HKUST Alumni, Winter 2020

Abstract

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Dear Alumni,

As the year draws to a close, I’d like to welcome the class of 2020 to our alumni community. This year, we made the difficult decision to take congregation virtual, which meant I was unable to congratulate you in person. But graduation doesn’t mean goodbye. While it is the beginning of a new chapter, it is also the start of a lifelong relationship with your alma mater and we hope you will share your experiences and achievements with future generations of HKUST and support them.

Every student at HKUST is unique, each with their own talents regardless of background. Over the decades, the University has nurtured our alumni and encouraged them to make the most of themselves and the opportunities they have been granted. Many have gone on to great success in a wide variety of fields. Consider the three alumni featured in our cover story, each with a degree from one of our science or technology programs, yet working in more artistic areas, whether music or acting.

HKUST prides itself on providing a holistic learning environment, where students are able to follow their passions alongside their studies. We are delighted that in the fourth quarter of 2021, the Shaw Auditorium will open its doors. This state-of-the-art multi-purpose venue will host artistic and cultural activities, student and academic events and campus-wide ceremonies, enriching the experience of students, staff and alumni.

Another milestone for HKUST comes with the opening of HKUST (Guangzhou), which will take place in Fall 2022. HKUST (Guangzhou) will build on the excellence of Clear Water Bay, delivering the highest standards of education and research and encouraging cross-campus collaboration under a unified system.

This year has been a challenging one for many and I am so proud of the concerted efforts of our alumni to stand by and support one another, with many seeking to maintain closer ties through various online initiatives.

As we look forward to 2021, we will no doubt face more challenges, but we hope we will also be able to reflect as we mark the 30th anniversary of HKUST. Our alumni are our pride and joy and have defined the success of our University. We hope to welcome you back to campus so we can celebrate this important milestone together. In the meantime, I would like to wish you all the very best for the new year.

Yours, Wei Shyy President

Once keen to forge a career as a comedian, Professor Yang Wang talks about his professional journey and reveals what he hopes to achieve in his new role as Vice-President for Institutional Advancement.

Mathematics was not Yang Wang’s first choice when he enrolled at the University of Science and Technology of China in 1978. But when a physical exam on entry that confirmed he was colorblind meant that Physics was off the table, Wang settled on Mathematics — and excelled, going on to Harvard University to complete a PhD, before, in 1989, joining the faculty at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He would go on to become a world-renowned mathematician with wide-ranging research interests. However, this point, he still wasn’t convinced.

“I wasn’t sure that this was what I wanted to do. So, I experimented. One of my Harvard classmates was working for Bell Labs at the time, but he received an offer to write jokes for David Letterman, and kept bragging that he was making more money as a comedian. I thought, Gee! I have a better sense of humor than him!” says Wang with a laugh.

He decided to try his hand at comedy too, and began writing up to 20 jokes a day and sending them to The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. “I didn’t hear from them, which was disappointing. So, one day, I called to see what was going on.” Jay Leno himself eventually returned Wang’s call and asked him to be patient. A few days later, a check arrived in the mail. “He bought one of my jokes!” recalls Wang. “I was really happy.” That was until he considered the time he had committed and what he had received for that one joke – about US$40. “It wasn’t a good return on investment, so I decided to stick with mathematics,” he says.

img Wang spent 18 years at Georgia Tech, first as an Assistant Professor and then as Associate Head of the School of Mathematics, followed by seven years as Department Head of Mathematics at Michigan State University, where he excelled at recruitment in particular, hiring three winners of the prestigious Sloan Research Fellowship. He also managed to heal deep division within the department. To provide a sense of the magnitude of that task, he recounts that during an American presidential election he was at an international conference in Europe and overheard an attendee, whom he had never met, quip that ‘Anyone who aspires to be the President of the USA needs to go to the Michigan State Math Department for training.’ “It was the ultimate compliment,” he says.

Wang was then approached by the University of Houston for the position of Dean of Science and by HKUST for Department Head. The latter was less appealing given its similarity to his previous role, but he kept an open mind and visited HKUST’s campus.

