
Computer Science 27 26 21
HKUST flies high
De an’s M ess age Ge ner atin g G lob al Im pac t I nsp irin g F utu re L ead ers T ack ling th e G ran d C halle nge s Cu ltiv atin g W ide r V isio n Em pow erin g E xce llen ce D rivin g th e F utu re
Contributing to National Success
The School of Engineering saw 10 academics receive State Science and Technology Awards during the period under review. The honors are China’s most prestigious in these fields. Among awards provided under the scheme, State Natural Science Awards celebrate academic excellence in basic and applied research while State Scientific and Technological Progress Awards are the top recognition given to outstanding contributors to the advancement of science and technology.China Accolade
Prof Tongyi Zhang, Chair Professor, and Prof Ping Cheng,
Professor Emeritus and the second Department Head (1995-2002), Mechanical Engineering, were elected to the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2011. Membership of the prestigious academy is the highest academic title conferred by the Chinese government for achievements in science and technology research. Such an honor is reserved for the nation’s top minds in natural sciences, technology and engineering.
Prof Zhang’s main research focus is on hydrogen embrittlement, fracture and failure of multi-field coupling materials and micro/ nanomechanics. He has published over 160 Science Citation Index papers and is the co-holder of two US patents. The eminent scholar has twice received the State Natural Science
Award, Second Class, and is a Fellow of the ASM International, US, a Senior Research Fellow of the Croucher Foundation, Hong Kong, and an active and respected member of the international community.
Prof Ping Cheng has achieved global recognition for his research in the field of heat transfer. He has published over 180 Science Citation Index papers on porous-media heat transfer, radiative heat transfer and microscale heat transfer with an h-index of 39. He is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics (AIAA). Prof Cheng is a past recipient of the ASME/ AIChE Max-Jakob Memorial Award, considered the highest international honor in the field of heat transfer, and has received the Shanghai Science and Technology Award, First Class, and State Natural Science Award, Second Class.
Prof Xiren Cao, Electronic and Computer Engineering, 2009 State
Natural Science Award, Second Class, “Optimization Theory and Methodology for Discrete Event Dynamic Systems” in information technology.
Prof Chak Keung Chan, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
and Division of Environment, 2009 State Natural Science Award, Second Class, “The Characteristics of Emission and Complex Pollution of Atmospheric Particulate Matter and Its Precursors”.
Prof Shing Chi Cheung, Computer Science and Engineering, 2011
State Scientific and Technological Progress Award, Second Class, “Software Technology, Platforms, and Internet Ware”.
Prof Yunhao Liu; Prof Lionel Ni, Chair Professor; Dr Mo Li and Dr Zheng Yang, Computer Science and Engineering, 2011 State
Natural Science Award, Second Class, “Range-free Localization and Localizability for Wireless Network and IOT: Theory and Practice”.
Prof Bo Li, Computer Science and Engineering, 2011 State
Natural Science Award, Second Class, “Stochastic Models and Performance Optimization for Resource Management in Computer Networks”.
Prof Hai Yang, Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2011
State Natural Science Award, Second Class, “Behavior-based Spatial-temporal Features of Urban Traffic Flow Distribution and Numerical Study”.
Prof Joseph Lee, HKUST Vice-President for Research and Graduate
Studies and Chair Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2010 State Scientific and Technological Progress Award, Second Class, “Buoyant Jets in Complex Environments – Theory, Innovative Technology and Application”.
IEEE Fellows Increase Their Presence
The high quality of the School’s faculty was reflected in the large number of Fellows of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) among its academics. From 2009-12, 11 more School of Engineering academics were elected IEEE Fellows for contributions to their respective fields, with the total number at the School reaching 27* by January 2012. The IEEE is the world’s leading professional association for advancing technology for humanity, with 395,000 members in more than 160 countries.
Setting the Pace
The School’s dedication to advancing the state of the art starts at the top with Dean of the School of Engineering Prof Khaled Ben Letaief, Chair Professor, Electronic and Computer Engineering.
An IEEE Fellow since 2003 and the Founding Editor-in-Chief of
IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications, among other
achievements, Prof Ben Letaief is an international leader in wireless and mobile communications.
In 2009, Prof Ben Letaief was awarded the IEEE Marconi Award in Wireless Communications. He was presented with the Best Paper Award at the IEEE International Communications Conference for research on “Minimum Sum Expected Distortion in Cooperative Networks” co-authored by MPhil graduate Shaolei Ren. In the same year, Prof Ben Letaief was elected Vice-President of the IEEE Communications Society, the world’s leading organization for communications professionals.
His success as a role model was acknowledged when he received the Outstanding Electrical and Computer Engineering Award from Purdue University, US, in 2010. The honor is awarded to Electrical and Computer Engineering alumni who have made extraordinary contributions to economic development, prosperity and technological advancement. Prof Ben Letaief was selected as ISI Highly Cited Researcher 2011 by Thomson Reuters in the field of Computer Science and Engineering. He also received the IEEE Communications Society Harold Sobol Award for Exemplary Service to Meetings and Conferences in 2011 for his longstanding efforts related to development of the field. Only one person from the Society’s worldwide membership is chosen each year.
