News & Stories

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today announced the appointment of Prof Lionel Ni as Dean of HKUST Fok Ying Tung Graduate School (FYTGS), with effect from 1 March 2011. Prof Ni has been acting Dean of FYTGS since July 2010. Concurrently he also holds the academic position as Chair Professor of Computer Science and Engineering, and the administrative position of Special Assistant to the President. Professor Ni joined HKUST in 2002 as Professor and Head of the Department of Computer Science (now Department of Computer Science and Engineering). He was the Director of the Digital Life Research Center at FYTGS from 2006 to 2010, and was Senior Advisor to the Dean of FYTGS from 2008 to 2010 before becoming the School's Acting Dean.

Over 350 students, staff and alumni of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today took part in "Run for Vision", a meaningful and colorful activity to celebrate the University's 20th Anniversary and to raise funds for Orbis to provide care and treatment for the blind and visually impaired. The event title - "Run for Vision" - has a double meaning - running for HKUST's vision as a world-class research university, and running to restore vision for visually-impaired people. Participants in the Run each made a donation to Orbis to support their charitable cause. As President Chan has been invited to take part in the Leaders Cup in the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon 2011 to be held on 20 February, he will, on behalf of HKUST, donate the amount raised to Orbis, which is the event's beneficiary.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) Chair Professor Mingjie Zhang and his team of researchers in the Division of Life Science have achieved significant breakthrough in explaining how genetic mutations of Motor Protein Myosin VIIa leads to hereditary deaf-and-blindness. This is excellent news for the medical profession in developing preventive and remedial measures against hereditary deaf-and-blindness. According to medical statistics, hearing deficit is a common occurrence among new born babies - for every 1,000 there are several born with this problem. Among those who are deaf or hearing-impaired, 3% to 6% suffer from the Usher syndrome - a genetic disorder which can cause different levels of hearing and vision loss or impairment at various stages of the patient's life. The research paper on this breakthrough was published in top scientific journal Science today.

The Civil and Environmental Engineering Students' Society of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) held today the final round of the Secondary Schools Bridge Demonstration Competition 2011, in which Maryknoll Convent School won the championship. Meanwhile, Carmel Pak U Secondary School won the Best Presentation Award. The aim of the Competition is to promote the interest among secondary school students in the design and construction of civil engineering structures. Each team is required to build a small scale model of a suspension bridge that can withstand a weighted trolley running across it from a height. The team with the strongest bridge will gain the highest score. Judging is also based on each team's presentation about their experience in building the bridge. The two other schools that made it to the final round were Tsuen Wan Public Ho Chuen Yiu Memorial College and St Stephen's College.

The HKUST MBA program's global ranking hits its highest-ever placement as it is ranked 6th best in the world according to the Financial Times 2011 rankings of the top 100 full-time global MBA programs released today. The HKUST MBA program is ranked top 10 on a three-year average. The result reflects a significant advancement in the program's ranking over the past years, which moved up from 9th place in 2010 and 16th place in 2009. For the second year in a row, the HKUST Business School is the only Asian business school to crack the Financial Time's global MBA top 10. The School's research also ranks high at world's no. 14.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today presented Long Service Awards to over 250 faculty and staff members who have served the University for 20 years or are serving the University for the 20th year. This is the first of a series of celebrations on HKUST's 20th Anniversary this year. The theme of HKUST's 20th Anniversary celebrations is "Our Miracle Continues". As HKUST's achievements in the past 20 years are regarded as a miracle, and the long serving staff are what made this miracle possible, HKUST decided to make the Long Service Award the first 20th Anniversary event.

A bronze statue of Dr Sun Yat-sen was unveiled today at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) by Dr Lily Sun Sui-fong, granddaughter of the late Dr Sun Yat-sen and President of the Dr Sun Yat-sen Foundation for Peace and Education, and HKUST President Tony F Chan. Situated at the lawn outside the University Library and Canteen and adjacent to the footbridge leading to the student halls, the Dr Sun Yat-sen statue commands a central location that touches various aspects of campus life at HKUST. President Chan said, "Dr Sun Yat-sen is one of the most influential and respected figures in modern times, especially in the global Chinese community. He brought China from the age of emperors to the contemporary age, and his Three People's Principles - government of the people, by the people and for the people - has become the core values in the world today."

Prof Joseph Hun-wei Lee, Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), and his research team have been presented a State Scientific and Technological Progress Award (SSTPA) (Second Class) 2010 by the Chinese State Council. Prof Lee’s project “Buoyant jets in complex environments – theory, innovative technology and application” enables the prediction on the mixing and dilution of wastewater in complex ocean currents and leads to the development of a software that has worldwide applications in the design of facilities involving multiple sewage discharges on the marine environment. The other core team members are Prof Wenping Wang, Prof Yuguo Li and Dr Valiant Cheung of the Faculty of Engineering, the University of Hong Kong, and Prof Hongwu Tang of Hohai University, Nanjing.