“I was pondering a future in Houston versus one in Hong Kong. I consulted with friends who said the center of gravity for research was shifting east and this was a good opportunity,” says Wang. It has proved true. While the US may still be home to the highest caliber research in the world, China is rapidly catching up. “We will see China becoming an equal or comparable power in the next 10 to 20 years. But what Asia offers – particularly the Greater Bay Area including Hong Kong, Beijing and Shanghai – is an opportunity for innovation that is hard to beat.”

Choosing HKUST, Wang progressed to Dean of Science and in October 2020 was named Vice-President for Institutional Advancement. “I will miss the academic side but as VPIA for both the Clear Water Bay and Guangzhou campuses, I have the opportunity to make a significant impact.”

Recruitment is one area he is keen to focus on. While institutions in Mainland China may have greater resources, he says, “we have an academic environment less driven by titles, and a more western-style research environment with lots of academic freedom, which many candidates prefer.”

Wang is also keen to strengthen ties with alumni. “It’s about partnership. We should engage alumni to build a relationship and look at ways to promote our alumni and help them thrive in order to propel HKUST to recognition. This is something I hope we can work on together to grow the HKUST brand.”

HKUST is at the forefront of science and technology research and education, but some alumni choose to pursue a passion over a career in their chosen degree subject. We speak to three alumni who have made their names as professional performers.

Passion is a powerful thing, particularly when nurtured. And often it cannot be ignored. This was something that alumni Lawrence Tsui (BEng Computer Engineering 2001), Ken Wong (BSc Physics 2004) and Pauline Tang (BEng Chemical and Environmental Engineering 2004, MSc Environmental Engineering 2007) all found, each of them pursuing their extra-curricular interests to varying degrees while studying at HKUST.

Lawrence chose a degree in Computer Engineering at HKUST but its study rarely dominated his time at university. Instead, his early days on campus helped him decide what he really wanted to do in life — to become a professional drummer. From there, although he continued to attend lectures and complete assignments, he made the most of the University’s resources and facilities to further his musical ambitions.

A deep interest in Physics drove Ken to study at HKUST and through this he became involved in the Astronomy Club, hosting and emceeing at various events and indulging a rare love for public speaking. His innate ability to stand up in front of large audiences, projecting presence and voice would bode well for him when, on graduation, he had the opportunity to train as a voice actor with TVB.

For Pauline, it was always about balance. An interest in science led to an undergraduate degree in Chemical and Environmental Engineering, but she indulged her musical tendencies in her leisure time. Unsure of her career path, a Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering followed before she eventually realized that music was her calling, at which point she went on to spend a further five years studying, first at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and then at James Madison University in the US, before returning to Hong Kong to forge a career as a professional violinist and teacher.

While none of them went on to do anything directly related to their degrees, all found their time at university helped to hone their passions and contribute skills that would enable them to reap rewards doing what they love.

Lawrence Tsui img You think you can’t achieve something but when you actually try, you realize you can overcome it.

“I have always wanted to do things that other people aren’t doing,” says Lawrence. This began with his decision to learn piano at a time when few other boys were doing so. He quickly progressed to grade 7 before pop music stole his heart and he swapped Bach and Mozart for the Four Kings of Hong Kong: Jacky Cheung, Andy Lau, Aaron Kwok and Leon Lai and gave up piano in favor of basketball.

img Playing music would, however, return. While studying at college, Lawrence discovered his church band was in need of a drummer and, lacking a musical endeavor at the time, he decided to learn. A few lessons revealed that he had the musical theory foundation from his piano background to teach himself so he started obsessively listening to songs by bands like The Beatles and Metallica as well as Canto-rockers Beyond, transcribing the drum beats and recreating them.

As the time approached to attend university, Lawrence settled on a subject he achieved good scores in while at high school. “Many people at that time believed computers were the future and I just went for it,” says Lawrence of his choice to study Computer Engineering.

But arriving at HKUST allowed him to consider his prospects. “I started to think about who I was and what I wanted. Hong Kong is a busy, fast-paced city and sometimes it’s difficult to think about yourself. But HKUST was a good place for me to sit by the sea, listen to music, be in nature and to really think. I knew I really liked music and I really liked drumming and I made the decision to try to be a full-time musician.”