Prof Ross Murch, Chair Professor
and Head, Electronic and Computer Engineering, Director of Center for Wireless Information Technology: multiple antenna systems for wireless communications
Prof Qiang Yang, Associate Head
(Postgraduate and Research), Computer Science and Engineering: understanding and application of intelligent planning, learning and data mining
Prof Long Quan, Computer Science
and Engineering, Director of Center for Visual Computing and Imaging Science: three-dimensional computer vision
Prof Mounir Hamdi, Chair Professor
and Head, Computer Science and Engineering, Director of Cyberspace Center: design and analysis of high-speed packet switching
Prof Bo Li, Computer Science and
Engineering: content distribution via the internet
* excludes faculty who joined the School after 31 December 2011
Prof Oscar Au, Electronic and Computer
Engineering, Director of Multimedia Technology Research Center: multimedia coding and security
Associate Dean of Engineering (Undergraduate Studies) Prof Roger Cheng, Electronic
and Computer Engineering: multiuser communications in wireless systems
Prof Vincent Lau, Electronic and Computer
Engineering, Founder and Co-director of Huawei-HKUST Innovation Laboratory: wireless communication systems with channel feedback
Prof Johnny Sin, Electronic and
Computer Engineering, Director of the Nanoelectronics Fabrication Facility, Director of the Semiconductor Product Analysis and Design Enhancement Center: design and commercialization of power semiconductor devices
Prof Danny Tsang, Electronic and Computer
Engineering, Associate Director of HKUST NIE Social Media Lab: optimization of communications networks
Prof Qian Zhang, Computer Science and
Engineering, Founder and Co-director of Huawei-HKUST Innovation Laboratory, Director of Digital Life Research Center: mobility and spectrum management of wireless networks and mobile communications
2009
2012
2010
2011
De an’s M ess age Ge ner atin g G lob al Im pac t I nsp irin g F utu re L ead ers T ack ling th e G ran d C halle nge s Cu ltiv atin g W ide r V isio n Em pow erin g E xce llen ce D rivin g th e F utu reINSPIRING FUTURE
LEADERS
With the introduction of the four-year degree system in
Hong Kong in 2012, the School has seized this chance of a
lifetime to transform our undergraduate education, widen
the learning experience of research postgraduates, and
develop our lifelong learning opportunities
Reinventing the
Undergraduate
Experience
2009-11 has been a remarkable period
for undergraduate teaching and learning
at the School, with faculty members
engaged in extensive preparations for
the move from a three-year to a
four-year degree system
The launch of the new undergraduate degree system in Hong Kong in September 2012 has been seen at HKUST as a tremendous opportunity to redraw the engineering curriculum into a truly 21st-century learning experience. Key objectives of the revitalization process have been to create a more student-centric experience and to encourage undergraduates to develop skills and passion to engage in lifelong learning after graduation. The resulting “Engineering PLUS” education seeks to Prepare Leaders for Ultimate Successes by:
• Developing basic transferable skills, such as communication, critical thinking, and quantitative reasoning
• Focusing on engineering fundamentals for further development as engineers or researchers
• Providing sufficient breadth for effective functioning in a chosen specialty while maintaining flexibility for broadening into other areas of interest
• Challenging students with research-type and open-ended problems to stimulate self-learning and improve problem-solving skills.
Alongside preparations for the four-year degree, logistical arrangements have been ongoing for the “double cohort” in 2012. This will see the last cohort of students graduating with Hong Kong A-levels (after seven years of secondary education) and the first cohort of students graduating with the new Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (after six years at secondary school) both enter their first year at university at the same time. The School will thus run three-year and four-year degree programs simultaneously during the double cohort years, as will happen across Hong Kong’s higher education institutions.
The School’s senior administrators and faculty have made huge efforts to prepare for this, with new faculty members hired, and teaching, laboratories and other practical arrangements organized. As at December 31, 2011, the School had a total of 2,373 undergraduates. For its September 2012 intake, it is estimated there will be a total Year 1 intake of 660 for the three-year degree program and 760 for the four-three-year degree program.
De an’s M ess age G ene ratin g G lob al Im pac t Ins pirin g F utu re L ead ers T ack ling th e G ran d C halle nge s Cu ltiv atin g W ide r V isio n Em pow erin g E xce llen ce D rivin g th e F utu re
Engineering major programs
• BEng in Chemical Engineering • BEng in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering • BEng in Chemical and Environmental Engineering • BEng in Civil Engineering • BEng in Civil and Environmental Engineering • BEng in Computer Engineering • BEng in Computer Science • BEng in Electronic Engineering • BEng in Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management • BEng in Logistics Management and Engineering • BEng in Mechanical Engineering • BSc in Computer ScienceOptimizing the
Four-year Curriculum
The four-year curriculum, comprising around 120 credits, adopts an outcome-based approach. Under the new system, students will enter the School, not a specific field of engineering.
In the first year of study, students will acquire foundation knowledge in science, quantitative methods and common core education which covers broad areas in science and technology, social analysis, humanities, quantitative reasoning, English and Chinese communication and a healthy lifestyle. Students will also take engineering introductory courses designed to give them a taste of various engineering disciplines and to help them decide on their major.
The School’s majors cover a wide spectrum of engineering fields, allowing students to pursue their studies in the area of most interest to them.
