Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
香港科技大學
Established 1991
Type Public
Chancellor CY Leung
President Tony F. Chan
Academic staff
 644[1]
Undergraduates 8,981[1]
Postgraduates

4,475[1]

Local students 9,630[1]
Non-local students 3,826[1]
Location Clear Water Bay, New Territories, Hong Kong
22°20′15″N 114°15′47″E / 22.3375°N 114.263°ECoordinates: 22°20′15″N 114°15′47″E / 22.3375°N 114.263°E
Campus Rural, 58 hectares (0.58 km2)
Colours          Blue & gold
Affiliations ASAIHL, APRU
Website Official website
Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Traditional Chinese 香港科技大學
Simplified Chinese 香港科技大学

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is a public research university in Clear Water Bay Peninsula, Hong Kong. Established in 1991, it is the territory's youngest higher learning institution with no precursory existence.[2][note 1] The University currently consists of four disciplinary schools, which offer degrees in Business, Engineering, Science and Social Science & Humanities, alongside Interdisciplinary Programs Office, which provides cross-disciplinary programs, and Fok Ying Tung Graduate School/Fok Ying Tung Research Institute, which aims at technology transfer and commercialization.[3] HKUST has been continuously viewed as one of the top three higher education institutions in Hong Kong.[4]

History

Established in 1991 under Chapter 1141 of the Laws of Hong Kong (The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Ordinance),[5] HKUST is one of the eight statutory universities in Hong Kong.

In the late 1980s the Hong Kong Government anticipated a strong demand for university graduates to fuel an economy increasingly based on services. Sir Chung Sze Yuen and the then Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Edward Youde, conceived the idea of another university in addition to the pre-existing two universities (HKU and CUHK).

Planning for the Third University, named The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology later, began in 1986. Construction began at the Kohima Camp site in Tai Po Tsai on the Clear Water Bay Peninsula. The site was earmarked for the construction of a new British Army garrison, but plans for the construction of the garrison were shelved after the Sino-British Joint Declaration was signed in 1984.

Originally scheduled to finish in 1994, the death of Sir Edward in 1986 led to increased effort and allowed UST to open its doors early – in 1991. Several leading scientists and researchers took up positions at the new university in its early years, including physicist Leroy Chang who arrived in 1993 as Dean of Science and went on to become Vice-President for Academic Affairs.[6] Thomas E. Stelson was also a founding member of the administration.[7]

The project was criticised for surpassing the budget set forth by the Hong Kong Government and Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club. However, under the fund-raising efforts of its President, Woo Chia-wei, the first students enrolled in October 1991. By 1992, accommodation and athletic facilities were expanded to support about 7,000 students.

Several more expansion projects such as the construction of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Enterprise Center have since been completed. The library extension building, Lee Shau Kee Business Building (LSK), South Bus Station and Undergraduate Halls VIII and IX are the latest additions to the campus.

Campus

Bird's-eye view of the HKUST campus

The university is situated at the northern part of Clear Water Bay Peninsula in Sai Kung District, New Territories, Hong Kong, occupying a site overlooking Port Shelter in Tai Po Tsai. The campus occupies a 58-hectare site which is divided into a several sections: the Academic Building, S.H. Ho Sports Hall, student halls, outdoor sports facilities, the University Centre, apartments, staff quarters and the President's Lodge. Constructed along the slope of the surrounding hills, Port Shelter is visible from virtually every building on campus. Arranged in cascades, the buildings are connected by walkways and balconies that offer a spectacular view of the South China Sea.

The Academic Building

The Academic Building contains 10 lecture theatres (A-H, J-K) as well as a multitude of classrooms, laboratories and administrative offices. The lecture theatres can accommodate classes of up to 450 students and offer audiovisual equipment.

Lee Shau Kee Business Building (LSK), completed in 2013 and named after entrepreneur Lee Shau Kee, houses offices and classrooms of the School of Business and Management (SBM). Before LSK went into operation, offices and classrooms used by all of the 4 schools were grouped under the same roof in the Academic Building.

