Genesis - HKUST Newsletter, August 2012

Abstract

HKUST GENESIS AUGUST 2012 Teaching and Research Raising the Bar Local Links Mainland Connections Global Network In the HKUST Family © HKUST GENESIS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ABOUT GENESIS CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY Designed by PTC SEARCH Teaching and Research Raising the Bar Local Links Mainland Connections Global Network In the HKUST Family AUGUST 2012 INSIDE THIS ISSUE A Note to Our Readers As a leading university in Asia, HKUST is always a work in progress. As you can see around you, our university is growing in size, diversity, and in the sophistication of our facilities to achieve our mission. Come September, we will also grow considerably in numbers, courtesy of the 334 reform. We hope that by going digital with Genesis, you can keep abreast of the latest developments on campus, whether you are a student, faculty or staff member, graduate or supporter. You can access the news at your fingertips, wherever you are, whenever you desire. TEACHING AND RESEARCH Hepatitis E Vaccine — Insects to the Rescue of Hepatitis E Sufferers Making our World Safer: HKUST Researchers Develop New Chemosensor for Explosive Detection that Doubles as Optical Limiter Learning Commons and Uncommon Learning Environment RAISING THE BAR Asia No. 1 State Science and Technology Awards: A Rich Harvest of Scientific Awards Five HKUST Scientists Awarded Research Excellence in Natural Sciences LOCAL LINKS A First Class Building for a First Class University Ho & Ho Foundation Donates $8 million to HKUST for Scholarships Science for Lunch — A Feast for the Mind The Intimacy of Creativity MAINLAND CONNECTIONS Let There be LED Light Jiangsu Delegation Led by Vice Governor Visits SEARCH HKUST GLOBAL NETWORK President's Visit to Canada and US West Coast: Probing for Partnerships and Trawling for Global Talent A Pair of Trail-blazing Hong Kongers for the IAS Podium Higher Education Planning in Asia Forum at HKUST 'The Russians Are Coming!' IN THE HKUST FAMILY Honorary Fellowship Ceremony: Honoring Outstanding Leaders A Semi-Goodbye to a Complete Maestro Long Service Award © HKUST GENESIS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ABOUT GENESIS CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY CONTENTS Teaching and Research Hepatitis E Vaccine — Insects to the Rescue of Hepatitis E Sufferers Making our World Safer: HKUST Researchers Develop New Chemosensor for Explosive Detection that Doubles as Optical Limiter Learning Commons and Uncommon Learning Environment Raising the Bar Local Links Mainland Connections Global Network In the HKUST Family AUGUST 2012 NEXT Hepatitis E Vaccine — Insects to the Rescue of Hepatitis E Sufferers Prof Yong Xie (left) and his research team. HKUST may not have a medical school, but increasingly our scientists are having much to say about human health through their innovative lab work. This time, the good news comes from a team led by Prof Yong Xie from our Division of Life Science. They have successfully developed a new vaccine candidate for the prevention of hepatitis E, which affects one-third of the world’s population. Hepatitis E, an infection of the liver, caused by the hepatitis E virus (HEV for short), is mainly spread through fecal contamination of water supplies and food. With 6.5 million HEV cases in South Asia and East Asia alone, there is an urgent need to find an effective vaccine to contain and prevent its outbreak. The team led by Prof Xie toiled away for the last year and a half before their efforts paid off. The vaccine candidate they developed uses an innovative moth cell expression system whose protein folding structure approaches that of the natural HEV protein. This represents the first time in the world that insect cell technology has been used to create a vaccine candidate to prevent HEV. By simplifying the production process, this novel technology cuts down on the production costs. Preclinical trials are proceeding smoothly and promisingly as planned. This research project is significant in another way. Having forged a close collaboration with an industry partner, the Beijing Luzhu Biopharmaceutical Co. Ltd (“Luzhu”), HKUST’s Prof Xie was able to facilitate the signing of a significant cooperation agreement between Luzhu and our R & D Corporation Ltd. HKUST scientists, true to their mission of contributing to the solution of pressing global problems, are proud of their achievement. They have discovered an innovative way to produce vaccines more cost-effectively as a weapon against a public health menace in which the death rate among children and pregnant women remains dangerously high. And they are delighted that by thinking outside the box, the solution was found in a most unlikely place—in the cells of a moth. SEARCH © HKUST GENESIS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ABOUT GENESIS CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY CONTENTS Teaching and Research Hepatitis E Vaccine — Insects to the Rescue of Hepatitis E Sufferers Making our World Safer: HKUST Researchers Develop New Chemosensor for Explosive Detection that Doubles as Optical Limiter Learning Commons and Uncommon Learning Environment Raising the Bar Local Links Mainland Connections Global Network In the HKUST Family AUGUST 2012 PREVIOUS NEXT Making our World Safer: HKUST Researchers Develop New Chemosensor for Explosive Detection that Doubles as Optical Limiter In this ultra security-conscious age, Prof Benzhong Tang, Chair Professor of Chemistry at HKUST and his research team, after years of painstaking research, have achieved a major breakthrough in his search for new polymerization reactions and new functional materials that are the answers to the prayers of security authorities. These groundbreaking discoveries are detailed in Polymer Chemistry, a prestigious journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry. In layman terms, what the research team led by Prof Tang has developed is new polymer material that makes for a promising fluorescent chemosensor for explosives detection. The idea behind this is that whereas the compound is non-emissive or weakly fluorescent in solution, it becomes strong emitter when aggregated in poor solvents and in the solid state. The polymer exhibits high thermal stability even in temperature reaching 400°C in nitrogen and air. That said, the emission of the polymer in the solution and aggregated states can be quenched efficiently by picric acid, and the explosives TNT and DNT with large quenching constants. On top of these breathtaking discoveries, the research team also devised a novel polymerization approach to upgrade the structure of organic light emitting materials to three dimensions, rendering it a more nimble sensor for explosives. The agent is applicable in security systems, screening for explosives under any circumstances, thus heightening the detection capability of security systems. 