Genesis - HKUST Newsletter, March 2014

Abstract

 HKUST E-GENESIS MARCH 2014 FEATURE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH INNOVATION GLOBAL AND MAINLAND CONNECTIONS COMMUNITY CAMPUS LIFE NEWS ROUNDUP © HKUST E-GENESIS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ABOUT HKUST CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY Designed by PTC

FEATURE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH INNOVATION GLOBAL AND MAINLAND CONNECTIONS COMMUNITY CAMPUS LIFE NEWS ROUNDUP

MARCH 2014

INSIDE THIS ISSUE The e-Genesis Team

Editorial Director: Emily Hui Editor: Sally Course Assistant Editor: Alison Lam Cover and Graphics Designer: Gareth Lai Technical and Production Manager: Sam Wong Student Picture Assistant: Cherry Leung FEATURE How Alcohol Fuel Cells Can Energize Our Future

EDUCATION AND RESEARCH Bold Vision Draws Laureates and Thought Leaders

The Sound of Creativity Headliners

INNOVATION Water-saving Solution Goes International

Widening the Window for R&D in Hong Kong GLOBAL AND MAINLAND CONNECTIONS President Chan Attends World Economic Forum

Determining the Age of the South China Sea COMMUNITY Fresh Perspectives on Public Policy-making

CAMPUS LIFE Of Founding Days and 334

Hosts Welcome Students From Around the World Celebrating 20 Years at HKUST

Being Green, Gaining Gold NEWS ROUNDUP News Roundup

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CONTENTS FEATURE How Alcohol Fuel Cells Can Energize Our Future EDUCATION AND RESEARCH INNOVATION GLOBAL AND MAINLAND CONNECTIONS COMMUNITY CAMPUS LIFE NEWS ROUNDUP

MARCH 2014

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How Alcohol Fuel Cells Can Energize Our Future Prof Tianshou Zhao (right) and PhD student Xiaohui Yan demonstrate the effectiveness of alcohol fuel cells.

A model car on the go for 10 hours. An MP3 that plays for 20 hours. Both are driven by a few drops of alcohol fuel. Both point the way to an exciting new power source for the future, thanks to the breakthrough discoveries of Prof Tianshou Zhao, Chair Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at HKUST, and his research team.

As communities around the world increasingly emphasize the importance of green and sustainable energy sources, fuel cells that convert chemical energy of hydrogen, natural gas, and alcohols directly to electricity have become a hot research topic worldwide. Current energy technologies that use fossil fuels, such as diesel, coal and oil, face many challenges, among them, low efficiency, limited supply, air pollution, and climate change. Yet, to date, renewable energy still accounts for less than 3% of all electricity produced worldwide.

Power density record Prof Zhao, also Director of the HKUST Energy Institute, and his researchers have become global pioneers in raising the performance of Direct Alcohol Fuel Cells (DAFC). Among other achievements, his group holds the internationally acknowledged world record for the power density of direct ethanol fuel cells.

Such work has brought Prof Zhao numerous honors and awards in the past 10 years. These include the State Natural Science Award (Second Class) in 2012 and 2013, among the most prestigious scientific honors in China, for projects focusing primarily on heat transfer and innovations in fuel cells, respectively. He has also been awarded a Croucher Senior Research Fellowship.

'Energy is a challenging area because of its strong multidisciplinary nature, but this also makes it both interesting and rewarding,” said Prof Zhao, who has been involved in the field since taking up engineering thermophysics at Tianjin University as a student. “It is also hugely significant for us all.'

Key advance Prof Zhao’s major advance has been to combine thermo-fluid science and electrochemistry, which used to be two separate disciplines, to create an interdisciplinary framework for research. This way, complex physical and chemical processes such as electron and ion transport, mass and heat transport and electrochemical reactions can be realized to efficiently generate electricity.

'Fuel cells surpass existing energy choices as they are cleaner, more efficient, sustainable and cost-effective,” he explained. “For example, the necessary fuel can be generated from common plant sources, such as tangerines or sugar cane.”

Looking ahead Prof Zhao foresees that the new fuel cell could make mobile phone batteries last twice as long and improve computers, appliances, and electric cars, among other applications. He hopes that the new technology can be marketed in around seven to eight years, following further research to increase their efficiency, reduce production costs and extend their lifespan.

As Director of the HKUST Energy Institute, Prof Zhao is also encouraging interdisciplinary research on energy sustainability, efficiency and conservation, including bio-energy, solar cells, smart grid, fuel cells, energy storage and thermal management.

Prof Tianshou Zhao will introduce the concept of fuel cells at a Science for Lunch talk on 16 May at HKUST Business School Central. Registration opens one month before the talk. Visit http://science-for-lunch.ust.hk for further details and online registration.

A more sustainable, cost-effective energy source.

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CONTENTS FEATURE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH Bold Vision Draws Laureates and Thought Leaders The Sound of Creativity Headliners INNOVATION GLOBAL AND MAINLAND CONNECTIONS COMMUNITY CAMPUS LIFE NEWS ROUNDUP

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Bold Vision Draws Laureates and Thought Leaders The HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study (top), and Prof Ching Tang and Prof Sir Chris Pissarides in action.

