News & Stories

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) presented today (30 September) The Shaw Prize Lecture in Astronomy 2011 featuring the distinguished astronomer and recipient of this year's Shaw Prize in Astronomy, Dr Enrico Costa. Dr Costa spoke on "Gamma-ray Bursts: The Largest and Most Distant Explosions in the Universe". Since the phenomenon of gamma-ray bursts is among the greatest discoveries in astronomy of the past century, he discussed some of the properties of gamma-ray bursts, how these properties have provided the statistical evidence for a remote location, and how the bursts can be used as tools for examining some of the conditions at the earliest times after the Big Bang. The enlightening talk, which shed light on understandings about the origin of the universe, received enthusiastic response from the audience.

The four-day Global Business Conference 2011 led by undergraduate students from the HKUST Business School's BBA in Global Business program successfully concluded today (30 September) with a closing ceremony officiated by honorable guest Dr. William Fung Kwok Lun, Executive Deputy Chairman of Li & Fung Limited, who congratulated the students on the success of the Conference and shared with delegates his achievements and leadership insights as an internationally recognised entrepreneur. Echoing the Conference's theme of "Emerging Markets' Opportunities", Dr. Fung's keynote speech highlighted how young business leaders can best equip themselves for capturing opportunities in China and the emerging markets in a new era after the financial tsunami.

Dedicated students from the HKUST Business School's BBA in Global Business program today (27 September) launches the Global Business Conference 2011 - the first large-scale international conference led by undergraduate students at the School. Attended by around 100 student delegates from 30 universities located in 17 countries, the four-day Conference (27-30 September) aims to provide a dynamic platform for top undergraduate students from around the world to discuss global business issues and broaden their international perspectives. The Conference is organized in celebration of HKUST's 20th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of the Global Business program.

World Class Tests in Mathematics and Problem Solving under the administration of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) announced the results of the November 2011 tests today. Students taking the tests are shown to be very competent, with half of them achieving distinction. Candidates possessing a flair for explaining the reasoning process also do well in both the Mathematics and Problem Solving papers. This observation was made based on the results of 2,941 students who took part in the November 2011 World Class Tests for the 8-11 age group and the 12-14 age group. These include 2,617 students from 156 primary schools and 324 students from 73 secondary schools.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) hosted Information Days 2011 to provide first-hand information to applicants for the University’s undergraduate degree programs in view of the double cohort in 2012 and the 3-3-4 education reform. The number of visitors had a record high of over 42,000 during this two-day event with overwhelming response. This year, HKUST widened the scope and enriched the content of its Information Days especially for applicants taking the Hong Kong Advanced Level Examination (HKALE) and the first Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) on 24 and 25 September respectively. Ms Michelle Li, Deputy Secretary for Education, Education Bureau, was invited to speak on how 21st century tertiary education helps students prepare for the challenges from Hong Kong, Mainland and globalization.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today (22 September) held an opening ceremony of the HKUST Shenzhen Industry, Education and Research (IER) Building. The Building will serve as HKUST's platform for innovative science and technology and mark another milestone in HKUST's Mainland development. HKUST has been committed to fostering academic and research collaborations with Mainland universities and institutes in Shenzhen and the Pearl River Delta. The HKUST Shenzhen IER Building is a hub through which the University drives its long-term development plans and contributes to the economy, research and scientific development in Hong Kong and the region.

The 'Fiery Dragon' team formed by engineering students from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) represented Hong Kong to compete in ABU Asia-Pacific Robot Contest, winning two design awards namely the Best Idea Award and Mabuchi Motor Award. A total of 19 teams from 18 countries and a region competed in the 2011 ABU Asia-Pacific Robot Contest held in Thailand recently under the theme of Thailand's Loy Krathong (also known as Festival of Lights). Within the three minutes set, each team was required to operate the manual robot to complete the first task by picking up Joss Stick Pots and placing them at the common zone. Then, the automatic robot had to bring the completed Krathong and drop it on the 'floating river surface' swung by Krathong gravity. The last automatic robot brought and dropped the candle light flame on top of the candle in the completed Krathong.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology opened its multi-purpose Eco-Park, the first of its kind in Hong Kong, today (8 September) to promote teaching and academic research on sustainability from a wider perspective.