Engineering minor programs
• Aeronautical Engineering* • Bioengineering • Engineering Management and Law • Environmental Sustainability and Management • Information Technology • Technology Management * to be launched in 2012Engineering students can also choose from one of three interdisciplinary majors after their first year of study in the School, namely:
• Dual Degree Program (BEng and BBA) in Technology and Management • BSc in Risk Management and Business Intelligence
• BSc in Environmental Management and Technology
Minor programs that add additional perspectives to the learning experience can be taken within or outside the School. In 2009-11, the School expanded its list of minors with two new programs. The Minor Program in Environmental Sustainability and Management enrolled its first students in Fall 2009. The Minor Program in Engineering Management and Law was launched in Fall 2010. Both are open to students across the University.
Undergraduates will have further
enrichment options through second majors, international and internship experiences, early research experience, community service, and soft skills training in areas such as communication.
To ensure a smooth transition in 2012, the School-based Admission Scheme was launched in 2009 as an addition to the established system of individual program applications. Students gaining a place under school-based admission take introductory courses to learn about different engineering fields and receive counseling and insight into different engineering professions. Under the three-year system, students admitted under the scheme have chosen their engineering major at the end of the first
semester. When fully implemented under the four-year system, students will make their decision after one year.
During the period under review, two school-based admission streams, ENGG-A and ENGG-B, were offered covering between them all six engineering departments. Both were welcomed by students. In 2011, Hong Kong’s Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS) statistics showed that ENGG-B was the most competitive of all degree programs at HKUST in terms of Band A choices and number of places available, while the stream was the second most popular program at HKUST overall for such applicants.
De an’s M ess age G ene ratin g G lob al Im pac t Ins pirin g F utu re L ead ers T ack ling th e G ran d C halle nge s Cu ltiv atin g W ide r V isio n Em pow erin g E xce llen ce D rivin g th e F utu re
Exchange Program Expansion
The School has made concerted efforts to extend opportunities for students to go on exchange in the past three years in line with its goal to broaden students’ learning experiences. Exchanges help to build students’ independence, widen their perspectives, and increase cultural awareness, preparing them for the globalized workplace. By 2010-11, the number of engineering undergraduates who had participated at least once in an exchange had risen substantially to close to 30% compared with 21% in 2008-09. Greater flexibility for exchange arrangements is also envisioned with the four-year program. It is the School’s goal to send 50% of its undergraduates on exchange.
Our exchange network has also expanded. Study destinations in countries such as the US, UK and Canada have been joined by exchange agreements with institutions in countries such as France, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea and Japan. In addition, partnerships with universities in Turkey and Israel have been established. By December 31, 2011, the School had over 80 institutional partners from 19 countries/regions, including Mainland China.
With the School’s continuous efforts in promoting non-traditional regions, exchange destinations had become more evenly distributed by 2010-11, with 32% in North America, 31% in Europe, and 37% in Asia. The diversity of exchange destinations enabled students to bring back a wide range of cultural experiences to share with classmates in Hong Kong. Those remaining in Hong Kong also gained the benefit of meeting students from a variety of academic and cultural backgrounds who exchanged in from partner institutions.
As a cost-effective alternative to the full semester exchange, the School has developed shorter summer exchange programs. The move has allowed a greater number of students to experience life outside Hong Kong. Each summer program is carefully chosen to blend credit-bearing courses in engineering with cultural activities and foreign language training.
To cater for research-oriented undergraduates, the School launched an innovative summer exchange program in collaboration with Princeton University in 2011. The program enables HKUST students to be attached to a research project at Princeton for eight weeks and vice versa. Princeton students may also work with research teams from the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI).
Fostering Internationalization
Along with its highly successful exchange program, the School widened the diversity of its undergraduate population through stepping up international recruitment. This helped international applications grow from 130 in 2008 to 597 in 2011, a leap of 360% that has heightened competition for places further and an indication of the increasing
popularity of the School’s programs among students from outside Hong Kong. Diversity among the undergraduate population has also jumped, with international
students from 17 different locations in 2008 rising to 30 in 2011. In 2011-12, there were students from Europe (e.g. Sweden, Norway, Spain, UK), Asia (e.g. India, Indonesia, Korea, Vietnam), the Middle East (e.g. Iran, Saudi Arabia, Israel) and Africa (e.g. Botswana, Nigeria, Zimbabwe) studying at the School.