The dedication of the HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study (IAS), inauguration of the first eminent IAS Named Professors and naming of the Lo Ka Chung Building celebrated donors’ support for the inspirational knowledge hub and ushered in an energizing new phase of development for the Institute.

Economic challenge of Asia One of those newly appointed academics is Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences Prof Sir Christopher Pissarides, who views his role at HKUST as an invigorating prospect.

'A lot of exciting things for economists are happening in the region of Hong Kong,” explained Prof Pissarides, who has become IAS Helmut & Anna Pao Sohmen Professor-at-Large. “China is the growth engine of the world. Other Asian nations are catching up and there is optimism for the future. Understanding and explaining what is going on are both a challenge and a fascination for economists like myself.” The Institute draws highly distinguished international scholars to the city and region to drive forward breakthrough thinking and next-generation discoveries in a bold, collaborative, interdisciplinary environment and is the only one of its kind in Hong Kong.

In addition, Prof Pissarides, who has spent 40 years as a faculty member of the London School of Economics and is known for his search and matching theory for studying interactions between the labor market and macroeconomy, is happy to be connecting up with other academics at the University. “I especially like the interaction with scientists and others outside economics, where I have most to learn,” he explained to e-Genesis.

OLED innovation Physical chemist and “Father of Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs)” Prof Ching Tang has also joined HKUST as IAS Bank of East Asia Professor. Prof Tang, a Hong Kong native born in Yuen Long and schooled at King’s College, wants to use his expertise to build up a laboratory in the University for research in OLED and related fields. As a researcher, he spent 31 years at Kodak Research Laboratories developing OLED and photovoltaic technologies before assuming his first academic appointment at the University of Rochester. Based on Prof Tang’s invention, OLED is now widely adopted in display applications from mobile phones to high-definition televisions and poised to be the next-generation display technology.

'I came back because I was born in Hong Kong,” said Prof Tang, the first Chinese recipient of the Wolf Prize in Chemistry. “I chose to join HKUST because it is a world-class university with an excellent faculty and talented students. My main function is to drive research activities and develop local talents in the exciting fields of display technology and renewable energy. It’s also an exciting experience – my first job in Hong Kong!”

Active outlook Meanwhile, IAS is continuing to build its Named Professorships and draw intellectual giants to the region. World-leading mathematician and IAS Si Yuan Professor Prof Gunther Uhlmann is due to arrive later this year. Over 35 international Visiting IAS Professors and other leading scholars provide a flourishing schedule of distinguished open lectures on the latest innovations in their field. The Institute is also developing its IAS Programs, where leading international scholars tackling major intellectual challenges of today, and organizes workshops and conferences to share the latest breakthroughs in a range of fields.

The inauguration of the first three IAS Named Professors.

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CONTENTS FEATURE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH Bold Vision Draws Laureates and Thought Leaders The Sound of Creativity Headliners INNOVATION GLOBAL AND MAINLAND CONNECTIONS COMMUNITY CAMPUS LIFE NEWS ROUNDUP

MARCH 2014

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Event founder and composer Prof Bright Sheng; HKUST Summer Musical; “Making Chamber Music” (HUMA3102) students perform in the HKUST SHSS Ensemble. The Sound of Creativity

As the University’s major arts education provider, the School of Humanities and Social Science (SHSS) is introducing an expanding array of music-related activities. But what is the role of music in a university more usually associated with science, technology and business?

Aesthetic goal Among the goals of HKUST’s Common Core undergraduate curriculum is the strengthening of students’ aesthetic perception and their ability to appreciate music, art and culture. The increasingly varied music curriculum at HKUST accordingly includes courses on music composition, instrumental and vocal performance, history of classical music, music from around the world, and music’s relationship with other art forms, including film.

Another key impetus is to inspire original thinking. “Students today are creative and ready to explore,” said Prof James Lee, Dean of Humanities and Social Science. “Music can enrich human imagination and resonates with other intellectual activities that also call on creativity and innovation.”

Creative view The approach adopted at the School is research-embedded teaching, which means lecturers are active practitioners, with students encouraged to learn about the arts from the perspective of creators and producers rather than critics. Among the renowned composers and performers assisting with HKUST’s curriculum are composer-pianist and conductor Prof Bright Sheng, YK Pao Distinguished Visiting Professor of Cultural Studies; violinist Prof Takako Nishizaki; Composers-in-Residence Profs Matthew Tommasini and Steven Snowden; tenor Prof Oliver Lo; baritone Prof Isaac Droscha; and pianist Dr Amy Sze.

Music performances and special events integrated into the music curriculum are arranged and presented throughout the year by the HKUST Music Alive! concert series. In addition, a broad range of arts programs are presented by the HKUST Center for the Arts, including University concerts as part of the HKUST Arts Festival, which runs over this month and April. There is also the highly popular annual HKUST Summer Musical, founded and directed by Prof Lo, which encourages HKUST students, faculty, staff and alumni to take to the stage to showcase their performing arts talents or to help with the production backstage.