The University Library

The HKUST Library, part of the Hong Kong Academic Library Link (HKALL), occupies a central location of the campus. Connected to the Academic Building, it is accessible directly from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Atrium. It spans five floors with over 12,350 sq m[8] of floor space, providing 3,100 seats as well as computing facilities. It offers a wide array of information resources, both local and remote. In addition to over 700,000 print volumes and a large collection of media resources, it provides access to more than 34,000 periodical titles, a large number of e-books, databases, and other digital information resources.[8]

The library owns a collection of old maps of China and the rest of Asia, produced by Chinese and Western cartographers over the last 500 years.[9] A selection of these maps, providing an insight into the history of international geographic knowledge, was published by the library in a limited-edition (1000 copies) volume in 2003.[10]

Unlike other university libraries in Hong Kong where access is limited to persons affiliated to the institutions, HKUST Library is open to the public except during examinations.

Health services

Located on LG1, next to the Sports Hall entrance, the Health Center consists of a medical clinic, a student dental clinic as well as a staff dental clinic. The medical clinic provides free outpatient service to all full-time students and staff. Specialist services in Allergy, Dermatology, ENT, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Ophthalmology, Pulmonology, Surgery and Physiotherapy are available subject to a charge.

Safety and Environment

The Health, Safety and Environment Office (HSEO) was established to develop and help implement safety and environmental policies and procedures, and to provide necessary services to facilitate the realisation of this commitment.[11]

Reputation and rankings

University rankings
Global
ARWU[12] 201–300
Times[13] 51
QS<ref name="Rankings_QS_W>{{cite web |url=http://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/world-university-rankings/2014 |title=QS World University Rankings (2014/15) |publisher=QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited |accessdate=September 21, 2014 |year=2014}}</ref> 40
Asia
ARWU[14] 27-42
Times[15] 7
QS (Global version)[16]
QS (Regional version)[17]		 7
5

HKUST had been previously ranked Asia's No.1 by the independent regional QS Asian University Rankings for three consecutive years from 2011 to 2013.[18][19] It's one of the fastest growing institutions as ranked #2 and #4 by QS world's under-50 universities and Times 100 under 50 universities respectively in 2014.[20][21]The THE's World Reputation Rankings of 2015 considered it the second reputable in the territory,[22] while it was third in the HKU Public Opinion Programme survey (2012).[23] According to Global Employability University Ranking 2014, the University's graduates have the most employment rate among Greater China, ranked 16th worldwide.[24]

Academic Organizations

The overall academic organisation structure is as follows:

School of Science (SSCI) School of Engineering (SENG) School of Business and Management (SBM) School of Humanities and Social Science (SHSS) Interdisciplinary Programs Office (IPO) Dean of Students
  • Division of Life Science
  • Department of Chemistry
  • Department of Mathematics
  • Department of Physics
  • Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
  • Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • Department of Computer Science and Engineering
  • Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering
  • Department of Industrial Engineering and Logistics Management
  • Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  • Department of Accounting
  • Department of Economics
  • Department of Finance
  • Department of Information Systems, Business Statistics and Operations Management
  • Department of Marketing
  • Department of Management
  • Division of Humanities
  • Division of Social Science
  • Center for Language Education
  • Division of Biomedical Engineering
  • Division of Environment
  • Office of Undergraduate Recruitment and Admission
  • Student Affairs Office

Moreover, in 2012, there is also a collaboration and consultation effort between Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU) and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) in establishing a School of Sustainable Development, namely “XJTU-HKUST Joint School of Sustainable Development (JSSD)”.

School of Science

A broad spectrum of programs in the biological science, physics, chemistry, mathematics and environmental science are available for undergraduates[25] and postgraduates.[26] Researchers are engaged in advanced R&D in many emerging and dynamic fields which include nanoscience and new functional materials, neuroscience, marine and environmental science, drug design and synthesis, number theory, and financial mathematics, among others. A new Division of Life Science was recently established by integrating the former Departments of Biochemistry and Biology. The re-organization is intended to promote collaborations within the Division and create synergism with other Departments and Schools at HKUST. Central facilities and institutes are also available to provide specialised research support. These include the Biotechnology Research Institute,[27] the William Mong Institute of Nano Science and Technology,[28] the Animal and Plant Care Facility,[29] the Biosciences Central Research Facility,[30] and the Materials Characterization and Preparation Facility.[31]

The School of Science emphasises the whole-person development and international exposure of students. Its undergraduate exchange program provides science students with as many international learning opportunities as it can throughout their studies. The School has teamed up with over 60 exchange partners[32] from regions including Australia, United Kingdom, United States, Mainland China, and Japan.

