HKUST 2008-2009 Annual Report
17
教與
Teaching and Learning
Postgraduate Education
In the 2008-09 academic year, postgraduate enrolment
stood at 3,308, a modest increase of 1.5% over
that for the previous year, which was 3,263. Among
the postgraduate students, 1,271 were research
postgraduates, and the remaining 2,037 were on taught
masters programs. Of the research student population,
about two-thirds were doctoral students and the
rest MPhil students. With a faculty strength of about
450 during the year, the ratio of faculty to research
postgraduates, excluding taught postgraduate students,
was about 1:2.7.
Research Postgraduate Programs
During 2008-09, the ethnic representation of research
postgraduate students has continued to diversify. The total
number of research postgraduate students coming from
places other than Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan
and Macau stood at 45, representing 3.5% of the total
research postgraduate students population, compared
to 2% in the previous year. These students came from
22 countries.
In terms of HKUST students going overseas for research
attachment, a total of 21 senior year PhD students
were supported by the University’s Overseas Research
Attachment Scheme, each visiting an overseas research
laboratory for up to six months. In this round, hosting
institutions included Princeton, UCLA, UC Berkeley, Duke,
Columbia, Toronto, and Harvard. The scheme had enabled
students to work with an entirely different group of
researchers, and had the opportunity to be exposed to a
different culture.
Regarding our new research degree programs, two were
approved for introduction in the year. One was an MPhil
program in Advanced Materials Engineering. The other was
an MPhil program in Atmospheric Environment Modeling.
These programs were designed to cater for the needs of
professionals from the industrial sector in Southern China,
particularly those in the Pearl River Delta region.
Taught Postgraduate Programs
In a knowledge-based society like Hong Kong, there is
always a strong demand for postgraduate education to
help meet the lifelong learning needs of professionals.
The University’s taught masters programs serve this role
very well. In recent years, enrolment figures indicated that
demand for taught master’s programs from Mainland
applicants had grown.
Taught master’s programs at the University incorporated
the latest developments in the respective fields in the
curriculum design to help students update themselves in
their respective disciplines.
Campus Life
Students continue to enjoy a vibrant campus life in a
great variety of co-curricular and extracurricular activities.
Student development programs newly launched in 2008-
09, notably the REDbird Award Program and the HKUST-
Hang Seng Bank Green Ambassador Program, attracted
overwhelming response.
The REDbird Award Program aims at fostering in students
the REDbird attributes of Respectful, Energetic, Diverse,
Bright, Innovative, Responsive, Diligent and Dependable.
The HKUST-Hang Seng Bank Green Ambassador Program
aims at empowering students to be role models and
agents of change in the University and the community.
Through training, service learning, internship and other
activities, the program fosters green knowledge and
leadership skills.
Wellness Programs
All first year students take as a graduation requirement a
non credit-earning Healthy Lifestyle Course, to learn how
to maintain a well-balanced and healthy lifestyle that will