Transforming campus culture A notable example of HKUST’s wider music initiatives is the internationally acclaimed The Intimacy of Creativity, a celebrated annual event for the University community and the Hong Kong arts scene, founded and directed by Prof Sheng. The two-week workshop brings together emerging composers with accomplished performers to discuss compositions, highlighting the creative process. This year’s event will be held 21 April to 4 May, with open discussions and preview concerts at HKUST and world premiere concerts at the Hong Kong City Hall Theatre.

'In just a few years, music has already transformed our campus culture,” Prof Lee said. “And HKUST, led by Bright, Matthew, and their colleagues, is also making Hong Kong a bastion of New Music.”

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CONTENTS FEATURE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH Bold Vision Draws Laureates and Thought Leaders The Sound of Creativity Headliners INNOVATION GLOBAL AND MAINLAND CONNECTIONS COMMUNITY CAMPUS LIFE NEWS ROUNDUP

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Headliners

Some of the latest awards and honors accorded to members of HKUST

Fellows, members ► President Tony F Chan (top row, first left) has been elected a member of the National Academy of Engineering in the United States for 'numerical techniques applied to image processing and scientific computing and for providing engineering leadership at national and international level'.

► Prof Jianshu Li, Chair Professor of Mathematics (top row, center), has been honored with membership of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, becoming the first Hong Kong-based scholar to be elected to the Academy’s Division of Mathematics and Physics.

► Prof Benzhong Tang, Stephen Kam Chuen Cheong Professor of Science and Chair Professor of Chemistry (top row, right), was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.

► Three Electronic and Computer Engineering faculty members, Prof Kevin Chen, Prof Howard Luong, and Prof Philip Mok (second row, left to right), were elected Fellows of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world’s largest professional association for the advancement of technology, giving the School of Engineering a total of 33 IEEE Fellows.

Awards ► Prof Tianshou Zhao, Chair Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (third row, left), and Prof Shihe Yang, Professor of Chemistry (third row, center), and their researchers were awarded prestigious 2013 State Natural Science Awards (Second Class) from the PRC State Council. Prof Zhao received the honor for his work on direct alcohol fuel cells and Prof Yang for developing methodologies for synthesizing transition metal-based mondispersed nanomaterials.

► PhD student Shanchao Zhang, Department of Physics (third row, right), won the 2013 Hong Kong Young Scientist Award in the Physical/Mathematical category for the project “Coherent Quantum Interaction Between Photons and Atoms”.

Competitions ► An MBA student team from the School of Business and Management won the Grand Prize at the USC Marshall Global Consulting Challenge in the United States, competing against other leading business schools.

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CONTENTS FEATURE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH INNOVATION Water-saving Solution Goes International Widening the Window for R&D in Hong Kong GLOBAL AND MAINLAND CONNECTIONS COMMUNITY CAMPUS LIFE NEWS ROUNDUP

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Water-saving Solution Goes International From right: UNESCO-IHE’s Dr Carlos Lopez Vazquez and Prof Damir Brdjanovic, VP for Research and Graduate Studies Prof Joseph HW Lee, SANI inventor Prof Guanghao Chen, Cuban delegation leader Prof Orestes Gonzales.

A novel urban water management system developed at HKUST and piloted in Hong Kong is set to assist in tackling the growing global challenge of water scarcity, with a partnership formed between the University and UNESCO-IHE Institute of Water Education in December, which will expand its application internationally.

UNESCO collaboration Under this significant collaboration, the innovative system will be introduced in Cuba later this year, together with local Cuban partners, as part of a three-year water-saving project funded by the European Union and UNESCO-IHE.

Measures being piloted in the capital city of Havana cover seawater supply, wastewater reuse, and the SANI process. SANI stands for Sulphate Reduction, Autotrophic Denitrification and Nitrification Integrated Process, an energy-efficient and low-carbon sewage treatment technology, developed by Prof Guanghao Chen, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and his research team and utilizing Hong Kong’s unique seawater toilet flushing system.

'With 900 million people lacking safe drinking water and 80% of all diseases in the developing world related to water pollution, causing the deaths of some two million children annually, water issues are a major world problem. The situation is getting worse due to rising populations and climate change,” Prof Chen noted. “The project in Cuba can serve as a showcase for mitigating these challenges in developing countries.”

SANI efficiency Hong Kong is currently the only location globally using seawater flushing on a city scale, saving 740,000 cubic meters of freshwater daily. By using sulphate-reducing bacteria and the sulphate in seawater to oxidize and eliminate pollutants, Prof Chen found he could get rid of 90% of sewage sludge production, reduce treatment costs by 50%, space requirements by 50% and cut greenhouse gas emissions by 35%. In addition, the use of seawater requires much less energy than producing freshwater, reclaiming wastewater and conducting desalination. After extensive studies and piloting, SANI is set for a full-scale trial at Shatin Sewage Treatment Works from this summer.