In addition, the School has seen an upward trend in quality, including two of Malaysia’s top students who chose to enroll in 2011. Jun Kang Chow, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Wilson Wei King Lye, Mechanical Engineering, were among just eight students out of 53,000 candidates to gain five A grades in Malaysia’s nationwide pre-university STPM examination. Neither student had previously been to Hong Kong before. High-flying Mainland China applicants have also continued to find the School an attractive option, with the students recruited of comparable quality to
New exchange partnerships
Jan 2009 - Dec 2011
Drexel University, US
Institut Supérieur d’Electronique de Paris, France
Koç University, Turkey Michigan State University, US
Munich University of Applied Sciences, Germany
Nagoya University, Japan Pohang University of Science and Technology, Korea
Princeton University, US
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, US
Sabanci University, Turkey
State University of New York at Stony Brook, US
Sungkyunkwan University, Korea Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Israel
The Cooper Union, US
Universiti Putra Malaysia, Malaysia University of Exeter, UK
University of Manitoba, Canada University of Stuttgart, Germany University of Sussex, UK University of Utah, US University of Virginia, US
University of Wisconsin-Madison, US Vanderbilt University, US
Yeungnam University, Korea
De an’s M ess age G ene ratin g G lob al Im pac t Ins pirin g F utu re L ead ers T ack ling th e G ran d C halle nge s Cu ltiv atin g W ide r V isio n Em pow erin g E xce llen ce D rivin g th e F utu re
Holistic Education Initiatives
With the increased emphasis on holistic learning under the four-year curriculum, the School sought to launch further support measures, foster personal development and encourage students to engage in enrichment activities in 2009-11 to build awareness of different types of learning among students and faculty members.
Center for Engineering Education Innovation (E
2I)
The School identified the critical transition period from school to university and the growing advisory needs of undergraduates under the student-centric four-year curriculum as key areas for greater support. One significant undertaking that aims to address both these needs is the Center for Engineering Education Innovation (E2I), established in September 2010.
E2I seeks to position the School at the forefront of engineering education practice and research. Its
mission is to design, deliver, and evaluate innovative learning experiences for student and faculty development.
In student development, E2I serves as a one-stop shop in advising first-year students admitted
under the School-based Admission Scheme so that they can make a successful transition to university life and study, and make an informed decision on their majors. A Peer Mentoring Program has been in place since 2010 to provide support for incoming students. Peer mentors are empowered to play a role in the learning of other students by designing purposeful learning
experiences for them. This “Learning to Teach, Teaching to Learn” philosophy is also followed in other student development programs offered by E2I both on and off campus.
E2I has been involved in two major initiatives related to the launch of the four-year undergraduate
curriculum. It has been helping to scale up and refine the current system of academic advising for students. This involves the recruitment and training of peer, professional, and faculty advisors, along with the provision of physical space that would be conducive to academic and social
interactions among students. The other move is to advance pedagogy through working with faculty and teaching staff on innovative teaching and assessment strategies in order to maximize student learning. For example, the Center has offered a series entitled “E²I Conversations on Engineering Learning and Teaching” since Spring 2011, whereby the School’s faculty and guests gather once a month during the semester to discuss issues on engineering education informally over lunch. Ideas are being tried out in new School-sponsored courses and will be applied to other courses. E2I
is also engaged in teaching a course in collaboration with the University’s Center for Enhanced Learning and Teaching for new faculty and one for postgraduate students for the entire university. Another focus underpinning E2I’s work is engineering education research. Most of the research
in this area has been done in Western societies, and much remains to be learned about Chinese students in the local context. E2I has identified many exciting research opportunities and plans
to collaborate with similar centers elsewhere to establish an international network to promote engineering education scholarship.
Global and Community Engagement (GCE) Program
To nurture a socially responsible culture among engineering students and encourage them to use their engineering and technology knowledge to contribute to society, the School has actively involved its undergraduates in different forms of community service.
The School started its first credit-bearing co-curricular course in 2009. Developed by Prof Charles Ng, then Associate Dean of Engineering, the community service course enabled students to gain social service experience as well as training in leadership, public relations, event management, communication and presentation skills. The initial project was sponsored by the Lions Club of Metropolitan Hong Kong.
Community-oriented student projects have also led to innovative technologies. In 2009, three of the School’s undergraduates developed a digital photo frame with a built-in set of games designed to enhance the cognitive power of the elderly. The project went on to win three design awards in open competitions. In 2010, an undergraduate project by two students led to the creation of a cost-effective and efficient Braille Embosser for the visually challenged. The user-friendly machine has received nine engineering design awards locally and internationally. To provide a greater infrastructural framework for such work, the co-curricular Global and Community Engagement (GCE) Program was launched in 2011. Its goals are to: foster holistic
development for engineering students to rise to the grand challenges of the 21st century; strengthen students’ international and local engagement in engineering disciplines; and provide a platform for students to contribute their engineering knowledge to the community.
The GCE Program also aims to widen and broaden students’ exposure by engaging them in international and local project competitions, conferences, or professional events related to engineering. For example, the HKUST Robotics Team, which is embedded within the GCE Program, was restructured in January 2011 into four sub-teams to extend its participation in Asia-Pacific, Mainland and international robot contests. During 2011, the sub-teams took part in several competitions and received nine awards. The overall team increased from 40 undergraduates in 2010 to over 70 undergraduates from the School’s six departments. Outcome-based pedagogy has also been implemented in the project-based course for the team.
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP)
This special HKUST program has given undergraduate students a way to participate in research activities ahead of graduation. UROP has proved increasingly popular and many of the School’s students have gained valuable exposure to research team culture and worked closely with faculty members through the program. Given its strong appeal, from Fall 2010 the program was offered each semester rather than summer only. Engineering students participating in UROP rose from 67 in 2008 to 124 in 2011.Foundations for the Future
While the School has endeavored to maximize the opportunities presented by Hong Kong’s education reforms, it is recognized that the work of the past three years is only the start of an ongoing endeavor to deliver a truly inspirational undergraduate experience for our students. As the new curriculum is rolled out, there will undoubtedly be adaptations to accommodate and new challenges to overcome. However, with the strong foundations put in place during 2009-11, the School looks forward to the arrival of the four-year degree with immense optimism and great enthusiasm.
