News & Stories

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and leading genomics organization BGI Group will establish a joint research center that will set the stage for the next-generation sequencing platform and research efforts that produce novel medical diagnosis and treatments with transformative impact. Witnessed by HKUST President Prof Tony F Chan and BGI Group President and Co-founder Prof Wang Jian, the memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by Prof Nancy Ip, HKUST Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies and Mr Duncan Yu, BGI Group Vice President at the ceremony held on 27 July. The MoU underlines the commitment of establishing a HKUST-BGI Joint Research Center. The center aims to promote mutually beneficial cooperation in biotechnological science and engineering, and benefit mankind by solving problems in areas such as healthcare, conservation and environment.

Co-hosted by HKUST’s Institute for Public Policy and Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Engineering-Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences (CAE-HKAES) Forum on Integrative Development of Innovation and Technology in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta was held on 24 May. The Forum provided a platform for attendees to exchange views upon the findings of an eight-month study of the innovation and technology policy in the region.

The Inter-Varsity Entrepreneurship Challenge 2017, held at Shanghai from 28 May to 4 June 2017, gathered students from Dual Degree Program in Technology & Management (T&M-DDP), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and ShanghaiTech University (SHTECH). Students teamed up with peers from different universities were challenged to create a new smart home product/ service to solve a particular social problem in China.

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) becomes a founding member of the newly established Asian Universities Alliance (AUA) on April 29 in Beijing. Originated by Tsinghua University, AUA consists of 15 Asian universities, aiming to enhance cooperation and communication among universities in the region, and play a role in solving regional and global issues. The AUA pledges to promote mobility of students, scholars and staff among all members, to strengthen research collaboration and joint innovation, to establish high-level dialogues and forums to discuss higher education strategies and policies, and to compile and publish annual reports on Asian higher education.

The Consulate General of France in Hong Kong & Macau and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) are joining hands to establish the France-HKUST Innovation Hub. Mr Eric BERTI, Consul General of France, and Prof Tony F CHAN, President of HKUST, attended the inauguration ceremony on 24 March 2017 at the HKUST Lee Shau Kee Campus.

21 students of the MSc Program in Environmental Science, Policy and Management and BSc Program in Environmental Management and Technology, led by Prof. Arthur LAU and Dr. N. T. LAU of the Division of Environment, visited Beijing from 8 to 13 January 2017 to get first-hand experience and understand the approaches that various public and private sectors are adapting to handle the environmental problems in Beijing.

2017 Winter International Technology & Management Business Plan Competition on "Health Tech for Seniors" was hosted by HKUST in January 2017. 34 students from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (USA), University of Bayreuth (Germany), and University of Sao Paulo (Brazil) flew to Hong Kong to join 14 students of HKUST Dual Degree Program in Technology & Management and form mixed teams in competing for the best business plan in health-tech services and products for seniors.

Researchers at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) has uncovered a century-old mystery on marine benthos organisms, which not only leads to the finding of a non-toxic anti-fouling coating that could help the shipping industry saves fuel consumption, but also opens the gateway for future studies that could remap the marine ecosystem. Prof Qian Peiyuan, Chair Professor of the Division of Life Science, won second-class honor of the prestigious 2016 Natural Science Award from the State Council, for his discovery of biofilm’s impact on the initial colonization of marine benthos – organisms that live on or near the seabed such as corals and shells.