HKUST 2005-2006 Annual Report
11
HKUST’s well-established relationship with Microsoft Research Asia
(MSR Asia) has shifted into a higher gear with the signing of an
agreement on the HKUST/MSR Asia Joint Doctorate Supervision
Scheme. Under the arrangement, both parties will co-supervise PhD
candidates in computer science. Students will complete their PhD
coursework and examinations at HKUST and carry out research at
MSR Asia in Beijing, under the guidance of the co-supervisors. Five
to ten PhD students are expected to be enrolled each year. The two
institutions have already fruitfully cooperated on the establishment
of the Ministry of Education/MSR Asia IT Key Lab at HKUST, the first
national laboratory of its kind located outside Mainland China.
Four-Year Program
As HKUST prepares to meet the challenge of the transition to the four-
year degree system – to be introduced in 2012 – it is seizing this
opportunity to move undergraduate education in a new direction. This
new four-year degree program forms part of Hong Kong’s so-called
“3-3-4” education reform that reduces secondary school education
in Hong Kong from seven years to six. This new configuration
calls for a new curriculum and graduation standards for secondary
school students.
HKUST’s unique approach is to integrate its new undergraduate
experience with its overall Strategic Plan, which lays out the
framework for the University’s development over the next 15 years.
Its undergraduate experience is thus set to be re-engineered in a
number of ways.
Gone is the original emphasis on individual majors. Instead,
the University plans to create more inter-disciplinary offerings and
build a learning environment favorable to the development of
communication skills.
科大與微軟亞洲研究院所建立良好的夥伴關係，
隨著科大╱微軟亞洲研究院博士銜指導計劃協議
的簽訂，日後發展關係更為緊密。在協議下，雙
方將共同指導計算機科學的博士生。在共同導
師的指導下，學生須於科大完成博士習作及考
試，再在北京的微軟亞洲研究院進行研究，每
年約有五至十名博士生獲得取錄。此外，雙方已
在科大共同設立科大信息技術教育部－微軟重點
實驗室，這是第一所設於中國內地以外的重點實
驗室。
四年制課程
由於四年制大學課程將於2012年開始實施，科
大在迎接過渡至四年制的同時，亦藉機提升本科
教育。新四年制課程是「三三四」教育改革的一部
份，香港的中學課程將由七年減至六年，因此，
中學課程及畢業要求亦將出現改變。
科大採用特有的方法，將新學制與十五年策略發
展計劃相結合，因此，大學的本科教育，在多方
面都有新。
原來偏重個別主修的做法，將不合時宜。取而代
之的，是更多的跨學科學位，以及著重發展溝通
技巧的學習環境。
