News & Stories

Frank has had a dream of flying from a young age, and he showed a keen interest in the research and development of unmanned helicopter technology during his time at HKUST. In 2005, he and his team participated in ABU Robocon and won third prize among teams competing from across Asia. In 2006, he completed his final thesis at HKUST, which included the development of a flight control system for unmanned platforms. He then founded DJI based on this system, and became the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Technical Officer of the company.

Little did Sandra Sobanska know when she left her native Poland in 2014 to join HKUST’s Global Business undergraduate program, that within three years she could be part of a team staging anything quite like Hack Horizon. However this unique international - and airborne – hackathon is only the latest stage in the exciting journey Sobanska says she’s been on since her arrival in Hong Kong. 

Recent news covered Chris Ko from the class of 2017 about her vegetarian tea cafe in Tsim Sha Tsui, and how she made good use of every skill she learnt from HKUST’s EVMT program to realize her dream. “When I chose to apply to the Environmental Management and Technology (EVMT) program, I thought I would be learning about a wide range of environmental issues and their solutions,” said Chris. “But what’s more, I discovered what I wanted to do, and the program helped me achieved my goals.” EVMT offers students a unique opportunity to grasp scientific and technological concepts and translate them into practice-based and sustainable business ideas. The intense, cross disciplinary program only admits 15 students every year, making it one of the most competitive degree programs in Hong Kong.

In celebration of our 25th Anniversary, a growing collection of videos was made to feature the remarkable community at HKUST – past and present. “I was able to find my passion and interests here and realized what I could do.” our alumnus Amy Tam said.

A first generation graduate from HKUST, Professor Rachel Ngai went around the world, came back and contributed to where it all started. Born in China and moved to Hong Kong as a six-year-old, Prof Rachel Ngai still remembers fondly how life was different in her adoptive homeland. “The first time I noticed the striking differences in the economies of different places was in high school,” Rachel remembers. “I was a tutor in Hong Kong and my salary was HK$100 an hour, so much higher than that of my father who was a pharmacist, earning HK$300 a month in China.”

How would you choose between music and computers? Chuck-jee Chau, PhD student of Computer Science and Engineering is smart enough to combine two by carrying out research on the synthesis and analysis of sound. As always, cross-curricular study is encouraged in UST to enrich our educational experience and broaden our minds. Chuck-jee Chau PhD, Computer Science and Engineering (2017) MSc, Computer Science and Engineering (2011)

Carol Choi Graduate of Bachelor of Business Administration (Marketing and Management), 2014 After three years of undergraduate studies, what do I get from HKUST? Stress and Tension? Well, I guess most of us encounter pressure when examinations approach in any university. I am grateful that HKUST not only offers a pleasant learning environment, but more importantly, the opportunities to gain international exposure. As a business school student,I had been longing for a chance to visit Manhattan, the international financial center, and HKUST has made my dream come true! Exchanging in New York University (NYU) is one of the most exciting experiences in my college life! It was my first time living all on my own in another city on the other side of the world. Stepping out of my comfort zone was not easy. But eventually, I overcame the cultural shock and started meeting new friends, appreciating their culture, and even falling in love with this vibrant city.

HKUST graduate Frank Wang is thankful for the academic and support from the University, inspiring him to move forward and become a successful entrepreneur in producing unmanned helicopters with myriad applications from fun to functional. An electrical and computer engineering graduate, 2006 BEng (ELEC), 2011 MPhil (ECE) at HKUST, Frank manages to pursue his dream of building flying machines. Today, he is the CEO and CTO of DJI Innovations, a company which is now the global leader in developing and manufacturing high-performance, reliable and easy-to-use small unmanned automated helicopters for commercial and recreational use.