'In the past, the explosives can go undiscovered once wrapped up in plastics.' Prof Tang said, 'With our newly-invented technique, the loopholes of the existing screening mechanisms can be plugged with ease.' Prof Tang pointed out that the polymer can also be used as an optical limiter. Taking on nonlinear optical properties, it can extenuate the transmittance at an ideal level, which is to offer high transmittance at low inputs but low transmittance at high laser doses. The optical limiting property, coupled with its high thermal stability and good processability, make the polymer a promising candidate material for high-tech applications. Amongst Prof Tang's research team members were Dr Rongrong Hu, Dr Jacky W Y Lam and Dr Jianzhao Liu. Also helping with the research were Prof Matthew M F Yuen of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Dr Herman H Y Sung and Prof Ian D Williams of the Department of Chemistry, as well as Prof Zhounan Yue and Prof Kam Sing Wong of the Department of Physics. SEARCH © HKUST GENESIS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ABOUT GENESIS CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY CONTENTS Teaching and Research Hepatitis E Vaccine — Insects to the Rescue of Hepatitis E Sufferers Making our World Safer: HKUST Researchers Develop New Chemosensor for Explosive Detection that Doubles as Optical Limiter Learning Commons and Uncommon Learning Environment Raising the Bar Local Links Mainland Connections Global Network In the HKUST Family AUGUST 2012 PREVIOUS NEXT Learning Commons and Uncommon Learning Environment The 334 reality is almost upon us. On many fronts, HKUST has geared up to meet this monumental challenge. An important aspect of this preparation is an expanded role of the library and its corresponding expansion in size and sophistication. The library has come a long way in its functional evolution. It is no longer just a place for borrowing books or for reading them. Our new Learning Commons is a radical departure from the traditional concept of what constitutes a library. Remember the days, not that long ago, when two kinds of human activity are strictly forbidden in the solemn silence of the library: eating and talking. Now, at HKUST, you can eat and drink at the heart of the library, and kick up your heels, albeit in a designated Refreshment Zone. And you can talk your hearts out in tutorials, group study or consultations, all within its confines. What’s more, digital media workshops and demos can take place in its Media Production Studio with facilities for AV production and studio photography. A growing number of professors are making use of the tutorial spaces for their meetings with students. The HKUST Learning Commons is a state-of-the-art facility covering 1,800 square meters and offering an additional seating capacity for 600. It accommodates a plethora of services and activities, from Idea Corner, to holding public talks in multi-purpose rooms to AV editing, audio dubbing to video encoding. And of course, there is always the Open Study Zone. Our Library has more than kept pace with the digital revolution. It has stepped up to the plate to meet the challenge of Hong Kong’s biggest reform in higher education. © HKUST GENESIS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ABOUT GENESIS CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY SEARCH CONTENTS Teaching and Research Raising the Bar Asia No. 1 State Science and Technology Awards: A Rich Harvest of Scientific Awards Five HKUST Scientists Awarded Research Excellence in Natural Sciences Local Links Mainland Connections Global Network In the HKUST Family AUGUST 2012 PREVIOUS NEXT Asia No. 1 For the second time in two years, QS has ranked HKUST Asia's number one university. At about the same time, in a separate ranking by Times Higher Education for the world's under-50 universities, we came in third in Asia. Whether first or third in this continent, there is a certain consistency in how the world judges the overall excellence of this university. While we don't live for rankings, these latest international recognitions are proof positive that all our efforts dedicated to teaching, research and strategic planning are paying handsome dividends. © HKUST GENESIS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ABOUT GENESIS CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY SEARCH (From left) Dr Mo Li, Prof Yunhao Liu, Prof Nancy Ip, Prof Lionel Ni and Dr Zheng Yang. (From left) Prof Bo Li, Prof Hai Yang and Prof Shing-chi Cheung. CONTENTS Teaching and Research Raising the Bar Asia No. 1 State Science and Technology Awards: A Rich Harvest of Scientific Awards Five HKUST Scientists Awarded Research Excellence in Natural Sciences Local Links Mainland Connections Global Network In the HKUST Family AUGUST 2012 PREVIOUS NEXT State Science and Technology Awards: A Rich Harvest of Scientific Awards Our scientists are making news again—this time by walking away with five coveted State Science and Technology Awards handed out by the State Council of the People's Republic of China. These honors represent the largest number of awards of this kind among tertiary institutions in Hong Kong this year. Scientific researchers sometimes toil away for years in the laboratory without seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, much