De an’s M ess age G ene ratin g G lob al Im pac t Ins pirin g F utu re L ead ers T ack ling th e G ran d C halle nge s Cu ltiv atin g W ide r V isio n Em pow erin g E xce llen ce D rivin g th e F utu re
Advancing
Postgraduate
Research
Education
Equipping research students
with a broader range of skills
and awareness is taking the
School’s learning environment to
the next level
While the School and its world-class faculty members have already established a formidable reputation for cutting-edge research and development that draws top research students, HKUST’s front-running environment ensures that fresh endeavors to enhance its provision are always being explored. In 2009-11, major initiatives for the School’s research postgraduates centered on greater internationalization and diversification of the educational experience.
Building International Connections
The School attracts top-caliber research students, many from Mainland China. To increase our postgraduates’ multicultural outlook and assist them in developing international connections, the School has actively sought to build diversity among our research students while rigorously maintaining quality.
Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme
The Hong Kong Research Grants Council scheme was established in 2009 to attract the best and brightest students from around the world to pursue doctoral studies in Hong Kong. The School of Engineering has done particularly well in drawing such candidates, receiving the largest number among engineering faculties in Hong Kong in 2010 and 2011, the first two years that the fellowships were awarded. Such success can be attributed to the dedication and outstanding research performance of our faculty team, the potential for awardees to maximize their capabilities at the School, and the School’s enthusiasm for drawing such top students in line with our goal of strengthening ties around the world.
Expanding the Postgraduate Experience
To nurture well-trained engineers and academics who can make significant contributions in today’s global context, the School has taken an active role in broadening the learning opportunities and support activities available to research students.
Joint Collaborations
To expand research and learning opportunities, the School collaborates with leading overseas and Mainland China institutions. The number of partners grew considerably over the period under review. School delegations overseas also helped more institutions around the world get to know the School and its achievements, enhancing interest in collaboration. Such collaborations open up avenues for students to gain insight into different research team cultures and perspectives. Those established in 2009-11 are listed below.
International Student Recruitment
The School also engaged in overseas recruitment drives and visits to build the presence of international research postgraduates. This saw international numbers more than triple in the past three years. Students came from Australasia, Africa, South and East Asia, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, the United States, and the Middle East. The School continued to draw a large number of first-rate students from the Mainland during this period.
School of Engineering partner agreements
Partner institution Nature of agreement Year signed
Telecom SudParis, France Dual master’s degree program 2009 Université Joseph Fourier
(Grenoble I), France Memorandum of Understanding on a dual doctoral program 2009 Ecole Supérieure d’Electricité
(Supélec), France
Agreement to develop a partnership within the framework of a master’s program on “advanced wireless communications
systems” 2010
University of Wisconsin-Madison, US
Memorandum of Understanding on collaborations, including research projects, student/faculty exchange and outside
funding sources 2010
Woongjin Coway, Korea Degree program and research and development projects 2010 Moscow State University, Russia Memorandum of Understanding on facilitating academic, scientific and technological exchange and cooperation 2011 Pohang University of Science
and Technology, Korea Joint PhD program 2011
Tsinghua University, Mainland
China Agreement on summer internship program 2011
Zhejiang University, Mainland
China Co-supervision agreement 2011
De an’s M ess age G ene ratin g G lob al Im pac t Ins pirin g F utu re L ead ers T ack ling th e G ran d C halle nge s Cu ltiv atin g W ide r V isio n Em pow erin g E xce llen ce D rivin g th e F utu re
Overseas Research Awards
for PhD Students
The School encouraged doctoral students to gain a wider view of their field, and the world through participation in HKUST’s Overseas Research Awards for PhD Students. The scheme was launched in 2006-07 by the Provost’s Office. Students chosen to participate can conduct research at leading universities overseas for two to six months, providing both cultural exposure and practical research experience. It is also an effective way to promote inter-institutional research collaboration. Institutions involved include MIT, Stanford, Yale, University of Sydney, Imperial College London, National University of Singapore and Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany, among many others. In 2011-12, 14 engineering students were selected by
the School to participate in the scheme.
International Forums
Postgraduate students also attended overseas conference and regionally organized activities. Annual events include workshops organized by the University of Tokyo’s Asian Program for Incubation of Environmental Leaders (APIEL), and the Asian Science and Technology Pioneering Institutes of Research and Education (ASPIRE), which seeks to help to realize a sustainable world. HKUST is a collaborating partner and member of these two organizations respectively.
In 2010, APIEL conducted a field exercise in the Greater Pearl River Delta to explore environmental sustainability and management in relation to trans-boundary and international cooperation, in collaboration with HKUST and Sun Yat-sen University in Guangzhou. In 2011, the ASPIRE workshop was held at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) focused on “Sustainability for the Globe: Energy and Environmental Issues”. Five students from the School of Engineering took part.
