28
HKUST 2015-2016 Annual Report
29
A reorganization of the University’s teaching innovation center,
several senior appointments, and a host of national and international
honors made 2015-16 an inspiring year
FACULTY
DEVELOPMENT
T
he past 12 months have brought a greater
emphasis on faculty development related
to tri-modal education and e-learning.
The Center for Enhanced Learning and
eaching (CELT) was re-organized into the Center
for Education Innovation (CEI) in Fall 2015. Prof
Roger Cheng took up the post of Director of the
Center, concurrent with his role as Associate Provost
(Teaching and Learning). CEI seeks to encourage and
boost faculty members’ confidence in undertaking
teaching innovation, with a focus in 2015-16 on
experiential learning. Two faculty retreats on this form
of learning took place, involving lively exchanges and
experience-sharing, and a community of enthusiastic
teaching faculty and staff has now emerged.
The Center continued to provide e-learning
workshops and a professional development seminar
series featuring internal and external speakers. Topics
covered over the year included blended learning,
the science of successful learning, learning through
videos, and student engagement and interactive
teaching. In Fall 2015, a four-day professional
development course was offered to all new faculty
and as a refresher course for academics already on
board. A faculty orientation program was delivered to
newcomers to introduce key aspects of the teaching
and learning context at HKUST. The Center is also
responsible for graduate teaching assistant training,
providing briefing sessions, workshops, and a large
collection of resources.
The Center for Engineering Education Innovation
(E²I) co-organized Coursera’s second annual Asia
Regional Workshop at the University. The three-day
event drew around 180 representatives from major
Asian universities to discuss the development of
Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), blended
learning pedagogy, and emerging trends in higher
education. The workshop showcased Asian university
success stories and paved the way for collaboration
in the region and beyond. Prof Rick Levin, CEO
of Coursera and former President of Yale University,
delivered a keynote speech at the event.
In April 2016, E²I and CEI co-hosted a workshop
presented by Prof Benson Yeh, National Taiwan
University, one of the world’s leading innovators in
e-learning and the overall winner of the Wharton-QS
StarsAwards in 2014. Theevent addressed thequestion:
“How to Make an Impact in Education through MOOC
and Flipped Teaching?” Over 40 faculty and staff from
different Schools and 15 representatives from sister
institutions attended.
NEW APPOINTMENTS
After a worldwide search, Prof Nancy Ip, Dean
of Science and The Morningside Professor of Life
Science and Director of the State Key Laboratory
of Molecular Neuroscience at HKUST, was selected to
be the next Vice-President for Research and Graduate
Studies. Prof Ip is a world-renowned neuroscientist with
research interests in brain development and function,
and drug discovery for neurodegenerative diseases.
She will take up the post in November 2016.
Prof Kar Yan Tam was appointed Dean of Business
and Management, concurrent with his professorial
appointment as Chair Professor of Information Systems,
Business Statistics and Operations Management.
With his extensive experience in the University’s senior
administrative team, the School of Business and
Management will seek to scale new heights under
his stewardship.
Prof Tim Kwang Ting Cheng was appointed Dean
of Engineering, concurrent with his joint professorial
appointment as Chair Professor in the Department of
Electronic and Computer Engineering and Department
of Computer Science and Engineering. A respected
teacher-scholar and internationally renowned researcher
with experience in fostering cross-disciplinary research
collaboration, Prof Cheng will further advance the
School’s academic and research excellence in its next
phase of development.
Prof Enboa Wu was appointed Associate Vice-
President for Knowledge Transfer, Dean of HKUST
Fok Ying Tung Graduate School and Professor of
Engineering Practice in the Department of Electronic
and Computer Engineering. Prof Wu will provide
strategic leadership to further develop the University’s
knowledge transfer activities and be responsible for
the overall management of University centers and
companies related to knowledge transfer.
Other senior faculty appointments were:
PROF HONG KAM LO,
Head of Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering
PROF BERTRAM SHI,
Head of Department of Electronic and
Computer Engineering
PROF VIDHAN K GOYAL,
Head of Department of Finance
PROF JACK A GOLDSTONE,
Director of HKUST Institute for Public Policy
PROF GUILLERMO GALLEGO,
Head of Department of Industrial Engineering
and Logistics Management
PROF MICHELLE YIK,
Special Advisor to the Executive Vice-President
and Provost and Director of Undergraduate
Recruitment and Admissions