less emerging into the spotlight. Often they toil alone. Other times they work in tandem with fellow scientists from other universities. Either way, it is a wonderful feeling when public recognition finally comes. Our scientists may come from different disciplines. But they have the same goal, that of making discoveries important to different facets of human existence. Prof Nancy Ip, Dean of Science, for example, who won Second Class State Natural Science Award, was honored for her breakthrough work on the study of neurodegenerative diseases that afflict such a large swathe of humanity, notably Alheimzer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. For Profs Yunhao Liu, Lionel Ni and Drs Mo Li and Zheng Yang, all from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and all of whom won Second Class Awards, their focus has been on overcoming the uncertainty of wireless communications and their large overhead. After more than a decade of intensive work, they have come up with one of the world’s earliest range-free localization systems using RFID with pervasive applications including coal mine monitoring and ocean sensing. The Internet has become the foundation of the Information age. Because of the demand for tremendous amount of network resources occasioned by the explosive growth of the Internet user population, Prof Bo Li, again from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, and his Tsinghua University collaborators have developed a series of methodologies for network resource optimization, which have been commonly used in commercial systems. For this achievement, they too were given the Second Class Award. A pressing problem that bedevils big urban centers is congested traffic flow. This is a problem to whose solution Prof Hai Yang of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and his collaborators from Beijing Jiaotong University, Beihang University and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University have jointly devoted their research attention for over two decades. Their interdisciplinary research outcome has far-reaching impact on transportation theories and practices, earning them a much-deserved Second Class Award. This year’s awards won by HKUST also include a State Scientific and Technological Progress Second Class Award which goes to Prof Shing-chi Cheung of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. Again, this award-winning research was a joint effort by Prof Cheung who formed a research team with collaborators from Nanjing University. The award credits their range of innovations in Internetware technology, which have greatly enhanced the autonomy, reliability and synergy among different software. A significant feature of this collaboration is that it took in government departments and industry partners—a splendid example in the integration of academia, industry and government. SEARCH © HKUST GENESIS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ABOUT GENESIS CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY Prof Limin Zhang (third from left) and his research team. Prof Karl Tsim Prof Qian Zhang CONTENTS Teaching and Research Raising the Bar Asia No. 1 State Science and Technology Awards: A Rich Harvest of Scientific Awards Five HKUST Scientists Awarded Research Excellence in Natural Sciences Local Links Mainland Connections Global Network In the HKUST Family AUGUST 2012 PREVIOUS NEXT Five HKUST Scientists Awarded Research Excellence in Natural Sciences This year, on the research front, HKUST is getting multiple recognitions from the Ministry of Education in its annual Awards for Research Excellence in Natural Sciences. Five HKUST scientists in three separate projects were honored for their research discoveries. Prof Limin Zhang and the recently deceased Prof Wilson Tang both of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering won First Class Award in Natural Sciences. In collaboration with their three former doctoral and post-doctoral fellows, they achieved breakthroughs in reducing the uncertainty of geotechnical analysis models and in developing a framework for effective engineering risk management. Their research outcomes have been applied to the design of large hydropower projects on the Mainland, as well as landslide risk mitigation in Hong Kong. In a totally different field, traditional Chinese herbal remedies have always occupied an important part in the lives of Chinese people down the centuries. Their popularity has spread to the West where alternative medicine is gaining favor. Prof Karl Wah-Keung Tsim and Dr Tingxia Dong both of the Division of Life Science have been systematically subjecting such medicinal formulas to rigorous analysis. For their pains and gains they were given a Second Class Award in Natural Sciences, specifically for their study of the famous Danggui Buxue Tang (DBT), a formula widely used by herbal practitioners in the treatment of menopausal symptoms and internal injuries. This is a joint pharmacological study of DBT by a team under the research direction of Prof Tsim and Capital Medical University. HKUST is regarded as a stronghold in Computer Science and Engineering research. So it is not surprising that this year Prof Qian Zhang and her collaborators from the Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Peking University and the Beijing Institute of Technology have been honored with a Second Class Award for discovering ways of overcoming the defects of existing statistic spectrum management. This results in reducing costs while improving its utilization efficiency. Given the unceasing demand for wireless multimedia communications in our global community, theirs is a development of good cheer. © HKUST GENESIS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ABOUT GENESIS CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY SEARCH

