News & Stories

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is pleased to announce that it has achieved yet another milestone in molecular neuroscience research. Prof Nancy Ip, Chair Professor of the Division of Life Science and Director of the State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience at HKUST, and her research team have made breakthrough discoveries in unraveling novel signaling mechanisms in the brain that have far-reaching implications in biomedicine.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is pleased to announce that Prof Penger Tong, Professor of Physics, was named a 2010 Fellow by the American Physical Society (APS).Prof Tong was cited by the APS for his “insightful experiments to elucidate interesting new physics…and for his many contributions to the development of international research and education in experimental physics.” Prof Tong joined HKUST in 2003. His research interests include non-equilibrium dynamics and soft condensed matter physics, including experimental studies of turbulent thermal convection, interactions and structure formation in suspensions, polymer solutions, and other complex fluids. The APS Fellowship Program was created to recognize members who have made advances in knowledge through original research and publication, or who have made significant and innovative contributions in the application of physics to science and technology.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is pleased to announce that Prof Jerry H C Wang, Professor Emeritus and former Head of the Department of Biochemistry, has been elected as an Academician of Academia Sinica, Taiwan, by the 28th Convocation of Academicians in Taipei, Taiwan. The election of Academicians of Academia Sinica recognizes outstanding scientists in three research divisions: Mathematics and Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, and Humanities and Social Sciences. Academicians of Academic Sinica are elected every two years at the Convocation of Academicians, and each division is permitted to elect no more than 10 Academicians at each Convocation.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has received a grant of US$150,000 to participate in HP Catalyst Initiative, a global social innovation program designed to develop more effective approaches to worldwide education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). HKUST is one of the 35 educational institutions across 11 countries that have been selected by HP to receive the grant in 2010. As a member of the newly established “Measuring Learning Consortium” led by Carnegie Mellon University, HKUST will be collaborating with other partners to explore what the future of STEM learning and teaching can be. With the grant from HP, HKUST is setting up a brand new teaching lab equipped with high-end computers for the use of students from the Computer Science and Engineering Department.

Students of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have won gold at the 2010 International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition (iGEM) held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) last month, with scientific breakthrough made. This year, as many as 130 teams and about 2,000 participants from universities all over the world took part in the iGEM Competition, which is the world’s largest-scale international student competition in the field of Synthetic Biology. HKUST first took part in this Competition in 2008, when they won bronze. Last year the HKUST Team came back with a silver.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has reaped two First Class and three Second Class awards in the Awards for Research Excellence in Natural Sciences presented by the Ministry of Education. This is the biggest harvest among Hong Kong’s tertiary institutions. The awards received by HKUST faculty members are: First Class in Natural Sciences

https://bm.hkust.edu.hk/press-releases/2010/12/tsinghua-sem-and-hkust-business-school-sign-strategic-partnership-framework

Two engineering students at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) – Mr Frank WANG and Mr Jianyu SONG – have succeeded in putting their self-designed unmanned helicopter on an unprecedented autonomous flight across the world’s deepest canyon – the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon, dubbed “the last territory of mystery on earth”. Situated in Tibet, the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon is the deepest canyon in the world, measuring 504.6 km long and 6,009 meters deep at the lowest spot, which is nearly three times the depth of the famous Grand Canyon in the US. Due to its great depth, it encompasses as many as 9 natural zones, from snowy mountains to rain forests. Due to its forbidding terrain, most of the areas have never been traversed.