News & Stories

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.

香 港 科 技 大 學 （ 科 大 ） 邀 請 了 嫦 娥 探 月 計 劃 首 席 科 學 家 - 中 國 科 學 院 院 士 歐 陽 自 遠 教 授 在 科 大 主 講 " 中 國 探 月 工 程 與 火 星 探 測" ， 前 瞻 中 國 的 探 月 計 劃 並 介 紹 中 國 在 火 星 探 測 方 面 的 前 景 。 歐 陽 教 授 表 示 ： 中 國 探 月 計 劃 的 下 一 步 將 會 是 發 展 月 球 著 陸 器 、 巡 視 器 及 采 樣 返 回 的 技 術 。 重 點 發 展 的 器 材 包 括 小 型 採 樣 返 回 艙 、 月 表 鑽 岩 機 、 月 表 採 樣 器 及 機 器 人 操 作 臂 。 他 又 說 ： 中 國 會 對 著 陸 地 區 進 行 考 察 ， 為 下 一 步 載 人 登 月 飛 行 、 建 立 月 球 前 哨 站 的 選 址 提 供 數 據 。 關 於 中 國 深 空 探 測 的 發 展 ， 歐 陽 教 授 說 ： 中 國 計 劃 在 未 來 幾 年 ， 對 火 星 、 金 星 和 小 行 星 進 行 深 空 探 測 。 首 次 自 主 火 星 探 測 可 能 於 2013 年 進 行 ， 其 後 兩 年 內 可 自 主 探 測 金 星 ， 而 由 2015 年 起 ， 可 進 行 行 星 於 小 行 星 多 目 標 探 測 。 他 又 說 ： 探 測 火 星 有 三 大 科 學 任 務 。 其 一 ， 是 探 測 現 在 火 星 生 命 活 動 的 信 息 ， 探 尋 火 星 是 否 過 去 存 在 過 生 命 ， 探 測 火 星 水 體 的 活 動 與 演 化 ， 為 生 命 起 源 和 探 尋 地 球 外 生 命 提 供 新 的 科 學 依 據 。 其 二 ， 是 探 測 與 研 究 火 星 的 演 化 以 及 與 類 似 地 球 行 星 的 比 較 研 究 。 其 三 ， 是 探 討 火 星 的 長 期 改 造 與 今 後 大 量 移 民 ， 建 立 人 類 第 二 個 棲 身 地 的 前 景 。

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and its School of Humanities and Social Science, and Peking University (PKU) and its Humanities and Social Science disciplines have signed an agreement to enable the pursuit of mutually beneficial academic and research collaborations for students and faculty members in the Humanities and Social Science disciplines through participation in exchange programs. Under this agreement, both universities will exchange undergraduate students and postgraduate students each beginning from two per semester in these disciplines from the current academic year.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is pleased to announce that it has achieved yet another milestone in molecular neuroscience research. Prof Nancy Ip, Chair Professor of the Division of Life Science and Director of the State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience at HKUST, and her research team have made breakthrough discoveries in unraveling novel signaling mechanisms in the brain that have far-reaching implications in biomedicine.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is pleased to announce that Prof Penger Tong, Professor of Physics, was named a 2010 Fellow by the American Physical Society (APS).Prof Tong was cited by the APS for his “insightful experiments to elucidate interesting new physics…and for his many contributions to the development of international research and education in experimental physics.” Prof Tong joined HKUST in 2003. His research interests include non-equilibrium dynamics and soft condensed matter physics, including experimental studies of turbulent thermal convection, interactions and structure formation in suspensions, polymer solutions, and other complex fluids. The APS Fellowship Program was created to recognize members who have made advances in knowledge through original research and publication, or who have made significant and innovative contributions in the application of physics to science and technology.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is pleased to announce that Prof Jerry H C Wang, Professor Emeritus and former Head of the Department of Biochemistry, has been elected as an Academician of Academia Sinica, Taiwan, by the 28th Convocation of Academicians in Taipei, Taiwan. The election of Academicians of Academia Sinica recognizes outstanding scientists in three research divisions: Mathematics and Physical Sciences, Life Sciences, and Humanities and Social Sciences. Academicians of Academic Sinica are elected every two years at the Convocation of Academicians, and each division is permitted to elect no more than 10 Academicians at each Convocation.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has received a grant of US$150,000 to participate in HP Catalyst Initiative, a global social innovation program designed to develop more effective approaches to worldwide education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM). HKUST is one of the 35 educational institutions across 11 countries that have been selected by HP to receive the grant in 2010. As a member of the newly established “Measuring Learning Consortium” led by Carnegie Mellon University, HKUST will be collaborating with other partners to explore what the future of STEM learning and teaching can be. With the grant from HP, HKUST is setting up a brand new teaching lab equipped with high-end computers for the use of students from the Computer Science and Engineering Department.

Students of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have won gold at the 2010 International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition (iGEM) held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) last month, with scientific breakthrough made. This year, as many as 130 teams and about 2,000 participants from universities all over the world took part in the iGEM Competition, which is the world’s largest-scale international student competition in the field of Synthetic Biology. HKUST first took part in this Competition in 2008, when they won bronze. Last year the HKUST Team came back with a silver.