CONTENTS Teaching and Research Raising the Bar Local Links A First Class Building for a First Class University Ho & Ho Foundation Donates $8 million to HKUST for Scholarships Science for Lunch — A Feast for the Mind The Intimacy of Creativity Mainland Connections Global Network In the HKUST Family AUGUST 2012 PREVIOUS NEXT A First Class Building for a First Class University As a young university, HKUST has been blessed to attract strong support from the community. One such generous supporter is Dr Cheng Yu Tong who has made a major donation of $90 million towards the construction of a new Research and Academic Building. That building took a first step towards becoming a reality on 25 April with the groundbreaking ceremony for the new edifice named in honor of Dr Cheng who through the Chow Tai Fook Foundation has done much to support charitable causes in Hong Kong throughout its history. Dr Cheng’s benevolence towards HKUST is an affirmation of his faith in social progress through innovation, a faith passionately shared by our University. The Cheng family was out in force at the ceremony, with Dr Cheng and his two sons Dr Cheng Kar-shun and Mr Cheng Kar-shing in attendance, along with senior executives of the Chow Tai Fook Cheng Yu Tung Foundation and Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Ltd, prominent leaders of the community and senior administrators of the university, including the President. The 8-storey building covers a total floor area of 10,000 square meters. But what is noteworthy about it is that its design and configuration are the result of meticulous research and even site visits to similar facilities at world-leading universities such as Oxford, Cambridge and Caltech. Nothing less than first class facilities for a first class research university. It is a building to make the heart of scientist or scholar race. It houses laboratories that cater to multidisciplinary uses and comes with an open plan that is easily configurable to different uses. But it is not just research that will be given a boost. It comes equipped with a large-scale multipurpose lecture theatre too, which can double as a venue for artistic performances. Dr Cheng should be pleased that we will be getting very good value for his money—a multi-purpose building for multi-disciplinary research, with teaching and artistic performances thrown in. SEARCH © HKUST GENESIS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ABOUT GENESIS CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY CONTENTS Teaching and Research Raising the Bar Local Links A First Class Building for a First Class University Ho & Ho Foundation Donates $8 million to HKUST for Scholarships Science for Lunch — A Feast for the Mind The Intimacy of Creativity Mainland Connections Global Network In the HKUST Family AUGUST 2012 PREVIOUS NEXT Ho & Ho Foundation Donates $8 million to HKUST for Scholarships With our growing intake of Mainland students, it is wonderful news that Mr Ho Ming Sze has donated $8 million towards establishing a scholarship fund for outstanding Mainland undergraduates with financial needs, through the Ho & Ho Foundation Scholarships. The Scholarship fund will give preference to students from the “Red Triangle Region” on the Mainland, i.e. the cities of Shaoguan in Quangzhou, Ganzhou in Jianxi, and Chengzhou in Hunan. The number of recipients may vary from year to year depending on the caliber of students. But one thing is for sure, these scholarships will not only help HKUST attract more outstanding Mainland students but also further the cultural exchange of students. © HKUST GENESIS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ABOUT GENESIS CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY SEARCH CONTENTS Teaching and Research Raising the Bar Local Links A First Class Building for a First Class University Ho & Ho Foundation Donates $8 million to HKUST for Scholarships Science for Lunch — A Feast for the Mind The Intimacy of Creativity Mainland Connections Global Network In the HKUST Family AUGUST 2012 PREVIOUS NEXT Science for Lunch — A Feast for the Mind The university, as a center of education, hosts many talks and lectures. Usually, they take place in classrooms or lecture halls. But Mr Maximilian Ma, Council Member and Vice Chair of its Institutional Advancement and Outreach Committee has a delicious idea for busy entrepreneurs: why can't we dine and learn at the same time? Thus was born the neverbefore- tried format of 'Science for Lunch'. Behind this idea was a third ingredient: by hosting six lunch-lectures, he brought together some of HKUST's creative scientific minds and the city's entrepreneurs looking for an innovative edge to their business. This is a mouthwatering way to take science and technology out of the ivory tower into the community. Leading off on 19 October 2011 was Prof Pascale Fung who spoke passionately to an enthralled audience on cloud computing. She was followed by Prof King-Lun Yeung on 'Smart Materials for Better Health and Environment' on 23 November 2011. Prof Yeung pioneered the development of smart antimicrobials as a disinfectant for the air, water and all types of surfaces. Early in 2012, Prof Weijia Wen introduced his new ideas for new nano materials for industry applications, of which the 'smart gel' that can change opacity and transparency of windows depending on their surface temperature sounds like something out of science fiction. Perhaps the subject least compatible with a gourmet lunch is that of slush treatment. But in the hands of Prof Guanghao Chen, his audience lapped up his innovative green wastewater treatment technology without losing any appetite. Then came Prof Kei-May Lau's turn, who shined a spotlight on Intelligent Lighting Systems using LED on Silicon technology. This new technology has wide applications to micro-display in mobile electronics, intelligent traffic systems, and e-books. Bringing down the curtain on the lunch series was Prof Randy Poon who has a novel way of understanding cancer cells. According to Prof Poon, cells in our body divide as long as we live. Defect in this cell division process is one of the key causes of cancer. This new understanding may contribute to the identification of better drugs for the treatment of cancer, a major human affliction. This lunch series became so popular that organizers had to turn away many would-be attendees. Across lunch tables, talks of collaboration