It was still early in his program, but Lawrence had made a choice. “I’m an energetic person and I didn’t want to be sitting at a computer all the time. I knew I couldn’t do that for my whole life.” He discussed his thoughts with his mother, proposing a switch to study contemporary music, but with few opportunities to do so in Hong Kong at the time, and the prohibitive costs of doing so abroad, Lawrence decided to complete his degree at HKUST while pursuing his passion for drumming alongside. He proceeded to spend all his spare time playing, occupying the student drum room whenever it was available, and raiding the library to learn more about drumming.

“It was hard for me to find balance for those three years of studying, but I learned a lot about how to do music research and how to communicate with different people. The program provided me with communication and team work skills as well as the facilities and environment,” he says.

Lawrence played in bands and even toured North America while at HKUST, deferring his studies for one year, and began taking part in competitions, winning the Best Drummer title at the Yamaha Hong Kong Open Band Competition in 2000 and again in 2001. “This gave me good exposure in the music community in Hong Kong,” he says. Following graduation, he started to make a living teaching and set up his own drumming studio in Mong Kok. But, he says, “I already knew teaching was not my future. I knew I wanted to dedicate myself to performing and production. That goal was very important.”

img Then came his break. Canto-rock band Beyond was separating and drummer Yip Sai Wing（葉世榮）was forming a new band, taking up vocals. This left a vacancy on the drums – Lawrence leapt at the opportunity to play with members of a band whose songs had formed the foundation of his drumming. The gig also gave him exposure and a range of artists reached out to him to play drums for them. He would go on to play big concerts internationally with the likes of Jacky Cheung（張學友）, Joey Yung（容祖兒）, Grasshopper （草蜢）and Ekin Cheng （鄭伊健）, to name a few. “This was my dream job, traveling to different cities and playing music. I enjoyed the rehearsals, the shows, the after shows. I got great satisfaction from it,” he says.

With a decade of touring under his belt, Lawrence started to pursue his other goal to produce music, investing in studio recording gear, renting a space and renovating it to establish GIG Studio, a state-of-the-art drumming space, thereby adding entrepreneur to his list of achievements.

It was 2012 and this was a bold move. “I wanted to make a recording studio which focused on drums because Hong Kong didn’t have one. I felt it was time for Hong Kong to be able to record drums in a better way. I wanted to push recording forward. When I set up my studio everyone said the recording studio business was going down, people were selling their gear, Hong Kong’s music industry was in decline and there was no hope for such studios. But I just tried to believe in myself. I always try to be a pioneer.”

img Almost a decade later GIG Studio is thriving and Lawrence is considering his next goal. “I never want to stay in the status quo,” he says. He has invited 40 drummers in Hong Kong to contribute to GIG Channel, a new YouTube channel sharing and promoting drumming music. “I want to dedicate the next ten years to sharing music, to give something back.”

But before he embarked on this challenge, Lawrence wanted to have a breakthrough in his life. Twenty years after graduating from HKUST he decided to take a long trip away to go back to nature, and spent 49 days walking the 1300km Israel National Trail, hiking every day and camping each night. The global pandemic was just about to take hold and with his schedule less hectic, it was a prime opportunity. Struggling at the start, he found he got stronger every day as he turned his two-month holiday into a positive experience, overcoming difficulties along the way.

“When you break through that sense of fear, often it’s not as frightening as you thought. You think you can’t achieve something but when you actually try, you realize you can overcome it.” No doubt this will ring true for Lawrence as he embarks on his next challenge.

Ken Wong img How you are educated does not determine your job. Your education is a weapon, not a limitation. It should not limit your choices.

Few people enjoy public speaking. But for Ken it came naturally. From a young age he reveled in the task of standing up in front of the whole school at assembly and reading out announcements. At the time, he had no idea how this might translate into a career but, along with a knack for karaoke, this would prove useful later.

Until that time, Ken decided to focus on Physics. “Every choice I have made in my life is based on my interest,” he says. “When I was young, I liked watching Gundam (a Japanese science fiction and military franchise). There are many robots in it. I thought that if I studied Physics I could build a Gundam, too.”