Seawater can further lower energy usage if integrated into centralized air conditioning systems as seawater cooling consumes 35%-50% less energy than air-cooling. A third benefit is that by installing two pipelines to collect wash water (grey water) and toilet water separately, the grey water can be reused for irrigation and other purposes.

Drive for change HKUST researchers will go to Cuba in early April to finalize preparations, with installation and commissioning due in the second half of 2014. 'As 60% of the world’s population is living in coastal areas, this could be revolutionary in changing the water cycle,” Prof Chen said. 'It can tackle water shortages in various coastal cities and help those with a sludge problem in an economical and sustainable way.”

Other goals of the HKUST-UNESCO IHE collaboration are a joint postgraduate program on water and the environment, a joint educational and training center for water professionals and a joint research center on sustainable water infrastructure.

The project seeks to help mitigate climate change effects on water scarcity in Cuba.

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CONTENTS FEATURE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH INNOVATION Water-saving Solution Goes International Widening the Window for R&D in Hong Kong GLOBAL AND MAINLAND CONNECTIONS COMMUNITY CAMPUS LIFE NEWS ROUNDUP

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Widening the Window for R&D in Hong Kong Consortium co-managers HKUST Chair Professor of Industrial Engineering and Logistics Management Mitchell Tseng and MIT LeBel Professor of Electrical Engineering Charles G Sodini.

Research and development (R&D) in Hong Kong gained a major new platform in January, with the launch of the HKUST-MIT Research Alliance Consortium.

Attracting multinationals The academic-industry-government initiative, hosted by HKUST and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), is seeking to attract multinational R&D to the city and foster Hong Kong’s role as a hub of science and technology in the Pearl River Delta and beyond.

The Consortium will enable HKUST and sister universities in Hong Kong to work alongside MIT, one of the leading research institutions in the US and renowned for moving research downstream to enhance its economic impact.

Pre-competitive advanced research Co-managers are Prof Mitchell Tseng, Chair Professor, Department of Industrial Engineering and Logistics Management and Prof Charles G Sodini, LeBel Professor of Electrical Engineering, MIT, while Texas Instruments and Intel Corporation have become founding industrial sponsors. Support for such pre-competitive advanced research projects will also be sought through the Hong Kong government’s Innovation and Technology Commission and its Innovation and Technology Support Program.

Focusing on the potential of intelligent living technology at the Consortium’s inauguration at HKUST, Dr Ajith Amerasekera, TI Fellow at Texas Instruments Inc, gave a presentation on “Making Smart Buildings Happen” and Mr Boyd Bangerter, Director of Intel Corporation, spoke on “5G Wireless”. Also attending the event were MIT Provost Martin Schmidt and Mr Johann Wong, Deputy Commissioner for Innovation & Technology at the Innovation and Technology Commission.

HKUST President Tony F Chan said that the collaboration would boost the University’s international research profile and “considerably widen the window of opportunity for transforming research discoveries into technological innovation in Hong Kong, offering a practical way to work toward greater economic diversification and a better quality of life for all”.

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CONTENTS FEATURE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH INNOVATION GLOBAL AND MAINLAND CONNECTIONS President Chan Attends World Economic Forum Determining the Age of the South China Sea COMMUNITY CAMPUS LIFE NEWS ROUNDUP

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President Chan Attends World Economic Forum The President in Davos and (above, third left) with other international higher education heads at the Global University Leaders Forum.

January saw a spotlight on HKUST and Hong Kong at one of the world’s foremost gatherings of leaders in business, politics and education when President Tony F Chan attended the World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Among others joining the events were former US Vice-President Al Gore, UK Prime Minister David Cameron, IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde, PRC Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi, and heads of leading global universities.

WEF, headquartered in Geneva, brings together global thought leaders and seeks to be a catalyst for international initiatives and reconciliation to improve people’s lives around the world. It is the second time that President Chan has participated, following a visit in 2013. On both occasions, he was the sole university head from Hong Kong to attend.

Global trends and insight 'Going to Davos is both a great privilege and a great responsibility,” he said. “It offers an unmissable opportunity to let global thought leaders know what is happening at our University and in Hong Kong as a whole in education, science and technology. There is also a really valuable chance for exchange, which enables the University to gain insight into the very latest thinking and developments on-going in top universities in different parts of the world.”

Along with meetings and attending talks, President Chan also participated in the far-reaching Global University Leaders Forum on “New Paradigms for Universities of the Future”. The discussion brought together around 25 leading university presidents and vice-chancellors from institutions including Oxford, Harvard, Cambridge, MIT, ETH Zurich, EPFL, and Yale. HKUST was one of a handful of universities from Asia to take part.

Changing parameters for higher education One major issue at the Global University Leaders Forum was how technology is changing the parameters for higher education through different forms of online provision, most noticeably in recent times through the rise of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). MOOCs provide anyone who is linked up to the internet with access to free courses from universities around the world, including top-ranked institutions. Such courses have attracted hundreds of thousands of students. The heads of edX and Coursera, two main providers of MOOCs, attended. HKUST is a member of both consortia and was one of the first universities in Asia to launch a MOOC.