between our scientists and interested entrepreneurs were brewing, thanks to Mr Ma who not only fathered the idea but also generously sponsored the entire series. SEARCH © HKUST GENESIS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ABOUT GENESIS CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY CONTENTS Teaching and Research Raising the Bar Local Links A First Class Building for a First Class University Ho & Ho Foundation Donates $8 million to HKUST for Scholarships Science for Lunch — A Feast for the Mind The Intimacy of Creativity Mainland Connections Global Network In the HKUST Family AUGUST 2012 PREVIOUS NEXT The Intimacy of Creativity No one expects music and art to sprout from a university of science and technology. And yet, that is exactly what is happening at HKUST. For the second season running, The Intimacy of Creativity, hailed by the Financial Times as “the city’s most innovative music experience” returned to Hong Kong, courtesy of the School of Humanities and Social Science of HKUST. It presented a smorgasbord of musical experiences from American folk tunes to Canto-pop numbers, and from classical to contemporary music styles. The intimacy refers to the fact that from April 23 to 28 and from April 30 to May 4, composers were huddled with well-renowned performers on campus for in-depth discussions over musical composition. The revised compositions were then formally presented at Preview Concerts on campus and also at the World Premier Concerts at the Hong Kong City Hall Theatre on May 1 and May 6. The star cast for this two-week partnership included Bright Sheng, an internationally-renowned composer, conductor, pianist, winner of the highly-prized MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, and significantly for us, a visiting member of IAS. Without his contributions, the event would not have been the stellar success that it was; Mark O’Connor, Distinguished Guest Artist and Grammy Award-winning violinist and composer; Joan Tower, Grawemeyer Award-winning composer and pianist; Special Guest Artist and 2009 International Van Cliburn Piano Competition Gold Medal winner Haochen Zhang; Trey Lee, Special Guest Artist and 2004 International Antonio Janigro Cello Competition First Prize winner; Special Guest Composer and Canto-pop star Jonathan Wong; Camerata Pacifica, the critically acclaimed Santa Barbara-based Emsemble-in-Residence, along with a string of emerging composers, local and international. In the past, Hong Kong has been dismissively called a cultural desert. At HKUST flowers of music and art are in bloom on an oasis along a strip of the Clear Water Bay coast. Here, creativity sprouts in unexpected places and in different forms. © HKUST GENESIS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ABOUT GENESIS CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY SEARCH CONTENTS Teaching and Research Raising the Bar Local Links Mainland Connections Let There be LED Light Jiangsu Delegation Led by Vice Governor Visits HKUST Global Network In the HKUST Family AUGUST 2012 PREVIOUS NEXT Let There be LED Light The establishment of HKUST LED-FPD Technology R&D Center was made possible by a start-up fund of RMB 25 million and 1,800 square meters of space in Nanhai, courtesy of the Nanhai District Government of Foshan City. The support package came complete with infrastructure and lab equipment. This is a significant joint venture between the Nanhai Government and HKUST, part of our efforts of building partnerships with government and industry in the vibrant Pearl River Delta. This state-ofthe- art LED-Flat Panel Display Technology R&D Center will ride on the robust LED manufacturing industry in the area. Approximately 50% of the Mainland’s LED packaging comes from Guangdong. With this center, product innovation in quality and significant jump in quantity will likely result from this collaboration. Witnessed by leaders from both parties, including the President, Prof Tony F Chan and a delegation of senior members of the Foshan Government, the Nanhai Government also signs an MOU with HKUST to boost further cooperation. © HKUST GENESIS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ABOUT GENESIS CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY SEARCH CONTENTS Teaching and Research Raising the Bar Local Links Mainland Connections Let There be LED Light Jiangsu Delegation Led by Vice Governor Visits HKUST Global Network In the HKUST Family AUGUST 2012 PREVIOUS NEXT Jiangsu Delegation Led by Vice Governor Visits HKUST Early in 2012, a high-level 12-person strong delegation from Jiangsu Province, led by its Vice Governor Mr Cao Weixing, and its Director General of Education, came calling at our campus. They were here to see for themselves how HKUST, a rapid-rising star in the world academic community has been able to achieve so much in so short a time. Jiangsu has ambitious plans for its educational and strategic development in new and hi-tech industries which include nanotechnology and materials, cloud computing and smart manufacturing equipment. In discussions with the President, Prof Tony F Chan and Vice-President for Institutional Advancement Dr Eden Woon, the visitors expressed strong interest in exploring collaborative possibilities with HKUST, specifically in higher education, technology transfer and talent exchange—all vital for strategic development in the 21st century. © HKUST GENESIS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ABOUT GENESIS CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY SEARCH CONTENTS Teaching and Research Raising the Bar Local Links Mainland Connections Global Network President's Visit to Canada and US West Coast: Probing for Partnerships and Trawling for Global Talent A Pair of Trail-blazing Hong Kongers for the IAS Podium Higher Education Planning in Asia Forum at HKUST 'The Russians Are Coming!' In the HKUST Family AUGUST 2012 PREVIOUS NEXT President's Visit to Canada and US West Coast: Probing for Partnerships and Trawling for Global Talent HKUST positions itself as an international research university of excellence. Consolidating our international status means building a