That may not have happened, but Ken did develop an interest in astronomy, joining the University’s Student Astronomy Club where he would host events and draw on his talents as an emcee. While studying, he had thought that Physics might lead to a career in teaching, but as graduation approached, a chance arose to apply for TVB’s training program for voice actors.

img “It was a golden opportunity,” says Ken. “It happened at just the right time in my life.” TVB runs its voice actor training courses infrequently and only rarely recruits students. But Ken was alerted to the opportunity by Tam Shing Chu, his Putonghua teacher at HKUST, who saw potential in him for such a role and helped him to book a studio in which to record a demo. A successful audition saw him enrolled on the course which provided him with all the skills necessary to act in films and television, as well as teaching him about the history of voice acting and the various production skills and operations involved.

He also learned that your degree does not define your future. “How you are educated does not determine your job,” he says. “Your education is a weapon, not a limitation. It should not limit your choices.”

Ken embarked on a career with TVB after graduation that continues today and has seen him work as a voice actor on shows as wide-ranging as Doraemon, in which he plays Takeshi Gouda（胖虎）; various Korean dramas featuring Lee Min-ho（李敏鎬） and Cha Tae-hyun（車太鉉）; and popular Japanese television series Hanzawa Naoki（半澤直樹）.

His favorite character is Sakata Gintoki （坂田銀時）, which he plays in the Japanese manga series Gin Tama（銀魂）. Gintoki is the show’s protagonist and is a businessman as well as a highly skilled samurai. “As this character, I have many different skills. It’s a role where I can also add local elements into the scripts. For example, when Gintoki sees a lady in a black-spotted dress, the original script says, “She’s wearing a polka-dot dress’, but I can say, ‘She’s wearing a Siu-fung dress’ because a Hong Kong audience will know I’m talking about Cantopop singer Paula Tsui Siu-fung （徐小鳳）who wears a signature polka-dot dress to perform.”

img Ken’s job is rarely straightforward. His role requires a lot of preparation. He watches the whole season of a series in his own time before recording his part in order to prepare properly, though as a television lover he is delighted to be able to watch the shows before anyone else in Hong Kong. “It’s a dream job,” he says.

But it comes with its challenges. Some of the biggest arise when his characters are required to sing, particularly in different languages. While Ken doesn’t speak Korean, he may be called on to sing a Korean song which requires study and skill. He may also need to sing in Japanese, Putonghua and English, as well as his native Cantonese, for which karaoke has been useful training.

img Covid has changed the way he works, too. “We work in a very dangerous environment,” says Ken. “When we are recording, we have six to ten people in a small room. We now do it with masks on which makes it harder. A mask is a limitation. Our mouth cannot open as wide so it’s hard to pronounce the words correctly. We don’t just have to speak louder but we need to control how the air flows so that our voices will be clearer; it requires more core!”

Whatever the challenge of the day, communication is one of the key skills. “My profession requires good cooperation with my teammates and with the characters in the drama,” says Ken. “The actors on the television do the emotions and I do the voice, so it’s a collaboration. It’s easy to learn, but hard to do well.”

img Ken is keen to expand his work outside television and into video and mobile games, and to potentially launch his own YouTube channel. But most of all he wants to tell the world more about his chosen field, the process involved in voice acting and the skills required. “People think it’s simple but behind the scenes there are many parts and many parties. I want people to know how we make a program and to see that it is a very hard and complicated procedure.”

Pauline Tang img At HKUST we used computers and made websites and we weren’t afraid to embrace new things. This has really helped me to develop my career.

Prokofiev’s symphonic fairy tale Peter and the Wolf inspired in Pauline a love of music and specifically an urge to take up the violin at the age of six. But it wasn’t until much later that she would become fully committed to the pursuit of music as a profession. Before that, Pauline believed that science was the path to take, enrolling in Chemical and Environmental Engineering at HKUST and leaving the violin to her leisure time. She went even further, pursuing a part-time Master’s in Environmental Engineering while working as a Research Assistant at HKUST’s Applied Technology Center. But a tour to Japan to play at a festival while doing her Master’s changed her focus, highlighting the variety and the opportunities such a career could offer.

img “I didn’t want to be operating a machine and doing the same thing every day. I preferred music, which was more challenging. So, I thought I should try.” With her Master’s coming to an end, she applied to study at the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts (HKAPA). It was tough transitioning from playing music for pleasure to doing so more seriously. A relentless schedule of practicing scales, working her fingers and attuning her musicianship followed, but it resulted in acceptance into HKAPA’s three-year program, which would change the course of her life.