The shifting global and regional landscape facing universities today and challenges and opportunities for institutional leaders to watch was another key topic. Presentations ranged from the affordability of higher education and its impact on student access to the challenge of sustainability in terms of universities’ role as members of the community in which they are located, and the preservation of a distinctive individual culture.

In addition to WEF at Davos, President Chan and HKUST faculty members have also presented at IdeasLab at the 'Summer Davos' in Tianjin in 2012 and in Dalian in 2013.

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CONTENTS FEATURE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH INNOVATION GLOBAL AND MAINLAND CONNECTIONS President Chan Attends World Economic Forum Determining the Age of the South China Sea COMMUNITY CAMPUS LIFE NEWS ROUNDUP

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Determining the Age of the South China Sea HKUST co-hosted a launch event for the JOIDES Resolution for the ship's International Ocean Discovery Program expedition. Drilling machines on board, which can extract sediments from a 4,000-meter deep sea basin. Breakdown and analysis of marine samples collected.

In January, HKUST gained a valuable opportunity to raise greater awareness and interest in marine science research in the Asian region by jointly organizing a launch ceremony in Hong Kong for the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP).

International exploration IODP is a collaborative international marine research endeavor to explore and collect data on and under the world’s oceans. The event, co-hosted with the IODP China Office and Tongji University, marked the start of the two-month IODP 349 expedition by the scientific ocean drilling vessel, JOIDES Resolution, to study the impact of the formation of the South China Sea on the tectonic and paleo-environmental evolution of East Asia.

On board are 31 scientists from 10 countries, including the USA, China, Europe, and Japan. By extracting sediments from the 4,000-meter deep sea basin, the crew can analyze samples of basement rocks and study deep sea microbe activity. Such data can help the researchers to determine the age of the South China Sea. Using the samples collected, the team can also conduct analysis about climate change and earthquake patterns.

Learning more A program of workshops took place at the HKUST campus for the University community to learn more about IODP, developments in scientific ocean drilling over the past 40 years and China’s role in such expeditions. The University conducts and offers assistance to scientists doing frontier research in marine ecosystems, microbiology, red tides, pollution and environmental chemistry.

Earlier, in August 2007, HKUST hosted a welcoming event in Hong Kong for the Dayang Yihao, another scientific vessel, which spent 220 days in the Indian and Pacific Oceans conducting deep-sea research and made China’s first discovery of an active hydrothermal vent area.

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CONTENTS FEATURE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH INNOVATION GLOBAL AND MAINLAND CONNECTIONS COMMUNITY Fresh Perspectives on Public Policy-making CAMPUS LIFE NEWS ROUNDUP

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Fresh Perspectives on Public Policy-making Clockwise, top: Launch Forum discussion chaired by Court Chairman Dr John CC Chan; Oxford University Vice-Chancellor Prof Andrew Hamilton, with President Tony F Chan, Hong Kong Chief Executive Mr CY Leung, and Council Chairman Dr Marvin KT Cheung; LAPP Executive Education Director Prof Angelina Yee and Oxford’s Director of Leadership Programmes for China Prof Alan Hudson.

Decision-making informed by diverse viewpoints, both local and global, is becoming essential for government and community decision-makers. The establishing of the HKUST Leadership and Public Policy (LAPP) Executive Education Office is therefore a timely initiative, with programs specifically designed to enable public policy decision-makers, academics, and practitioners to engage in in-depth exploration of current issues and inspire fresh insights and solutions.

Programs encompass those designed and developed by LAPP or together with key partners, including Oxford University and Smith College, and cover areas such as governance, social and cultural transformation, science and technology and the global economy.

Leadership in service to society 'LAPP programs provide HKUST with a great platform to engage with the community and to contribute in more direct ways to society,” said Prof Angelina Yee, Director, Leadership and Public Policy Executive Education, HKUST. “The spirit that drives the endeavor is to foster leadership in service to society.'

In January, a widely reported Launch Forum for the first Oxford-HKUST Leadership and Public Policy Series was successfully held, with an address by Chief Executive Mr CY Leung, and an array of high-profile speakers from business, government and academia delivering thought-provoking speeches and discussion on their “Visions of the City”. Other participants included HKUST President Tony F Chan, Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University Prof Andrew Hamilton, and former HKUST Council Chairman and LAPP Advisory Board Chairman Dr Vincent HS Lo, current Council Chairman Dr Marvin KT Cheung, Vice-Chairman Mr Martin Y Tang, Court Chairman Dr John CC Chan, Prof Alan Hudson, Director, Leadership Programmes for China at Oxford University, and many leading community figures.

Incisive insights The joint series itself made its debut the following week, with a program focusing on the related theme of “Envisioning the Future City” and running over five days. “We wanted to combine a more visionary perspective with the current debate over Hong Kong’s direction,” Prof Yee said. “We worked closely with Oxford to co-design and co-develop the program to determine the most crucial topics and incisive speakers.”

