News & Stories

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.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) joins hands with a total of 21 secondary schools to launch a Pilot Scheme for the first Secondary Schools-University Dual Program in Hong Kong to nurture gifted secondary students in science and mathematics. The participating students can taste university study mode and campus life, as well as earn university credits at their early age.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)'s first Summer Institute for Secondary School Students, which offered 25 credit-bearing courses in Science, Engineering, Business and Management, Humanities and Social Science, attracted more than 670 participants from over 200 local and overseas schools. Some of them joined the Institute especially from abroad, coming from schools in the UK, USA, Canada, Japan and the Mainland. The Institute helps students develop their potentials, identify areas of interest and acquire deeper understanding of university education.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has been ranked No. 1 again in Hong Kong in Engineering/Technology and Computer Sciences by Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) 2011. The University has held this standing since the ARWU engineering field ranking was first published in 2007. HKUST Dean of Engineering, Prof Khaled Ben Letaief, said "HKUST has been consistently ranked among the top universities in the world in Engineering and this is without any question due to the distinction of our faculty and students. We shall continue to work hard to further develop HKUST as a global center of excellence in research and education which welcomes talented faculty and students from around the world."

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) partnered with UCLA to host Hong Kong's first Research in Industrial Projects for Students (RIPS), a summer research plus industrial internship and international education exchange program. RIPS had collaborated with Berlin and Beijing before, and this year it was being held in Hong Kong. RIPS-HK featured projects with a major mathematical component and was supported by prominent industrial sponsors Huawei, MetLife and BGI.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) hosted a special visit by the world's largest solar-powered catamaran MS Tûranor PlanetSolar today (18 August) to raise environmental consciousness among the younger generation. HKUST and PlanetSolar share the same vision of building a culture of environmental protection across the globe. The owners of PlanetSolar Cordula Ströeher, Jan Hendrik Ströeher and Oliver Goldenbow, Captain Erwann Le Rouzic and three crew members visited HKUST today. Prof Yuk-shan Wong, HKUST's Vice-President for Administration and Business, and Prof Eden Y Woon, Vice-President for Institutional Advancement, joined over 200 HKUST faculty members, students, as well as primary and secondary school students to welcome the boat. The Captain shared the experience about the solar-powered expedition, the significance of solar energy development and green living.

A group of physicists at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) led by Prof Shengwang Du reported the direct observation of optical precursor of a single photon and proved that single photons cannot travel faster than the speed of light in vacuum. HKUST's study reaffirms Einstein's theory that nothing travels faster than light and closes a decade-long debate about the speed of a single photon.