Pauline approached music in much the same way as she had approached her study and research assistant work. “It helped me a lot. I knew how to make things systematic and how to communicate with other students. This helped me pick up music, another subject, quickly. And I didn’t waste time practicing because I knew how to do it systematically, for example using a metronome and practicing slowly. It was like doing research, but I enjoyed the music and the sound I was making.”

img But Pauline still didn’t have a particular path in mind. “I simply wanted to learn how to play properly and advance my technique,” she says. Pauline was already teaching violin on the side and she was keen to develop her confidence and share her expanding knowledge with her students.

The program at HKAPA was competitive, but from it stemmed other opportunities. She applied to attend a summer music camp for two months at the renowned Eastman School of Music in the US, where she worked with other passionate musicians, practicing intensely and performing passionately and forming an important and inspiring connection with violinist Charlie Castleman.

“It was great exposure and I gained a lot of positive encouragement,” says Pauline, so much so that on her return to Hong Kong she decided to apply for further study – a two-year Master’s of Music at the James Madison University in the US. Here she met the second inspirational teacher in her musical journey, Wanchi Huang, who holds a Master’s degree from The Juilliard School and a Doctorate of Music from Indiana University. “These two years were the most important in my life because every day it was just practice, practice, practice. In Hong Kong there are so many distractions but here there was nothing to do but learn.”

As this period of study came to a close, a decision loomed – to study further in the US or to return to Hong Kong. Pauline decided on the latter and found a job in a contemporary ensemble. From there many other opportunities arose, and she has gone on to play with orchestras and worked as a soloist in Hong Kong and overseas as well as establishing her own organization, Splendour Music, to create innovative multi-media performances featuring a mix of classical, contemporary and electronic music alongside visual art and dance.

img It hasn’t always been plain sailing for Pauline, particularly with the onset of the pandemic, which has seen most performances postponed or cancelled. With her teaching, too, she has had to adapt.

“I’m actually really glad that I have a background in engineering from HKUST because it means I can accept technology. While some of my friends were still considering whether Zoom would be good for teaching, I had already done it and had made a short video course on music theory. At HKUST we used computers and made websites and we weren’t afraid to embrace new things. This has really helped me to develop my career.”

Pauline has also been teaching underprivileged children from low income families in collaboration with the organization Food Angel. “Many of the students haven’t been exposed to music before,” says Pauline and she’s been amazed at the positive effect it can have. “These students learn fast and have passion because they know learning music is not easy and it’s expensive but they have this opportunity. I have a passion for teaching and I want to pass on my talent and skills to the next generation.”

As well as teaching, Pauline has launched PrimoRico Music, a YouTube channel to share her violin playing while the possibility of live performance remains limited. And she continues to practice daily, even if just for half an hour at a time. “I think what I really have to practice now is my mindset – how to keep my passion and also to explore more new things for performance.”

Passion burns brightly in our alumni and there’s certainly no slowing down for these inspiring performers.

HKUST United seeks to leverage our alumni network to benefit students, fresh graduates and our alumni. Since the program launched in May 2020, it has received an overwhelming response, helping our students to deal with career planning and job hunting, particularly given the challenges brought about by COVID-19. As we continue to receive job and internship opportunities offered by our alumni and pair up mentors and mentees, participants are forming ongoing, long-term bonds that bode well for the future of the program and reflect the strength of the HKUST alumni network.

Internship Opportunities img Alumnus Godfrey Mok (BSc Environmental Management and Technology 2014) began his career as a Management Trainee with a leading property developer in Hong Kong before qualifying to become a commercial pilot. With flights grounded due to the pandemic, he joined Pro-United Technology & Engineering Ltd. where, on reading about HKUST United, he helped to establish a summer internship position for HKUST students. He applied for, and received funding from, the STEM Internship Scheme, which allowed him to hire a second intern. Nicholas Bryan Russell Hendris and Parco Chung, both from the School of Engineering, completed the internships, with Parco continuing to work part-time.