PhD Research Excellence Awards
To recognize the achievements of the School’s doctoral students and recent graduates, the School established the PhD Research Excellence Awards in 2011. The honors celebrate those who have made significant and influential contributions to their engineering discipline during PhD studies at HKUST. The first winners were Dr Weiping Wang, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Dr Huanfeng Duan, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Dr Yu Zhang, Computer Science and Engineering. Dr Yinshi Li, Mechanical Engineering, received an Honorable Mention.Additional Support and Social
Activities
More activities were organized within the School to help postgraduates get to know peers outside their own research teams. To welcome students at the start of the new semester, the School organized its first Postgraduate Orientation in September 2011. The get-together enabled School management, faculty members and students to become acquainted. Around 100 research students attended the orientation. To encourage social interaction between students from different locations, the School started to organize activities outside the classroom. A barbecue was held in December 2011. Other activities, such as hiking, festival gatherings and cultural exchange, were also arranged.
Future Development
Further plans are being laid to boost postgraduates’ soft skills and career planning by building their communication capabilities, entrepreneurship opportunities and mentoring. Presentation and interpersonal skills are increasingly valuable for both future academics and those who go into industry in an era of highly competitive research funding and public participation, where engineers may need to engage support for their projects. Activities being looked at include workshops and forums to assist students to explain their work to people outside their specialty.In this way, together with the innovations of the current reporting period, the School seeks to set our postgraduate education apart, delivering a holistic experience that addresses not only excellence in research opportunities but students’ all-round skills and personal development needs.
Situated in Hong Kong, Asia’s world city, HKUST is both a hub for Asia and a gateway to China. To support the growth of technology industries in the region and to cater for the professional development needs of local and overseas engineering professionals, the School of Engineering offers a comprehensive suite of part-time and full-time self-financed taught master’s programs, which continued to develop in 2009-11.
Program Diversity
and Expansion
Nine Master of Science programs were offered during the period under review, leveraging the strengths of the School’s world-class faculty and reflecting the needs of specific technology industries. Preparations were also made for a new program in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering to be launched in response to strong demand in the region.
Continuous
Improvement
The Master of Science in Environmental Engineering was renamed the Master of Science in Environmental Engineering and Management in September 2011 in line with the program’s revamped curriculum, structure and broader focus. The move caters for the changing needs of the market. It will enable students to understand how fundamental environmental engineering concepts can be applied to environmental management and policy decisions. This will both increase students’ breadth of knowledge and make them more competitive.
Embedding
Lifelong
Learning
The School’s highly sought-after
taught postgraduate programs
added to their strengths with a
series of initiatives to broaden
students’ educational experience
and enhance interaction
School of Engineering taught
postgraduate master’s programs
• Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering* • Civil Infrastructural Engineering and Management • Environmental Engineering and Management • Electronic Engineering • IC Design Engineering • Telecommunications • Information Technology • Engineering Enterprise Management • Intelligent Building Technology and Management • Mechanical Engineering * to be launched in 2012-13 De an’s M ess age G ene ratin g G lob al Im pac t Ins pirin g F utu re L ead ers T ack ling th e G ran d C halle nge s Cu ltiv atin g W ide r V isio n Em pow erin g E xce llen ce D rivin g th e F utu re
Rising Number of Applications
With the leading global position of the School, statistics show that interest in our taught master’s programs has been growing rapidly. Applications rose over 100% in the three years from 2008-09 to 2011-12, increasing from 1,655 to 3,320. Despite applications doubling, admissions only grew by just over 21%, from 450 to 546, leading to extremely keen competition for places, and high-quality intakes.Student Diversity
More taught postgraduate students in the three years up to December 31, 2011, elected to study full-time rather than part-time, with the proportion of full-time students rising from around 34% to 48%. One of the reasons for the jump is the greater number of non-local (international and Mainland China) students now coming to the School to take these programs. There was a particularly noticeable increase in the numbers of non-local international students. The non-local category includes Mainland China and international students studying on student visas. Local international refers to students who hold work, dependent or other valid visas for studying in Hong Kong.
Enhanced Learning Experience
To respond to the changing composition of the student body and the rising number of non-local students, various kinds of additional learning support were designed and offered to enrich students’ learning experience.Workshops, Seminars and Company Visits
Technical workshops and industry seminars were organized to keep students up to date with the latest technologies that are drawing global attention. Company visits and career seminars helped non-local students understand the work culture and environment in Hong Kong. In addition, industry professionals were invited to become part of the teaching team to bring new perspectives and insights to classes.
English and Career-building Courses
To cater for the needs of the growing number of non-local students from Mainland China, an English course focusing on job-seeking was developed to add to the academic English course already established. A separate career-building course was introduced to help full-time students discover their career path and goals, and to acquire the knowledge and skills essential for job success. These courses were specifically designed for taught postgraduate students to enable the focus and content to be tailored to their requirements.
Networking and Alumni Support
To assist students in developing a strong social support network from the outset, a mega welcoming session was launched to help participants from all programs get acquainted with each other, teaching faculty, academic advisors, program directors and administrative members. Key support services such as the Language Center, Student Counseling Office, and Career Center were also introduced at the session. In addition, orientation and individual program tea receptions were held to facilitate course selection and course management. During their studies, students enjoyed more opportunities to attend informal gatherings and social events. Alumni were often invited to join these activities to share and to inspire students in their course work and career preparation. Students were also encouraged to join alumni activities.
