News & Stories

Metastasis, the spread of cancer cells to a different body part from where it started, is considered as the most dangerous phase of cancer development. When cancer cells break away from the main tumor and enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system, they can travel to anywhere of the body, proliferate and creating a secondary tumor in a new location. It is often said that metastasis is responsible for around 90% of cancer deaths.

The ability to undertake in vivo imaging of a living brain in a mammalian animal model is crucial for elucidating how the brain functions. However, the brain consists of tens of billions of neurons, each connected with thousands of others via synapses, the sites of communication between neurons that allows transmission of information. Thus, to truly understand the dynamics of neuronal synaptic interactions, the capacity for morphological and functional imaging of the brain at high spatial and temporal resolution is required.  

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) will introduce a novel academic framework “Major + X” as a new degree option for undergraduates.  Blending traditional programs with emerging hot topics such as artificial intelligence, this new degree structure not only offers students with greater flexibility, but also allows timely curriculum adjustment and better integration between existing and new knowledge to meet with the emerging need of the society. 

The School of Business and Management of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST Business School) announced today the launch of the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program. The four-year program will provide rigorous and professional training for participants to develop a portfolio of skills in conducting practice-based research. This distinctive program is designed for motivated leaders, senior executives and entrepreneurs to enhance their research capabilities, develop deep knowledge and innovative insights for positive business and societal impacts. “Committed to academic excellence, HKUST has rapidly risen in recognition in its short history and become one of the most respected business schools in Asia,” said Prof. TAM Kar Yan, Dean of HKUST Business School. “We are pleased to present our new DBA program, which attests to our 30 years of ongoing commitment in driving rigorous research and global influence.”

Prof. Charles NG Wang-Wai (left) and Prof. HUI Pan (right) were elected as the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Fellow and International Fellow respectively.

Glass is a sound-proof material, but researchers at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have discovered a way which allows sound transmission for glass, opening a new horizon for the potential development of smart phones and other electronic devices that can function under water, while also offering greater flexibility to building design.Using the theory of local resonance, a research team led by Prof. WEN Weijia from the Department of Physics has found that by crafting a structured pattern of openings in between glass panes, the sound waves’ mode of vibration will be altered, allowing sound to pass through.

Before the third wave of COVID-19 outbreak hit Hong Kong in mid-July, Ryan FUNG Kei-Ning, an HKUST Year 2 business student, along with staff of the Salvation Army Integrated Service for Street Sleepers, used to go on evening outreach trips to bring food and daily necessities to the homeless up to three times a week; recently, he has had to cut the number down to one.

The rapid spread of COVID-19 is a global public health challenge. To prevent the escalation of its transmission, China locked down one-third of its cities and strictly restricted personal mobility and economic activities. Using timely and comprehensive air quality data in China, we show that these counter-COVID-19 measures led to a remarkable improvement in air quality. Within weeks, the Air Quality Index and PM2.5 concentrations were brought down by 25%. The effects are larger in colder, richer, and more industrialized cities. We estimate that such improvement would avert 24,000 to 36,000 premature deaths from air pollution on a monthly basis.