School of Engineering

Computer science, industrial engineering, logistics management, mechanical engineering, civil and environmental engineering, electronic and computer engineering, and Hong Kong's only chemical engineering department are all undertaken at HKUST.

Notable facilities include the world's first Geotechnical Centrifuge Facility equipped with biaxial shaking table and a Huawei-HKUST Innovative Laboratory established to explore telecom networks, wireless technologies and other relevant emerging technologies. The School is also home to the Ministry of Education/Microsoft Research Asia Information Technology Key Laboratory, a model for collaboration between university, industry, and government.

The School of Engineering has student exchange programs with over 90 reputable overseas and Mainland China universities, including Cornell University, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of Michigan, ETH Zurich, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Purdue University, University of Pennsylvania, University College London, University of Bristol, Technical University of Munich, University of California, etc. The School also offers summer study programs as an alternative to the exchange programs in regular semesters.

Center for Global & Community Engagement

The Center for Global & Community Engagement[33] (GCE) is established as co-curricular program under the School of Engineering,[34] engaging students to make contributions to the community and to broaden their international exposure. GCE supports individuals and student teams such as the HKUST Robotics Team[35] to participate in international competitions.

School of Business and Management

HKUST's School of Business and Management (SBM) is branded HKUST Business School.[36] Global perspectives are assisted by the School's 140 faculties. The School offers degree programs– undergraduate, MBA, EMBA, and PhD – and range of executive education. 12 research centers[37] are assigned to areas from business case studies and investing to Asian Financial Markets and China Business & Management, the School is also superbly placed to leverage its international and regional knowledge base as Asia rises in significance in the global economy. A new purpose-built campus at HKUST[38] is set to enable the School to develop further.

The School of Business and Management partners with around 110 schools worldwide.[39] Its partners consist of universities in Asia, New Zealand, Australia, Europe, North America and South America. Every year close to 400 undergraduates, over half of the School's BBA/BSc student population, spend a semester at business schools overseas. Some students can be selected for two semester exchanges at different universities in two continents.

School of Humanities and Social Science

The School of Humanities and Social Science supports interdisciplinary academic training and research in fields including anthropology, economics, geography, history, innovation studies, languages, linguistics, literature, music, philosophy, political science, psychology, sociology, and visual art..[40]

Research Studies

HKUST Fok Ying Tung Graduate School/ HKUST Fok Ying Tung Research Institute

On 25 January 2007, the HKUST officially named its graduate school in Nansha as HKUST Fok Ying Tung Graduate School/ HKUST Fok Ying Tung Research Institute[41] in a ceremony that combined the official opening of the graduate school and the ground-breaking of its Nansha campus.

HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study

HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study (IAS)[42] at HKUST champions collaborative projects across disciplines and institutions. It forges relationships with academic, business, community, and government leaders. The IAS organised its inaugural lecture by noted scientist Prof. Stephen Hawking in June 2006.

Student life

Students' residence

All full-time registered UG students, in-time[note 2] full-time HKUST research postgraduate students (RPgs) and full-time HKUST taught postgraduate students (TPgs) of the University are eligible to apply for student housing. International as well as exchange students are generally guaranteed on-campus housing. The on-campus residential halls provide a total of 4,032 places in double or triple rooms for UG students and 356 places in single or double rooms for UG students. There will be 701 places scheduled to be completed by Spring 2013. 120 places in single rooms for Taught Postgraduate Students (TPgs) and Visiting Interns. 854 places in single or double rooms for Research Postgraduate Students (RPgs). Two more undergraduate halls, namely UG Hall VIII and UG Hall IX, were completed in early 2013, providing another 700 hall places.