“It’s a pleasure to be able to help HKUST students, and I enjoyed working with Nicholas and Parco. The internship experience I gained during my own university life helped me a lot in my career development afterwards. I hope more students can have valuable experiences working in real environments ahead of embarking on their careers, and I hope to continue this program with HKUST in the future.”

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“My internship with Pro-United has been an engaging and fruitful experience. At first, I had concerns that my skills would not match my responsibilities, or that I might not fit into the workplace culture. Fortunately, I was able to adapt to the environment. My supervisor, Godfrey, helped me tremendously during the program and along with the assistance of my coworkers I was able to maximize my learning, which will be beneficial for my future career.” Nicholas Bryan Russell Hendris BEng Decision Analytics & BBA General Business Management Student

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“Working as an intern for Pro-United was a wonderful experience. It provided me with an opportunity to work with professionals from different sides of the business and was a valuable experience outside school. Participating in this project allowed me to gain hands-on experience solving practical, realistic problems.” Parco Chung BEng Computer Engineering Student

Mentorship Pairings img HKUST United paired Anthea Kan (BBA Accounting 2012) with a mentee as part of the program’s mentorship opportunities. Anthea joined one of the Big Four accounting firms upon graduation and later moved to the public sector. She has been a keen supporter of HKUST United and is keeping a close relationship with her mentee Kaydence Wong, a BBA Accounting Year 3 student.

“Kaydence takes ownership of her personal development. During a recent phone call, she was curious to learn from my experiences. I was impressed by the insightful questions she asked, her eagerness to learn and her amiable character. As a mentor, I am more than happy to share and provide support. We plan to meet up once the COVID-19 situation eases.”

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“As each semester comes to an end, I search for internship opportunities and I often worry about my future. Luckily, I met my mentor, Anthea, through HKUST United. She is very encouraging and gives thoughtful advice. ‘Life is just a buffet’, she said. Being an auditor may sound routine to many people but there are still various opportunities we can ‘grab’. Sometimes we need to be open to all options to find out what suits us the best.” Kaydence Wong BBA Accounting Student

Virtual Flash Mentoring HKUST United’s Flash Mentoring series, which took place in August and September, provided students and fresh graduates with access to experienced alumni from whom they could seek advice and support. Students were given the opportunity to virtually meet alumni in the field or organization in which they were interested, gaining insights and greater understanding, getting help preparing for applications or interviews and expanding their connections. The one-hour group meetings, which included seven-minute one-on-one sessions with the mentor, proved to be valuable experiences to all involved.

Our Flash Mentors have included: img Lakshay Arora MBA Regional Product Manager Fresenius Medical Care

img Johnny Chan BEng Electronic and Computer Engineering Partner Capital Group

img Jackon J. Rothe MSc Engineering Enterprise Management Founder Sinolumina

img Cesar Wong PhD Biology Associate Professor HK Polytechnic University

To get involved with HKUST United, please email alumni@ust.hk Learn more

HKUST is a world-class international research university with a focus on science and technology, yet opportunities to pursue the arts are alive and growing.

img HKUST’s very name points to science and technology being at its heart. But the arts play an important role in the development of students, whether as participants and artists themselves or those there to take in the spectacle, and HKUST is keen to foster its artistic offering.

Campus life at HKUST already provides a number of ways in which students can get involved with artistic pursuits, from arts-focused courses to performances, concerts and exhibitions, but these are set to expand with the launch of the Shaw Auditorium, expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2021 to coincide with the celebration of the University’s 30th anniversary. This new landmark seeks to enrich the lifestyle and learning experience of students, staff and alumni alike.

Shaw Auditorium img The Shaw Auditorium addresses HKUST’s need for a space in which to host large scale events and art and music performances. The three-storey, multi-purpose development, located near the south entrance of the Clear Water Bay campus, features a 1,300-seat concert hall, the Mona Shaw Plaza, which is an open-air space suited to intimate outdoor performances, and ample facilities for teaching, small-scale recitals, exhibitions and other cultural and educational activities. Made possible thanks to a generous donation of HK$150 million from The Shaw Foundation Hong Kong, the Shaw Auditorium hopes to inspire students, staff and alumni and cultivate an appreciation for and interest in the arts.