Alumni Associations
In response to student feedback, two taught postgraduate alumni associations were formed during the period under review: the Engineering Enterprise Management Alumni Association and the MSc in Telecommunications Alumni Association. As alumni activities are often open to students as well, such organizations are highly useful in promoting networking as well as professional interflow.
Steps Forward
To attract more top students, scholarships will be made available for each program from 2012-13. To excel and to make our students more competitive, industry collaborations will also be explored in order to open up student internships and industrial project opportunities. Most importantly, program quality will be rigorously controlled in alignment with University guidelines.
De an’s M ess age G ene ratin g G lob al Im pac t Ins pirin g F utu re L ead ers T ack ling th e G ran d C halle nge s Cu ltiv atin g W ide r V isio n Em pow erin g E xce llen ce D rivin g th e F utu re
TACKLING THE
GRAND CHALLENGES
The drive to make a leading contribution to
the global issues of our time is adding fresh,
multidisciplinary dynamism to the School’s
thriving research culture
As theme-based research grows in global importance, the School is placing increasing emphasis on a multidisciplinary approach to projects, with the aim of bringing together our senior faculty members to work on transformational solutions to major issues facing humanity. In 2009-11, we have also encouraged collaborations outside and inside Hong Kong and set up a faculty award scheme to recognize the significant achievements of our academics.
TACKLING THE
GRAND CHALLENGES
Water Treatment Advance
Prof Guanghao Chen, Civil and Environmental Engineering,
established a close relationship with Delft University of Technology, UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education and the University of Cape Town, South Africa. A joint team from these institutions received a €700,000 grant from UNESCO-IHE to undertake a pilot-scale demonstration of an integrated saline water supply system with sulphate reduction, autotrophic denitrification and nitrification integrated (SANI) technology in Cuba. SANI is a novel sewage treatment technology invented by a HKUST research team led by Prof Chen. It has been recognized by the International Water Association as one of the most successful water management systems around the world. The relationship between the organizations also includes student exchange and supervision.
Fostering Collaborations
As research issues escalate in complexity and cost of funding, collaborative projects are offering new, thought-provoking avenues for cutting-edge studies.Focus on Energy
In line with the drive for tackling major global research challenges, the School started to establish an interdisciplinary Energy Institute in 2011. The initiative was a result of more than a year’s planning and consultation by various members of the School’s faculty team. It is being supported financially by HKUST’s Special Research Fund Initiative. Initial areas of focus are sustainable technology, energy efficiency and conservation. The proposed Institute seeks to build on faculty strengths to promote interdisciplinary collaboration and serve as a focal point to attract major funding.
The School also helped to launch the HKUST Research Forum Series in
November 2011, with the first event on the topic of energy. Co-organized by the Office of the Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies, the gathering shared information about what was ongoing in energy research at HKUST. Guests Prof Qingyan Chen, Vincent P Reilly Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University, Prof Surendra Shah, HKUST Institute for Advanced Study Fellow and Walter P Murphy Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northwestern University and Mr Bob Aylsworth, Vice President, WW Engineering and Chief Innovation Officer of Emerson Network Power, presented their visions and gave valuable comments on energy research directions.
De an’s M ess age G ene ratin g G lob al Im pac t Ins pirin g F utu re L ead ers Tac klin g th e G ran d C halle nge s C ultiv atin g W ide r V isio n Em pow erin g E xce llen ce D rivin g th e F utu re
Communication Lines
Prof Dekai Wu, Computer Science and Engineering, has been participating in the US Defense
Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)-funded collaboration on the Broad Operational Language Translation (BOLT) Program, together with SRI (Stanford Research Institute), US, and many other Western universities, including Columbia and Edinburgh. At the same time, he is participating in the European Union-funded collaboration on the EU-BRIDGE Large-Scale Integrating Project, together with Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and RWTH Aachen University in Germany, University of Edinburgh in the UK, research institute Fondazione Bruno Kessler (FBK) in Italy, and others. Both projects center on bringing semantic structure into the machine learning of automatic human language translation models. Prof Wu’s DARPA and EU grants are generously funded by the US and the European Union. Each of the grants is about HK$8 million, a scale of funding for projects of this type that is unprecedented in Hong Kong, China, and most of Asia.
Cleaning Out Pollutants
Prof Gordon McKay, Head of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, worked with the
Department of Energy and Environment, École des Mines de Nantes, France, on the removal of pollutants from water. Prof McKay and partners from École des Mines de Nantes received two Hong Kong Procore Awards in 2009 and 2010 to continue the research. Locally, Prof McKay teamed up with Prof Yau Shan Szeto, Institute of Textiles and Clothing, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, on a project involving the production and applications of nanochitosans. The pair shared two collaborative Research Grants Council awards in 2009 and 2010, with the awards totaling HK$1.2 million.
Image Building
Prof Pedro Sander, Computer Science and Engineering, undertook projects with Microsoft
Research, US, Instituto Nacional de Matemática Pura e Aplicada (IMPA), Brazil, and Princeton University respectively. Topics included image-based bidirectional scene reprojection, amortized supersampling, antialiasing recovery, anisotropic blue noise sampling, parallel view-dependent level of detail control, interactive painterly stylization of images, and videos and 3D animations.
