News & Stories

A team formed by HKUST biomaterial researchers develops the world’s first injectable hydrogel formulation that allows a long, sustainable release of protein therapeutics which can be used to treat eye diseases like macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Nowadays, patients with these diseases have to be treated by monthly injection for years, which is far from an ideal treatment regime. Team member Yu Yu, a postdoctoral fellow in Biomedical Engineering at HKUST, said: “Drugs formulated with our novel hydrogel material could be injectable as usual but release slowly from the depot, potentially providing effective long lasting treatment on patients.” The hydrogel formulation is set to be injected only once per year, sparing patients from having to endure monthly injections. This helps cut down medical expenses and lower the risk associated with repeated injections, Prof. Ying Chau, Associate Professor form Biomedical Engineering at HKUST added.

The undergraduate programs at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology’s School of Business and Management (HKUST Business School) have earned a reputation for winning top prizes in local business competitions. Several teams have been successful in major professional institute competitions organized by the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA), the Hong Kong Society of Financial Analysts (HKSFA), and the Institute of Financial Planners of Hong Kong (IFPHK).

The University of Hong Kong (HKU), The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) received a HK$300 million donation from Dr Li Dak Sum for the establishment of scholarship schemes to nurture young talents. An endowment fund, namely Li Dak Sum Yip Yio Chin Kenneth Li Education Fund, will be set up by the three universities respectively with the HK$100 million donation each to award scholarships to local undergraduates who graduated from Ning Po College and Ning Po No.2 College and are outstanding in both academic performance and personal conduct, and with financial need.

A research team led by Prof Vic Kam Tuen Law, Assistant Professor of the Department of Physics at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), gave an explanation to the complex phenomenon of superconductivity that survives under strong magnetic field, offering a theoretical answer to an unsolved experimental observation by a group of scientists in the Netherlands. The collective findings were published in Science on 12 November 2015. Superconductivity is a quantum phenomenon in which electrons form pairs and flow with zero resistance. However, strong enough magnetic field can break electron pairs and destroy superconductivity. When informed by researchers from the Netherlands that superconductivity in thin films of MoS2 could withstand an applied magnetic field as strong as 37 Tesla, Prof Law and his student Mr Noah Yuan came up with an explanation and solved the puzzle.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) hosted the 25th Anniversary Distinguished Speakers Series on 7 December, featuring Mr Pinky Lai, Founder and Design Director of Brainchild Design Group and Brainchild Design Consultants, and former Chief Designer for exterior designs of various models of Porsche including 911, Cayman and Boxster. The event was well received by students, faculty members and guests from HKUST. In his talk, titled “Journey and Destinations: Design and Beyond”, Mr Lai spoke on how he embarked his lifelong career as a car designer. “When I flew to Rome with a one-way ticket in 1972, I had little idea about what I was going after. To reach where I am today, I have had to unconditionally pursue my professional goals, always seeking the best way to achieve success without compromise,” he said.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has established two Hong Kong branches of Chinese National Engineering Research Centers (CNERC), namely the Hong Kong Branch of CNERC for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, and the Hong Kong Branch of CNERC for Control and Treatment of Heavy Metal Pollution, following approval from the State Ministry of Science and Technology.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) celebrated the opening of the WeChat-HKUST Joint Laboratory on Artificial Intelligence Technology (WHAT LAB) on 26 November. The Joint Laboratory  is dedicated to fostering artificial intelligence and big data research to improve people’s living and advance the frontiers of knowledge, marking a milestone in the collaboration of WeChat and the higher education sector. WHAT LAB, located in HKUST, will be led by Prof Qiang Yang, New Bright Professor of Engineering, Chair Professor and Head of Department of Computer Science and Engineering. Research areas of WHAT LAB include intelligent robotic systems, natural language processing, data mining, speech recognition and understanding. The Lab will bring together top researchers in the development of innovative artificial intelligence application with the database of WeChat.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) held its 23rd Congregation today (20 November) and conferred honorary doctorates on five eminent academics and community leaders.  The Honourable Andrew Liao Cheung-sing, Chairman of the University Council, presided over today’s ceremony. HKUST honorary doctorates are awarded to five outstanding individuals in recognition of their distinguished achievements and contributions.  This year’s recipients were (in alphabetical order): Mr Hans Michael JEBSEN, BBS, Chairman of the Jebsen Group - Doctor of Business Administration honoris causa Prof Sir John PENDRY, FRS, Chair Professor in Theoretical Solid State Physics at Imperial College - Doctor of Science honoris causa Dr Raghuram G RAJAN, Governor of the Reserve Bank of India - Doctor of Business Administration honoris causa