Name of hall[43] House SA or equivalent system Remarks
UG Hall I
學生宿舍第一座 		█ The Undergraduate House One Students' Association, HKUSTSU (社一) First student residence in HKUST
UG Hall II
學生宿舍第二座 		█ Vertex, House II Students' Association, HKUSTSU (翱峰)
UG Hall III
學生宿舍第三座 		█ Glacier, House III Students' Association, HKUSTSU (冰川)
UG Hall IV
學生宿舍第四座 		█ Vista, House IV Students' Association, HKUSTSU (嶄越)
PG Hall II
研究生宿舍二座		 █ Endeavour, House V Students' Association, HKUSTSU (卓毅) Also known as "UG Hall V"
Shared dormitory by UG and PG students, UG being the majority
UG Hall VI
學生宿舍第六座 		"Living Learning Communities" (LLCs) system adopted instead of House SA opened in 2006 as "New Hall"
Chan Sui Kau and Chan Lam Moon Chun Hall (UG Hall VII)
陳瑞球林滿珍伉儷樓（學生宿舍第七座） 		"Living Learning Communities" (LLCs) system, implementation by the "Leadership Team"[44] of student residents opened in 2009
donated by industrialist Dr Chan Sui-kau
UG Hall VIII
學生宿舍第八座 		No House SA formed, events organised by an Organizing Team formed by student representatives opened in 2013
UG Hall IX
學生宿舍第九座

There are also off-campus accommodations available. 20 apartments in Tai Po Tsai Village (Royal Garden and Wan's Lodge) and 6 apartments in Sam Long Village (SL Apartments) are rented by the University to accommodate 156 TPgs. In 2012/2013, 232 bed spaces in Hong Kong Adventist College (HKAC) are arranged for UGs. Housing fees are relatively low as compared to off-campus accommodation, and there are several halls.[45]

On 27 April 2012, research postgraduate students organised a sit-down strike to raise the voice of the voiceless and reiterate the concerns of the research postgraduate students about the serious housing issue.[46]

Students' Union

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Students' Union (HKUSTSU) consists of four independent statutory bodies, namely the Executive Committee, the Council, the Editorial Board and the Court. Apart of the "sponsored student groups" sponsored by the university's Student Affairs Office (SAO), all student societies recognised by the university authority are affiliated under the Students' Union.

Executive Committee

The Executive Committee (幹事會) is the executive branch of the SU. It consists of standing committees to take care of issues regarding the Union and its members such as Academic Affairs, External and Current Affairs, International Affairs, Public Relations, Publication, Social Activities, Orientation Affairs, University Affairs, and Welfare Matters.

Council

The Council (評議會) acts as the legislature branch, which is responsible for legislation and regulation of finance and operations of Union. Its duties include:

To practice the above duties, the Council has four standing committees: Affiliated Societies Committee, Constitution Committee, Election Committee and Finance Committee.

Editorial Board

The Editorial Board (編輯委員會) is responsible for maintaining WINGS (振翅) and WINGS, High Fly Post (振翅之高飛報), the official publications of Union, as well as promoting literary development on campus. Its main functions are:

Court

The Court (仲裁委員會) is the judiciary body of HKUSTSU. Its main duties are:

Affiliated societies

The application of Students' Societies in HKUST are approved by the Students' Union Council. They are the affiliated societies of the Students' Union. There are five types of affiliated societies of Students' Union in HKUST:

Independent Clubs Association and Independent Clubs

Independent Clubs Association and Independent Clubs are the interest club for the students, such as the Yo-hoo Club, AIESEC-LC-HKUST, The Band Society, the Film Society, the Drama Society, the Magic Club and People's Campus Radio. There are around 48 independent clubs.

Sports Association and Sports Clubs

Sports Association and Sports Clubs are the students' societies that promote sports activities to students.

House Students' Association

House Students' Association (House SA) is the students' society of the undergraduate student hall. Each undergraduate student hall would have its own House which is responsible to organise extra-circular activities for the House Association's members.

House SAs are formed in the five older undergraduate halls (UG Hall I-IV, PG Hall II). The newer UG Halls VI-IX do not have their own House SA, and the Living Learning Communities (LLCs) system is implemented in Halls VI and VII to connect hall residents; activities in Halls VIII and IX are organised by an Organizing Team, members of which are elected by the whole resident community. Neither LLCs and organising teams are affiliated with the SU.

School Societies

Students from each of the four schools as well as those pursuing Interdisciplinary Programs have their own students' society, namely The Business Students' Union, HKUSTSU (BSU), The Engineering Students' Union (ESU), The Humanities and Social Science Students' Union (HSSU), Science Students' Union (SSU) and Interdisciplinary Programs Students' Union (IPSU).

The school unions would be responsible to serve all students in the school and organise extra-circular activities for them.