Regional and Local Joint Studies
The School’s researchers have also helped to boost progress in different engineering fields regionally and locally.
In 2011, Prof Charles Ng, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and five mainland
professors were awarded funding of over RMB30 million in total under the Ministry of Science and Technology’s 973 research program. The study will tackle major technical issues for solving potential environmental hazards from municipal solid waste in landfills. Research findings are expected to be applied to the design and operation of such landfills in China. In 2010, Prof Ng was made the first Chang Jiang Chair Professor in Geotechnical Engineering in the country by the Ministry of Education. The same year, he was invited to deliver a Zeng Guoxi Lecture at Zhejiang University, Hangzhou. The prestigious lecture series features distinguished presentations by world-renowned scholars from China and overseas.
Prof Oscar Au, Electronic and Computer Engineering, and his team have seen a series
of technical tools adopted in the development of Mainland China’s AVS standard. The team’s L-slice was accepted in March 2009. Earlier, their fast motion estimation algorithm and light-weight encryption tool were accepted in March 2006 and December 2008 respectively. Prof Au also undertook research projects together with the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI). His team was involved in research on video coding tools for a future multimedia standard. The team explored intraprediction, motion vector coding and subpixel rendering. A second project focused on 3D video coding and view synthesis for 3DTV. The ASTRI research involved academics from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, City University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Polytechnic University.
Prof Bo Li, Computer Science and Engineering, became the principal Hong Kong
investigator for the Aquiculture Technological Innovation Platform at South China Agricultural University. The project received RMB2.5 million from the Hong Kong Guangdong Joint Program (Guangdong Science and Technology Bureau) in 2011. Prof Li has established a variety of ties with different mainland universities, including Tsinghua University where he is affiliated and engaged in research collaboration with the ChinaCache Lab, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, where he is Chang Jiang Visiting Chair Professor (2010-13), and Huazhong University of Science and Technology, where he serves as an adjunct professor.
The Department of Mechanical Engineering has developed a strong research infrastructure and network in Mainland China. Facilities include a mechanical engineering laboratory in the HKUST Shenzhen Industry, Education and Research (IER) Building in Shenzhen’s High-Tech Industrial Park; and the Center for Engineering Materials and Reliability and the Building Energy Research Center, both at HKUST Fok Ying Tung Graduate School in Nansha, Guangzhou. In June 2010, the HKUST LED-FPD Technology R&D Center at Foshan was formally established. The Center will focus on applied LED research and development of packaging and manufacturing technologies to assist local industries. It also creates a platform to realize collaboration opportunities and to source funding in Mainland China. The Foshan Municipal Government provided start-up funding of RMB25 million and 1,800 sqm of space in Nanhai District.
De an’s M ess age G ene ratin g G lob al Im pac t Ins pirin g F utu re L ead ers Tac klin g th e G ran d C halle nge s C ultiv atin g W ide r V isio n Em pow erin g E xce llen ce D rivin g th e F utu re
Celebrating Faculty Achievements
To recognize the sterling work of faculty members, the School established annual research excellence awards in 2011. The awards provide an inspiring tribute to the work of senior academics as well as rising stars. Nominees must display excellence in research over a sustained period of time, with research achievements recognized by the award expected to be for work carried out mainly at HKUST. Other criteria included research training provided to students and post-doctoral researchers, and their leadership role in collaboration with national and international research partners.The four inaugural winners were Prof Hoi Sing Kwok, Dr William MW Mong Chair
Professor of Nanotechnology, Electronic and Computer Engineering (Distinguished Research Excellence Award); Prof Guohua Chen, Chemical and Biomolecular
Engineering (Research Excellence Award); Prof Qian Zhang, Computer Science
and Engineering (Research Excellence Award); and Prof Matthew McKay,
Electronic and Computer Engineering (Young Investigator Award).
As part of the Distinguished Research Excellence Award, the most prestigious of the honors, the recipient is invited to deliver a public lecture, a distinction in itself. Prof Kwok’s lecture on “Future Directions of Display Technologies”, his field of expertise, drew more than 120 guests, industry partners, faculty members and students in November 2011. Prof Kwok’s many achievements include the development of silicon micro-displays and the technology transfer of active-matrix organic light-emitting diode displays, all created at HKUST.
Prof Chen has been a major contributor to electrochemical technologies for industrial wastewater treatment and application of nanotechnologies to environmental protection. Prof Zhang is internationally known for her research in mobile multimedia communication and advanced wireless networking. Junior faculty member Prof McKay has made strong contributions to the fundamental understanding and design of advanced signal processing methods for wireless communications.
In Hong Kong, Prof Ying Chau, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, collaborated
with Dr Vincent Lee, a local ophthalmologist at Adventist Hospital, on an Innovation and Technology Fund project to develop a long-acting antiangiogenic formulation for treating eye diseases. She received industrial sponsorship from Lee’s Pharmaceutical Ltd, Hong Kong for the project. Separately, Prof Chau is partnering Dr Amy Lo at the Eye Institute at the University of Hong Kong in evaluating a new ocular drug delivery system.