Academics from HKUST and Oxford were joined by leading professional practitioners in an intensive series of seminars and discussions covering climate change and city development, theoretical frameworks for city planning and economic development, as well as examples of actual planning and urbanization from Singapore, Mainland China, and Hong Kong. Lunchtime talks by influential social leaders Dr Vincent Lo and MTR Corporation Chairman Dr Raymond KF Ch’ien added to the distinctiveness of the program. The senior executives taking part came from more than 25 different departments from the Hong Kong government as well as the private sector, providing a valuable platform for sharing viewpoints from different fields and public and private sector.

Dr Vincent Lo (left) and Dr Raymond Ch’ien speak at the first Oxford-HKUST Joint Series program.

Caring about the future In the long run, LAPP’s goal is to provide 10 to 12 programs a year for emerging leaders in the public and private sectors. These include the jointly run programs and shorter programs that can flexibly respond to critical trends and developments. The HKUST-Smith Executive Education program, scheduled for Spring 2015, will seek to enhance senior women executives’ leadership skills and target women in the region not only in Hong Kong.

'The most important aspect of LAPP is we care,” Prof Yee said. 'We care about the quality of public service and government, the trust between government and people, social justice, and visionary leadership.”

►Cover page and top picture: (from left) Court Chairman Dr John CC Chan; Dean of HKUST Fok Ying Tung Graduate School and Chair Professor Lionel M Ni; Member of Parliament and Former Minister of National Development, Singapore Dr Mah Bow Tan; Shui On Group Chairman Dr Vincent HS Lo; Fung Group Chairman Dr Victor Fung; MTR Corporation CEO Mr Jay Herbert Walder; and University of Hong Kong Department of Social Work and Social Administration Chair Professor Nelson WS Chow.

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CONTENTS FEATURE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH INNOVATION GLOBAL AND MAINLAND CONNECTIONS COMMUNITY CAMPUS LIFE Of Founding Days and 334 Hosts Welcome Students From Around the World Celebrating 20 Years at HKUST Being Green, Gaining Gold NEWS ROUNDUP

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Of Founding Days and 334 From top: VP-AB Prof YS Wong oversaw construction of 11 new buildings on and off campus at HKUST; Prof Wong’s calligraphy wishing HKUST future success; at the YS Cup football tournament; grand farewell.

This month, HKUST will say farewell to Prof Yuk-shan (“YS”) Wong, Vice-President for Administration and Business (VP-AB), who takes with him a host of cherished achievements.

Among his most treasured memories is being one of the first dozen academics on board at HKUST. Prof Wong, an environmental biologist, became the sole member of the then Department of Biology in 1990, assisting with everything in the Department from curriculum planning to lab design ahead of the University’s official opening in 1991.

Founding energy and vision He recalled how in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before globalization became part of everyday conversation, how highly ambitious it seemed to launch an international research-intensive university in Hong Kong with the goal of world-class impact; and how Founding President Prof Chia-Wei Woo persuaded, impressed and inspired founding members, including leading overseas Chinese academics and international researchers, into sharing his vision of creating such an institution.

It was not easy, Prof Wong said, as some people were scathing about the prospect. However, for many of those approached, the vision took hold. 'Academics can be so very different in philosophy or political ideology,” he noted. “But on the idea of contributing to building a world-class university in this location, they were united. We were really working for a dream.”

Building up to 334 Prof Wong stayed at HKUST until 1998, when he left his then post of Associate Vice-President for Research and Development to join City University of Hong Kong. He returned to HKUST in 2006 as Vice-President for Administration and Business, charged with looking after preparations for Hong Kong’s 334 education reform for offices ranging from finance and facilities to human resources and information technology.

Having been deeply involved in the reform as a member of the Education Commission, University Grants Committee and as Chairman of the Curriculum Development Council, among other roles, he was well prepared to handle the extensive infrastructural changes entailed in the move from a three-year to four-year degree system and rise in student numbers.

Projects included major buildings for the Lee Shau Kee Campus and several student hostels, as well as the Library extension to accommodate the Chevalier Learning Commons and other initiatives. He led the challenging 2½-year Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) project to deliver the organizational and information system changes to support 334; oversaw the reformation of the University’s financial reporting system, and a faculty compensation scheme to keep HKUST internationally competitive; and steered through new staff training and recognition schemes. “I was very happy to have contributed to this huge change of landscape in Hong Kong education,” he said, “and to see it get so smoothly underway at HKUST.”

On leaving HKUST, Prof Wong will become President of the Open University of Hong Kong. HKUST E-GENESIS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ABOUT HKUST CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY

CONTENTS FEATURE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH INNOVATION GLOBAL AND MAINLAND CONNECTIONS COMMUNITY CAMPUS LIFE Of Founding Days and 334 Hosts Welcome Students From Around the World Celebrating 20 Years at HKUST Being Green, Gaining Gold NEWS ROUNDUP

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Hosts Welcome Students From Around the World Hosts and students chat at the orientation session for the HKUST Host Family Program, which provides a friendly introduction to Hong Kong for non-local students.