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Common Core Arts Courses img From graphic design and Chinese calligraphy to experimental animation, Studio Arts Common Core Courses span Chinese Art, Design & Creativity, Film/Media and Photography, exposing students to the arts, enhancing their appreciation and encouraging personal development.

SHSS Creative Arts Education img The School of Humanities and Social Science offers courses centered on creative arts education where students can learn to understand the arts from a more professional perspective. Courses are currently offered in music, creative writing and film.

Center for the Arts img The HKUST Center for the Arts arranges a variety of programs to encourage student appreciation of and participation in the arts. Activities range from exhibitions and concerts to film screenings and workshops.

Intimacy of Creativity img Intimacy of Creativity – The Bright Sheng Partnership: Composers Meet Performers in Hong Kong is a series of events, held in partnership with the Curtis Institute of Music, that explore the creative process. Hailed by the Financial Times as a festival with a “finely hewn sense of craft” and “the city’s most innovative musical experience”, it features public, in-depth open discussions and preview concerts presenting revised compositions by selected Composer Fellows on campus, as well as world premiere performances across Hong Kong.

HKUST Music Alive! img HKUST Music Alive! is a platform to showcase the arts, organizing a wide range of music events staged in public spaces both on and off campus and aimed at students, staff, alumni and the general public.

Sustainable Smart Campus’ SmART Steps img The Sustainable Smart Campus initiative seeks to implement projects on campus that showcase sustainable and smart thinking and benefit the community. Its SmART Steps project turns the University’s stairwells into a “living lab”. The stairwells near lifts 3, 13-15 and 17-18 and next to Cheng Yu Tung Building have been transformed with visual art installations to make taking the stairs a more attractive option.

This year, Mashiat Lamisa will be the first graduate of the new BSc in Integrative Systems and Design (ISD). Hailing from Bangladesh, the fourth-year student has made the most of her time at HKUST, undertaking two exchange programs and establishing a number of initiatives that led to her being awarded the Tin Ka Ping Scholarship (Changemaker) in honor of her work in design thinking and social innovation.

img Why did you choose to study at HKUST and what attracted you to the new ISD program? I’ve always wanted to build stuff. I used to break into telephones and take the magnets out to see how I could reuse them. When I came to the University, I found many of the majors were very theory-based. I wanted something more practical, so I was looking at studying Computer Engineering or Physics, but when the new ISD program came up I felt it was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I had never been to Hong Kong before but I chose HKUST because of its great resources and the beauty of the campus.

How have you found the program? It has been intense, as the professors were developing a brand-new curriculum and designing the courses and taking our input on them all the time. It was intimidating, but fun, because we were so involved in the process. One of the things that the program really focuses on is understanding users. Last year, most of my courses included field trips where we actually interacted with users. For example, we went to oyster farms to develop a solution for local oyster farmers in Hong Kong, and visited nursing homes and elderly care facilities because I was developing products for dementia patients. We were able to really understand users’ problems and to be put ourselves in their shoes.

What area of ISD interests you most and why? Global health and sustainability are the main movements I want to involve myself in. Growing up in Bangladesh, I have seen people suffering from inequality, a fundamental lack of rights and health issues, but coming here, when I see that I have the opportunity to use engineering and technology to solve some of these issues, at least in a small way, it inspires me to be more involved to create some kind of change.

Why did you apply for the Tin Ka Ping Scholarship? I had developed various projects that qualified me to apply. These included MedEasy, which is a medical records system I designed for use in the under-resourced slums in Cambodia; and Soft Keyboard, a circular mathematical keyboard created for students with cognitive disabilities. I also established Remake Repair Parties, the first community in Asia promoting a repair culture. I never expected to receive the award. For me, doing these things is normal because I really enjoy doing them.

img What have been some of the other highlights of your time at HKUST? I have completed two exchange programs. In January 2020 I did a semester at the University of British Columbia. One of the highlights was taking part in an all-female hackathon, where I also won an award. The summer before that I went to the University of Vienna to learn German for one month. It was my first travel outside Asia and my first time in Europe. I think it was the most cultural exposure I’ve ever had. I traveled a lot on my own to see things at the weekends. One day I walked 30km to see the Alps because I can’t cycle and I can’t drive. I didn’t know I had the courage to do that, but exploring alone increased my self-confidence and courage and made me aware that I’m capable of doing a lot more than I thought possible.