broader global network of relationships with other leading universities. To this end, the President led a delegation to visit Canada and the US west coast in February this year in search of academic partnerships and talent. Accompanied by Dr Eden Woon, Vice-President along with our deans, the President made a 7-university swing up and down the North American coast, taking in UBC, University of Washington, Caltech, USC, UCLA, Stanford and UC Berkeley. They set a punishing pace. Squeezed into a five-day schedule were 6 meetings with presidents or provosts, 7 meetings with students, 10 media interviews, plus 2 luncheon talks and 4 gettogethers with our alumni. The deans, for their part, held 33 meetings with their counterparts, making this a tightly choreographed visit. The president also found time to meet with Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman of Google, the iconic company of the Internet era. These meetings and discussions were intended to generate possibilities for student exchanges including postdoctoral student exchanges, faculty exchanges and forums, undergraduate research programs and research collaborations to capitalize on the respective strengths of partner institutions, covering bio-imaging, neuroscience, stem cells, the environment, advanced computing research, supply chain management, electrical engineering, bio-engineering, statistics, climate modeling and wireless engineering, among others. Not surprisingly, China figured prominently in the dialogue, with a view to establishing tripartite relationships between HKUST, the US and Mainland China. There is no denying that our international rankings and impressive research output have given us a global visibility, opening the doors for partnerships with the world’s elite universities, and stoking the interest of foreign students and scholars in joining us. Next up, the President and his entourage will be heading to Europe in October. Going global is a non-stop effort at coverage and consistency. SEARCH © HKUST GENESIS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ABOUT GENESIS CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY Prof Ching W Tang Ms Marjorie Yang CONTENTS Teaching and Research Raising the Bar Local Links Mainland Connections Global Network President's Visit to Canada and US West Coast: Probing for Partnerships and Trawling for Global Talent A Pair of Trail-blazing Hong Kongers for the IAS Podium Higher Education Planning in Asia Forum at HKUST 'The Russians Are Coming!' In the HKUST Family AUGUST 2012 PREVIOUS NEXT A Pair of Trail-blazing Hong Kongers for the IAS Podium The IAS has invited many a world-leading scholar or scientist in the past, mostly foreign-born. This year it extended its invitation to two outstanding leaders who are Hong Kongers to the roots of their hair. The first is Prof Ching W Tang, an IAS Visiting Member. Dubbed the Father of OLED, he is the son of a tradition-bound villager from Yuen Long. His core values are still traditional Chinese, but scientifically, he thrives by breaking with tradition. His name is forever associated with OLED or Organic Light Emitting Diodes which is replacing LCD or Liquid Crystal Display, because it possesses a number of insurmountable advantages such as being foldable display, paper-thin, lighter in weight, self-luminous, power-efficient with a better definition from any viewing angle. OLED is taking the industrial world by storm, being widely used in a vast array of display applications such as mobile phones, digital cameras and big-screen televisions. What he shared with the audience at this Distinguished Lecture is nothing less than bleeding edge science and technology. Ironically, Prof Tang stumbled on the tiny molecule that emits light by accident while doing research on solar power. Now things have come full circle, with his return to the study of organic solar cells. The scientific world has great expectations for this first Chinese scientist to win the Wolf Prize, which is second only to the Nobel Prize in prestige. In fact, of every three scientists who win the Wolf Prize in physics and chemistry, one has gone on to win the Nobel Prize. Ms Marjorie Yang, is this year’s UC RUSAL President’s Forum honored invitee who spoke on “Making a Difference, a Stitch at a Time” in which she shared her insights and lessons learned at the helm of the Esquel Group as its chairman. Ms Yang is not only a remarkable leader because she was voted one of Fortune’s Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Business. She is remarkable because she has been able to turn her garment business, a traditional industry into a catalyst for societal change. In doing so, she has used technology, modern management and non-traditional business philosophies to improve the bottom line of her company and unleash the potential of her employees. In the process, she has shown us a way of being a good global citizen who can make a difference to the world we live in. The second half of the Forum was her dialogue with the President, Prof Tony F Chan, in which she spelled out her faith in the power of education in transforming society. She encourages her employees to continue with their education. She is an employer who believes in empowering her employees. Here is a leader who does more than talk the talk. © HKUST GENESIS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ABOUT GENESIS CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY SEARCH CONTENTS Teaching and Research Raising the Bar Local Links Mainland Connections Global Network President's Visit to Canada and US West Coast: Probing for Partnerships and Trawling for Global Talent A Pair of Trail-blazing Hong Kongers for the IAS Podium Higher Education Planning in Asia Forum at HKUST 'The Russians Are Coming!' In the HKUST Family AUGUST 2012 PREVIOUS NEXT Higher Education Planning in Asia Forum at HKUST HKUST hosted the inaugural Higher Education Planning in Asia (HEPA) Forum on March 27-28. The 2-day Forum provided a platform for university planners across Asia to interact, share best practices and network. The theme of the Forum was: Building a World-class University – The Role of Planning Professionals. There were 50 participants coming from Australia, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, UK and US. On two morning sessions, the HEPA Forum in Hong Kong and the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) Pacific Region Conference (held concurrently in Stanford University in the US) were linked up via live video conference. Participants in HK and the US were highly appreciative of the interactivity across the continents. During the presentations and joint panel sessions, it almost felt like the Hong Kong and US speakers and audiences were interacting from the same location! There were altogether 17 presentation sessions, with 23 speakers sharing different perspectives about common challenges and issues faced by university planners. Through the insightful presentations, engagement of participants in the interactive workshop, and the networking during the lunches and dinner, participants felt that they had benefited a great deal from attending the Forum. They appreciated HKUST’s efforts to initiate and organize the forum, which is possibly the first Asian region Forum dedicated to university planning. From feedback gathered from the participants, they were very supportive of establishing an Asian network of planners, to facilitate further experience sharing and peer exchange. The Forum has successfully achieved its objectives to strengthen the strategic development and planning capabilities of participating universities, and also enhance HKUST reputation and leadership in Asia. SEARCH © HKUST GENESIS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ABOUT GENESIS CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY CONTENTS Teaching and Research Raising the Bar Local Links Mainland Connections Global Network President's Visit to Canada and US West Coast: Probing for Partnerships and Trawling for Global Talent A Pair of Trail-blazing Hong Kongers for the IAS Podium Higher Education Planning in Asia Forum at HKUST 'The Russians Are Coming!' In the HKUST Family AUGUST 2012 PREVIOUS NEXT 'The Russians Are Coming!' (From left) Mariia P Trenikova, Diana Klemenkova, Veronika O Karasova, Mikhail Kuzmin, Nataliya Nikolayeva and Elena Yakovleva. The seven students who came here this year from various parts of Russia, courtesy of the UC Rusal sponsorship, for a half-year exchange program may be called 'the Magnificent Seven'. They are almost split evenly between undergraduates and postgraduates. They represent some of the best students from Russia. They hail from Russian universities spread across the length and breadth of this vast country, including Siberian Federal University, Urals State University, Urals Federal University, MV Lomonosov Moscow State University and Irkustsk State Technical University. According to these students, interest in and competition for placements at HKUST was quite intense. Hence the high caliber of participants in this program. The presence of the Russian students is part of HKUST's promotion of internationalizing the campus and university education. Far from being passive participants, some of the students even performed at our 20th Anniversary Celebration Party in a song and dance routine. Others are learning to sing in Putonghua. All are fulsome in their praise of the jaw-dropping, state-ofthe- art library and our splendid academic and sports facilities. They fall in love our breathtaking seaside location, and the sounds and sights of this world city. UC RUSAL is a listed company on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. We are grateful that through it, there is more of a Russian presence in Hong Kong. For HKUST, the exchange students from Russia represent yet another tributary to our widening international stream. © HKUST GENESIS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ABOUT GENESIS CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY SEARCH CONTENTS Teaching and Research Raising the Bar Local Links Mainland Connections Global Network In the HKUST Family Honorary Fellowship Ceremony: Honoring Outstanding Leaders A Semi-Goodbye to a Complete Maestro Long Service Award AUGUST 2012 PREVIOUS NEXT Honorary Fellowship Ceremony: Honoring Outstanding Leaders (From left) Prof Laurence Franklin, Dr Andrew Chan Ka-ching, Council Chairman Dr Marvin K T Cheung, Mr Herbert Cheng, Jr, and President Prof Tony F Chan. By tradition, June is the month when HKUST inducts honorary fellows into our big family. For this honor, the selection criteria boil down to just two considerations: the honoree’s outstanding contributions to the community at large, or to HKUST. This year’s recipients are outstanding and honor-worthy on both counts. This year, only three people received this high honor. Dr Andrew Chan, Deputy Chairman of the Arup Group Ltd, a famed geotechnical engineer who helped build the Guangzhou-Shenzhen- Zuhai Superhighway, the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube on the Mainland. This side of the border, his building credits the Stonecutter’s Bridge, IFC, ICC, the HSBC building. He is now busy building the mammoth Hong Kong-Zuhai-Macau Bridge. He is part of HKUST’s history for giving us the site formation and structural foundations. Otherwise there wouldn’t be the HKUST as we know it today. What’s more, he has been teaching our students as an adjunct professor, and giving them jobs and scholarships. For years, Mr Herbert Cheng, Jr, Chief Executive Officer of Chiaphua Industries Ltd, has served HKUST quietly and faithfully as our Council Member and Vice Chair of its Human Resources Committee. His family foundation has provided scholarships for needy and worthy students in this university and across the wider community. He is an ethical employer who financially supports the education of his Hong Kong employees unconditionally, while organizing them to volunteer their services to the handicapped and the elderly. His good deeds have been performed characteristically without fanfare and under the radar. This year, we also honor an outstanding teacher, Prof Laurence Franklin, who has taught the most courses and has been rated the best teacher