For School of Business and Management undergraduate Rina Lookman Jio, from Indonesia, it was like having a home away from home. For her welcomer Prof Billy So, Chair Professor and Head of the Division of Humanities, there was a fascinating chance to gain an inside perspective of another culture. These are just two of the many benefits of the HKUST Host Family Program, which enables academic and staff members to introduce the University and Hong Kong to incoming non-local students in an informal way.

Building friendships Unlike many host family arrangements, students joining the HKUST program do not live in, but connect up regularly with their hosts for different activities. Joining family meals, lunches, visiting local sites and celebrating festivals are just some of the occasions that participants enjoy together. “Such an arrangement requires commitment from both hosts and students as they need to arrange to find each other during busy semesters,” said Prof Paul Forster, Program Director (Global Learning), at HKUST’s Global Student Office. It also enables more hosts to participate given often tight residential space, he explained. Live-in would be impractical in Hong Kong.

All those joining take part in an orientation session at the start of the School year and then have the flexibility to decide their own schedule of meetings and activities. 'It has made a difference having a ‘family’ at HKUST,' said Rina. 'Dinners together with my host and other host students all helped to make me feel at home.' As well as Rina, Prof So has hosted students from Korea, Singapore and Mainland China in the three years he has participated in the program.

Global links Others joining include deans and tutors, secretaries and technicians. President Tony F Chan has also hosted students. This year, the program expanded to exchange students as well as full-time non-local undergraduates, and included alumni among the hosts for the first time. Students hailed from around the world, including India, Korea, France, Norway, Mainland China and Southeast Asia. One or two students are normally teamed with each host.

Prof Forster, who also hosts students, said: “We find friends in surprising places. Often, chance meetings lead to long friendships. While we all tend to get busy, I reach out to, and still receive messages from my host students who are now alumni. I might need them to host me some day when I retire!” president Chan hosts Xia from Mainland China and Alex from France at the President's Lodge.

Wider vision Internationalization is an important element of campus life at HKUST, helping the University community be more aware of different cultures and perspectives. Around 600 exchange students and 300 full-time non-local students study at the University each year. HKUST also sends out 600 exchange students abroad annually. Recruitment of hosts for the program usually starts in September and all HKUST staff members, faculty and alumni are eligible to apply. © HKUST E-GENESIS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ABOUT HKUST CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY

CONTENTS FEATURE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH INNOVATION GLOBAL AND MAINLAND CONNECTIONS COMMUNITY CAMPUS LIFE Of Founding Days and 334 Hosts Welcome Students From Around the World Celebrating 20 Years at HKUST Being Green, Gaining Gold NEWS ROUNDUP

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Celebrating 20 Years at HKUST Acknowledgment of the dedication of faculty and staff who have worked at HKUST for two decades.

Congratulations and a major celebration were the order of the day for 240 members of staff and faculty in February when they shared memories of 20 years of working at HKUST at the 5th Long Service Award Ceremony.

The happy occasion, attended by the President and other senior management, recognized the dedicated service of members of the University community representing all aspects of campus life, including faculty members, administrators, language instructors, safety officers, technicians, and other supporting staff.

Loyalty and team spirit Awardees joined HKUST in 1994, just three years after the University was established, playing an important part in the University’s founding days and setting HKUST on its fast track to world-class standing, President Tony F Chan said at the ceremony. President Chan recognized the time, effort and commitment required of the awardees in developing the institution and thanked them for helping to make the University the outstanding place it is today.

In just over two decades, HKUST has achieved global recognition for its research discoveries, now has 80 nationalities from five continents studying at its campus, and has ranked No.1 in Asia in the QS University Rankings: Asia for the past three years.

Diverse opportunities Among those receiving awards were Dr CM Li, Senior Manager for Facility Operations, Contractor Safety and Green Practices and Chairman of the HKUST Staff Association, and Prof Ping Sheng, Dr William MW Mong Professor of Nanoscience and Chair Professor of Physics. Dr Li said he particularly enjoys the diverse responsibilities offered at HKUST – in a single day, he may demonstrate to students how to use a fire extinguisher, discuss safety measures with construction companies and teach staff about potential lab hazards.

For Prof Ping Sheng, life at HKUST has been equally rewarding as a pioneering researcher. An early achievement for Prof Sheng at the University was to successfully develop the world’s smallest single-walled carbon nanotubes (0.4 nanometers in diameter), together with other researchers. He later helped to develop a novel metamaterial that could absorb sound energy, becoming a co-winner of the prestigious Brillouin Medal in 2013 with other Physics Department academics.