Learn more about the ISD programs

In our rapidly moving world, it can be challenging to keep up to date with the latest news from friends and classmates. Our Class Notes section seeks to bring together updates from alumni around the world so you can stay abreast of the most recent milestones in their lives – and share your latest life events and achievements too.

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Queenie Leung & Alvin Kwok img 2012 BBA ACCT | 2010 BEng & BBA COGBM We celebrated our love with enormous blessings from our friends and families when we entered a new chapter in our lives in Okinawa.

Pauline Tse & Tangle Chung img 2013 BBA MARK | 2013 BEng CIVL We are thrilled to share the news that we got engaged on July 20, 2020 and will tie the knot on November 21, 2021.

Serena Hon img 2020 MSc GCS The best things come all at once! I met my husband Lawrence and joined the HKUST family in 2018. We were married in 2019. In 2020, I graduated and we will welcome our baby in December.

Michelle Mak img 2007 BBA MARK I was honored to receive an ESG People of the Year award alongside 49 amazing gamechangers from around the world. Special thanks go to my mentor Prof Yang Wang, Vice-President for Institutional Advancement at HKUST, who nominated me and recognized my long dedication to social impact, and my company Dun & Bradstreet for giving me all the support.

Roy Yim img 2004 BSc CHEM For the sixth year I am celebrating my birthday with my wife Ching Man, who moved from Guangzhou to Hong Kong in 2014.

Ahmed Anis Ben Slimane img 2020 BEng AE Upon graduation I was fortunate to join Nomad Consulting Group, a digital consulting company based in Hong Kong that gathers technologists and developers from around the world. As an aerospace engineer, I never thought I would be practicing data engineering and helping to develop digital solutions.

Stephen Fung img 2004 BSc PHYS It was an amazing experience to publish《數學力大爆發》, a book for kids about mathematics.

Yanson Fung img 2000 MA CHIN I'm thrilled to share that my new book《玩轉時空旅遊團：穿越古代中國36個保命法則》 has been released.

Yuki Wong img 2011 BBA MARK My first book on presentation skills 《一點就明說話法》has finally been published.

The global pandemic continues to present challenges when it comes to getting together, particularly for offline events. But our alumni, Schools and Offices have gone to great efforts to organize various programs, both online and in real life, and make the most of a range of opportunities to bring together alumni from across the globe. We have a number of upcoming virtual initiatives where we hope to connect with alumni, and we look forward to hopefully meeting in person soon.

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Development and Alumni Office img Young Alumni Networking

Alumni Entrepreneur Reception

Disruptive Innovation by Alumni Entrepreneurs: “Capturing the Virus, the Technologies, or the Opportunity?” (in collaboration with Business School and Entrepreneurship Center) img

HKUST Alumni Association img Yoga with alumna Catherine Cheng

Extraordinary General Meeting img

Business School img Ideas Lunch Alumni Online Sharing:

PropTech Innovation

Elevating Customer Experience and Building Resilience for the Future

At the Driving Seat of Digital Transformation img

EMBA Alumni Association Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai Branch img Annual get-together

Mainland Alumni Association img Hiking to Sai Kung

WeChat img

Volleyball Alumni Team img Regular friendly games

Alumni Dragon Boat Club img Family day img

MBA Alumni Toastmasters Club img Joint online meeting with HKUST Toastmasters Club: Innovate in a Different World

Sharing on Table Topics (impromptu speech) and Evaluation Contest Experience and Tips by alumni Yuki Wong and Raymond Wong

Guest workshop: Different Ways of Giving Back in Times of COVID and Beyond by alumna Fion Leung, Co-founder of Time Auction

Regular virtual meetings img

Alumni Wine Association img Online wine tasting

ZOOM wine class

Virtual tasting of champagne and sparkling wines img

Northern California Alumni Chapter img The International Social Services HK Branch’s Coding with Kids

Virtual gaming meetup

Member Directory img

Taiwan Alumni Chapter img Hotpot evening img

Alumni in Southern California img Virtual gathering

Alumni in Central Asia img Virtual gathering

Alumni in Latin America img Virtual gathering