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HKUST 2012-13 Annual Report
13
The University’s recruitment and profile-raising
efforts were rewarded by the high quality of the
intake for the four-year degree. The year also saw
a well-received initiative to increase the interest
of young women in science and engineering at
HKUST, with a special summer camp drawing
over 90 female secondary school students.
The greater flexibility of four-year degree
programs gives students more choice in their
study pathway, requiring greater resources for
academic advising, particularly in Year One ahead
of selecting a major. All Schools responded
effectively to this challenge.
A growing number of exciting new minors
have been developed, including Aeronautical
Engineering, Actuarial Mathematics, and
Entrepreneurship. Further innovation in learning
options saw the launch of the inaugural HKUST-
University of Virginia Jefferson Global Seminars
to encourage students to develop wider
perspectives on issues; and further preparations
for the pioneering tripartite World Bachelor
in Business, where students study on three
continents during their four-year program and
gain three degrees.
Digital Resources and New Learning Spaces
The University seeks to stay at the forefront of
developments in digital resources and new
technologies and responded positively to
invitations from Coursera and edX, the two most
important providers of Massive Open Online
Courses (MOOCs), to join their projects.
MOOCs are university-level courses that are
offered free and are open to anyone with an
internet connection. edX is a consortium of
universities, led by Harvard and MIT, and with
a student body of over one million. Coursera
has over 80 participating universities in four
continents, and a student body of over four
million. Three HKUST courses have already been
developed, with others to follow.
In a positive step forward for collaborative
learning, the Chevalier Learning Commons
has become one of the most popular places
on campus for students to meet and work
together. Ninety per cent of users have said
that the Commons area is important or very
important to their studies. Renewal of classrooms
to accommodate the needs of digital formats
and more active learning environments are also
scheduled.
ALL-ROUND LEARNING INITIATIVES
At HKUST, student learning and success are not
only about in-class instruction and study.
Early Research Experience
The University’s highly successful Undergraduate
Research Opportunities Program continued to
provide valuable experience in working directly
with professors on research projects. The number
of projects, students, and professors saw on-going
Number of Undergraduate Research
Opportunities Program Projects