News & Stories

The School of Engineering of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today presented prizes to the winners in its first-ever photography contest entitled “Engineered Life in Your Eyes”. The contest drew enthusiastic response with a total of 775 entries received. The judging panel finally selected 46 winning photos. The contest, which ran from 20 May to 2 June 2010 on the Engineering School’s Facebook page, aims to raise students’ awareness on the close association between engineering and their daily lives. The contest has two categories: Tertiary Institutions and Secondary Schools. In the tertiary category a total 390 photos were received from 164 contestants and in the secondary category 385 photos were submitted by 215 contestants.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today (Friday) conferred Honorary Fellowships on three distinguished leaders in recognition of their contributions. The three recipients of the 2010 Honorary Fellowships are: Dr Jack Lau, Dr Li Ning, and Mr James E Thompson. HKUST Pro-Chancellor Dr the Honorable Sir Sze-Yuen Chung, Council Vice-Chairman Dr Michael Mak, and President Tony F Chan officiated at the conferment ceremony. The three recipients' brief biographies are set out below:

10 June 2010 – UC RUSAL (SEHK: 486, EuroNext: RUSAL/RUAL), the world’s largest aluminium producer, and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), one of the finest and foremost universities in Asia, announce the launch of a five-year joint project aimed at strengthening scientific and educational ties between Russia and Hong Kong. The project will foster joint scientific research, addressing pressing environmental issues and promoting cooperation between young scientists from the two regions. The total sponsorship budget of the project provided by UC RUSAL is USD 1.5 million. The joint project between UC RUSAL and HKUST will be implemented during the academic years 2010/11 to 2014/15 and will include the following three-tier programme.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today marked the start of construction of the main building of the HKUST Fok Ying Tung Graduate School in Nansha, Guangzhou. "Today's ceremony marks an important milestone in the development of the Fok Ying Tung Graduate School. We are moving one more step forward in boosting the cooperation between academia and industry between Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta," said HKUST President Tony F Chan at the construction commencement ceremony.

Commander Christopher Cassidy, astronaut with the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), visited the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today. He told a captivated audience about the selection process to become an astronaut, life at NASA prior to mission assignment, the training involved and the mission itself. He also discussed his experience with the International Space Station. Commander Cassidy was born in 1970. In 1993, he graduated from the US Naval Academy with a BS degree in Mathematics. Thereafter he pursued his MS studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where he graduated in 2000 with an MS in Ocean Engineering. In 2004 he was selected by NASA for astronaut training, which he completed in 2006. His first space mission was in 2009 and he has performed three space walks totaling over 18 hours. For media enquiries, please feel free to contact : Ross Lai

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has staged a Symposium on Risk Management and Business Intelligence to offer a diversity of perspectives. The Symposium featured a wide range of speakers from the academic, banking, asset management and consultancy sectors. It drew over 300 audiences mainly from the business and academic sectors. Mr Arthur Yuen, Deputy Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority gave a keynote speech. He stressed that the Hong Kong Monetary Authority has taken initiatives to enhance the risk management practice of the banking sector in Hong Kong.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) President Tony F Chan has become Chairman of the Association of East Asian Universities Association (AEARU) for a term of two years. President Chan succeeds President Hiroshi Matsumoto of Kyoto University at the Board of Directors Meeting hosted by Osaka University on 14 May 2010. “I am excited about the assuming chairmanship of a regional alliance of research universities, and the opportunity to promote international exchange in areas of common interest – not only science and technology, but also business, culture and education,” President Chan said.

A significant milestone was laid in the history of campus development at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today, with the commencement of construction for the Lee Shau Kee Campus, which comprises the Business Building and the Institute for Advanced Study. HKUST President Tony F Chan, together with faculty and staff of the Business School, Institute for Advanced Study and other related departments, attended the Ceremony organized by the contractor China State Construction International Holdings Ltd. In his speech at the Ceremony, President Chan said, “All of us at HKUST are now busy preparing for the 3-3-4 transition in 2012, both in terms of hardware and software. While we are in the process of recruiting stellar faculty and enhancing our student admission capabilities, I am glad that the preparation of our hardware is in good hands.”