Prof Wei Shyy, Executive Vice-President and Provost, Prof Joseph HW Lee, Vice-President for Research and Graduate Studies, Prof YS Wong, Vice-President for Administration and Business, Dr Eden Y Woon, Vice-President for Institutional Advancement, also joined the celebration, along with family members of the awardees. © HKUST E-GENESIS ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ABOUT HKUST CONTACT US PRIVACY POLICY

CONTENTS FEATURE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH INNOVATION GLOBAL AND MAINLAND CONNECTIONS COMMUNITY CAMPUS LIFE Of Founding Days and 334 Hosts Welcome Students From Around the World Celebrating 20 Years at HKUST Being Green, Gaining Gold NEWS ROUNDUP

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Being Green, Gaining Gold Student halls VIII and IX include green rooftops to reduce heat, solar panels, and eco-friendly furnishings and fittings.

Sustainability on campus has received a boost with both of the University’s most recent undergraduate student hostels achieving Building Environmental Assessment Method (BEAM) Eco Building Gold Awards.

Eco-friendly commitment Green features in Residential Halls VIII and IX include energy-efficient lifts and air-conditioning units, sensor-controlled corridor and staircase lighting, water-saving devices, green rooftops covered with a variety of plants to reduce incoming heat, and solar panels. To optimize a building’s eco-friendliness requires commitment at the outset in order for architects and builders to incorporate such requirements into the design, materials, methods of construction, and fitting out, according to Mr Davis Bookhart, Senior Sustainability Manager of HKUST’s Health, Safety and Environment Office.

Indoor air quality, such as how well the air is filtered and how pollutants are kept out, was given particular attention, he said. “Every piece of furniture and material in a room has to be considered carefully. They all have to be green and low in VOC (volatile organic compounds).” In addition, HKUST adopted environmentally friendly construction measures, using recycled glass paving blocks for hard landscaped areas, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)-certified wood with authentic certificates, and recycling construction materials. More than 50% of the construction waste was also recycled.

Drive for sustainability The Facilities Management Office has also submitted the recently completed Lo Ka Chung Building that houses the HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study, Lee Shau Kee Business Building and the Research and Academic Building to the BEAM Society, which assesses and certifies green buildings. In line with its drive for a green campus, HKUST has pledged to achieve the BEAM gold award for all new buildings.

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CONTENTS FEATURE EDUCATION AND RESEARCH INNOVATION GLOBAL AND MAINLAND CONNECTIONS COMMUNITY CAMPUS LIFE NEWS ROUNDUP News Roundup

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News Roundup

No.1 in the world among young universities HKUST was ranked first in the QS Top 50 Under 50 2014, a global survey of universities established within the past 50 years. This is the second year in a row that the University has topped these rankings. In addition, HKUST has continued its rapid rise up the Times Higher Education World Reputation Rankings, moving into the 51-60 rank in 2014 and illustrating its growing global presence.

Math Olympiad to be held in Hong Kong The 57th International Mathematical Olympiad will take place at HKUST in 2016. The math championship is one of the world’s foremost and largest international contests for secondary school students. In recent years, the competition has attracted more than 500 participants from around 100 countries.

Entrepreneurial talking points In February, the Consul General of the State of Israel for Hong Kong Mr Sagi Karni spoke to the University community on how Israel - a country with a population similar to Hong Kong - has moved from an agriculturally based economy to an entrepreneurial nation that generates hundreds of start-ups annually. The same month, Prof Jiren Liu, Chairman and CEO of Neusoft Corporation and Vice-President of Northeastern University, visited HKUST. Prof Liu, also a member of the China Entrepreneurs Forum, met faculty and students to share his business experience. Neusoft is a leading IT solution and service provider in China.

Record attendance for Mainland and Taiwan students open day A record 700 visitors attended this year’s Open Day for Mainland and Taiwan Students at the HKUST campus in January. Activities included an introduction to HKUST by Dr Eden Y Woon, Vice-President for Institutional Advancement, talks by individual Schools, and an admissions information session by the Undergraduate Recruitment and Admissions Office. Prospective students and parents also had the opportunity to visit campus facilities and research laboratories, and chat to staff and current students.

Alumni golf cup boosts ties and endowment fund The first Alumni Endowment Fund Cup Golf Tournament brought together a host of HKUST alumni for an enjoyable day out and a good cause at The Jockey Club Kau Sai Chau Public Golf Course in January. Congratulations to Gross Stroke Champion Mr Feng Yu (EMBA 2013) and Net Stroke Champion Mr Zhiyong Liu (EMBA 2006) and other prize-winners. Money from the Fund, launched in 2012, is already being put to good use, helping to support undergraduate athletic scholarships to foster sports culture and spirit on campus, as reported in the latest issue of Alumni News.

Memorable times at 'YS' Cup tournament The HKUST Staff Association held the YS Cup football tournament in February. A total of eight teams took part from HKUST, sister institutions, and Yau Wing, from the Fok Ying Tung Group. The tournament, enjoyed by all, was among the farewell events for Vice-President for Administration and Business Prof YS Wong, who leaves HKUST at the end of March. President Tony F Chan joined the competition, playing center forward for HKUST Staff Team B. The YS Cup went to Yau Wing and the YS Plate to HKUST Alumni.

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