Departmental Societies

Each department in HKUST would have its own departmental society,for example, The Marketing Students' Society, HKUSTSU (MKSS) and Mathematics Students' Society (MATHS). The departmental societies would organise different activities to their departments' students.

Providing activities to students, departmental societies are also responsible for promoting their corresponding department on information day which is for giving information of the university to high school students.

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ City University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Polytechnic University became statutory universities in 1994 but had came to exist long beforehand.
  2. ↑ Definition for in-time RPgs:
    - 2 years for MPhil;
    - 3 years for PhDs who have obtained an MPhil degree;
    - 4 years for PhDs who do not have an MPhil degree before joining the program.
    RPgs who will be studying beyond the above period in the academic year are regarded as out-time RPg

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "The Hong Kong University of Sciences and Technology: At a Glance".
  2. ↑ "Cap 1141 Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Ordinance".
  3. ↑
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ "CAP 1141 The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Ordinance". CAP 1141 The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Ordinance. Department of Justice, HKSAR. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
  6. ↑ "Leroy Chang". Array of Contemporary American Physicists. American Institute of Physics. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
  7. ↑ "Schedule 14A". MTS Systems Corporation. 2 December 1994. Retrieved 14 July 2010.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Introduction to the HKUST Lee Shau Kee Library
  9. ↑ Special Collection "China in Maps"
  10. ↑ China in European Maps. Hong Kong: Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Library. 2003. ISBN 962-86403-9-9.
  11. ↑ "Health, Safety & Environment Office".
  12. ↑ "Academic Ranking of World Universities: Global". Institute of Higher Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. 2014. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  13. ↑ "World University Rankings 2014-2015". Times Higher Education. 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  14. ↑ "Academic Ranking of World Universities: Global". Institute of Higher Education, Shanghai Jiao Tong University. 2014. Retrieved August 15, 2014.
  15. ↑ "Asia University Rankings". Times Higher Education. 2014. Retrieved October 2, 2014.
  16. ↑ "QS World University Rankings (extracting Asian universities from the list for counting this position)". QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited. 2014. Retrieved September 21, 2014.
  17. ↑ "QS Asian University Rankings". QS Quacquarelli Symonds Limited. 2014. Retrieved May 19, 2014.
  18. ↑ "QS Asian University Rankings (2011)".
  19. ↑ "QS Asian University Rankings (2012)".
  20. ↑ "QS University Rankings: Top 50 Under 50 2014". Quacquarelli Symonds Limited. 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  21. ↑ "Times Top 100 under 50 universities (2014)". Times Higher Education. 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2015.
  22. ↑ "THE World Reputation Rankings (2011)". Times Higher Education. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  23. ↑ "The University of Hong Kong Public Opinion Programme (POP) Opinion Survey on the Public Ranking of Universities in Hong Kong".
  24. ↑ "Global Employability University Ranking 2014 results: Cambridge replaces Oxford at the top". Times Higher Education.
  25. ↑ "School of Science: Academic Programs".
  26. ↑ "Postgraduate Programs".
  27. ↑ "Biotechnology Research Institute".
  28. ↑ "William Mong Institute of Nano Science and Technology".
  29. ↑ "Animal and Plant Care Facility".
  30. ↑ "Biosciences Central Research Facility (BioCRF)".
  31. ↑ "Materials Characterization & Preparation Facility (MCPF)".
  32. ↑ "Exchange Parters".
  33. ↑ "Introducing SENG". HKUST School of Engineering. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  34. ↑ "Center for Global & Community Engagement". HKUST School of Engineering. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  35. ↑ "Local and International Competitions". HKUST School of Engineering. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  36. ↑ "About HKUST Business School".
  37. ↑ "HKUST Business School: Research Centers".
  38. ↑ "HKUST Business School: Facilities".
  39. ↑ "Exchange Programs".
  40. ↑ "Programs & Admissions".
  41. ↑ "Guangzhou HKUST Fok Ying Tung Research Institute".
  42. ↑ "The Institute for Advanced Study".
  43. ↑ "HKUST SAO Hall Life: Hall Education Teams".
  44. ↑ "Student Leadership Team". Student Housing & Residential Life.
  45. ↑ "HKUST Student Affairs Office, Housing and Accommodation".
  46. ↑ "HKUST RPG Students: Sit-Down Strike for PG Housing Issue!".

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