by his students in the Business School. The courses he delivers are thoughtfully and thoroughly researched and designed, and come with a healthy and heavy dose of market reality. He has donated $5 million out of his own pocket for student scholarships and for enabling students from Non-Profit Organizations to attend our business programs. He is a teacher of the highest order, both in quality and quantity. SEARCH © HKUST GENESIS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ABOUT GENESIS CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY CONTENTS Teaching and Research Raising the Bar Local Links Mainland Connections Global Network In the HKUST Family Honorary Fellowship Ceremony: Honoring Outstanding Leaders A Semi-Goodbye to a Complete Maestro Long Service Award AUGUST 2012 PREVIOUS NEXT A Semi-Goodbye to a Complete Maestro When people consider elite global business education, HKUST is always part of the equation. In Asia our brand of business education is rated peerless. And the main man behind this University's highest-ranked programs (its joint EMBA with Kellogg and its own MBA) is none other than Prof Steve DeKrey, Senior Associate Dean of the Business School, often looked upon as its talisman. After 16 giddy years at HKUST, Steve is finally saying goodbye, sort of. He is headed to the prestigious Manila-based Asian Management Institute (AIM) as its next president. Steve says that he will not be cloning another HKUST Business School with its special focus on China and on empirical scientific discovery, whereas AIM has an applied research orientation and tilted decidedly towards India. Under Steve, our masters programs have struck gold in recent years, the culmination of years of visionary planning, continuous cogitation and creative evolution. By any yardstick, the School and the graduate business programs have exceeded everybody's expectations. He is now seeking a new challenge. But Steve is not exactly waving goodbye. He will remain an Adjunct Professor at HKUST to teach a couple of leadership courses at the Clear Water Bay campus, and perhaps at our Shenzhen IER Centre as well. Asked to describe himself, Steve says that he is a man who is comfortable holding contradictory thoughts in his head--a sure sign of a fertile and innovative mind. Among his many innovations at the school is his practice of using adjunct professorships to tap the vast sources of applied knowledge out there in the community. Having sunk his roots deep in Hong Kong, he has adopted this city to the extent that he sees himself as an American- Asian who takes onboard the Eastern philosophy of harmony, to which he attributes part of his success at team-building. Quality is the only thing on which Steve would never compromise. He recalls that even in the early days of struggle at the fledgling school, he would rather accept just 18 students for a course than take in second-rate applicants. He is however quick to admit that we owe part of the success with our EMBA and MBA programs to our ability to capitalize on the rising strength of our economic environment, the immediate one in Hong Kong and wider one in close proximity on the Mainland. Certain favorable factors do not lend themselves to duplication. But Steve says that it is to teamwork that we owe most of our success. As an inspirational leader, he practices what he preaches. He has a well-known theory of leadership, a subject of which he is regarded as an authority. He defines a manager as someone 'perfecting the present', whereas a leader is one who 'prepares for the future'. As future-oriented leaders, Steve and his team have devoted themselves to building the culture and infrastructure necessary for excellence. His team couldn't have scripted its development any better. The programs produced are the object of emulation by sister schools in the region. As a good leader, he typically assigns most of the credit to members of his elite team. Now something of a living legend, Steve believes that while he is leaving, the solid team he has assembled will continue its magic work to deliver the undeliverable. So, here is half a goodbye to the man with the complete Midas touch. We have no doubt that as Steve begins writing another script for a new challenge, early success will be the title of his next chapter. SEARCH © HKUST GENESIS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ABOUT GENESIS CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY CONTENTS Teaching and Research Raising the Bar Local Links Mainland Connections Global Network In the HKUST Family Honorary Fellowship Ceremony: Honoring Outstanding Leaders A Semi-Goodbye to a Complete Maestro Long Service Award AUGUST 2012 PREVIOUS Long Service Award At HKUST, the Long Service Award is only given to employees who have served 20 years. For a university that is just past its 20th anniversary, this means it is recognizing a select group of pioneers who have practically been with this institution from the start. This year marks only third time that this award is handed out to staff members who have made the cut, chronologically speaking. This time we have 237 reasons to celebrate, because 237 loyal employees are being honored. The university may have achieved its record of success as a collective entity, but it is made up of many individual tales of sacrifice and sweat. Business Dean Prof Leonard Cheng, for example, one of this year’s recipients, despite his senior academic position is typical of the spirit of dedication of many of our long-serving colleagues. Like many of them in those trailblazing days, he often worked on campus until the wee hours of the morning, a sacrifice made by the pioneering staff member. Thus the university’s success often came at a high price to our stoic and devoted individual employees. As the president said in his opening speech, this moment truly belongs to them. So much was unwritten in the simple certificate and the silver medal they each receive. It was truly “all for one and one for all. © HKUST GENESIS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ABOUT GENESIS CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY SEARCH