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HKUST 2015-2016 Annual Report
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the School’s faculty members contributed to policy
advocacy and participated in broader public service
and consulting activities. In 2015-16, some 18% of full-
time faculty undertook consultancy and advisory roles
in over 40 companies and organizations.
The fifth Science-for-Lunch talk series was integrated
into the 25th Anniversary program and focused
onHKUST’s key strategic areas for research, namelydata
science, autonomous systems and robotics, design
thinking and entrepreneurship, sustainability, and
public policy. President Prof Tony F Chan also provided
a special presentation on the role of mathematics
in daily life. The talks, held in Central, were attended
by more than 350 business and community leaders.
A series of distinguished public lectures on topical
issues was organized by the Leadership and Public
Policy Executive Education Office. Subjects included
ISIS and global terrorism, the innovation imperative,
and how innovation happens. The Division of
Humanities also continued to hold its popular public
lectures at the Hong Kong Museum of History
throughout the academic year, attracting hundreds
of attendees. In addition, faculty members served as
advisors to local museums.
STUDENTS WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Forty-two students fromdifferent disciplines undertook
the Underwater Robot Community Engagement
Project, an interdisciplinary and experiential learning
course involving an underwater robot workshop and
competition for local primary and secondary schools.
The events were co-organized by the School of
Engineering, the School of Business and Management,
the School of Science and the School of Humanities and
Social Science, with over 120 local school participants
from different backgrounds, and some with Special
Education Needs (SEN), taking part. The competition
provided an excellent platform for school students
to learn iSTEAM (Inclusion, Science, Technology,
Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) through robots.
Among the 25 teams, at least one-fifth had participants
with special education needs.
Engineering undergraduates on two mobile application
courses and undertaking final-year projects worked with
theYWCA, ChineseYMCA, HeepHongSociety, HongChi
Association, LULIO, and Kerry Group Kuok Foundation
on developing apps in a variety of areas, ranging from
Tai O tourism to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
(ADHD) training.
The SCI/NUCLEUS social service team in the School
of Science continued to serve the local community,
with committed students selected as social leaders
to organize the team and arrange voluntary service
activities. In 2015-16, the School also initiated and
co-organized a credit-bearing course on serving the
elderly, with the School of Business and Management
and School of Engineering. In this course, students
made regular visits to the elderly home and helped
seniors with their memoirs.
In the annual InnoCarnival organizedby the Innovation and
Technology Commission, HKUST ranworkshops, seminars
and robot exhibits, showcasing the innovative products
and games created by faculty, students and alumni.
STRENGTHENING ALUMNI BONDS
To celebrate HKUST’s 25th Anniversary, the Alumni
Endowment Fund set a fund-raising target of $25
million by 2017. Adjunct Prof Roger King (Finance),
also an alumnus, launched the campaign with
a matching gift of $2.5 million, the largest donation
received from an individual alumnus since the creation
of the AEF in 2012. Generous gifts were also received
from alumni brothers Terry and Terence Tsang, who
contributed $2 million to set up a Student Emergency
Fund, and HKUST Convocation Chairman and Alumni
Association President Alvin Lam, whodonated $500,000
to establish a Student Start-up Grant. Coupled with
contributions from 500 alumni in 2015-16, the AEF now
tops $24 million. Over $700,000 was also generated in
interest income over the year, all of which went toward
initiatives to help students optimize their university life.
The HKUST Convocation Committee continued to
support the University’s strategic developments and
strengthen bonds between alumni, HKUST and the
community. In addition, the HKUST Alumni Association
(also referred to as A1) launched two flagship projects
in line with its vision of “Alumni Inspire Alumni”. These
comprised the establishment of an Alumni Start-up
Award to recognize and provide opportunities for
entrepreneurial alumni to learn from experienced
business sector leaders and a Social Leaders Program to
encourage alumni mentors and high school students to
work together on community service initiatives.
Branches and interest groups had an active year,
with over 60 reunions and social events held in Hong
Kong and around 15 cities across the globe. Among
these activities, Class of 2005 members enjoyed
connecting up with new and old friends at their 10th
graduation anniversary reunion.
Alumni all around the world also showed staunch
support for HKUST’s 25th Anniversary. Over 600 alumni
attended celebratory events in London, San Francisco
and Hong Kong. More than 600 submitted portrait
photos to the Mosaic Project, which has built a living
tapestry of the campus community out of pictures of
faculty, students, alumni and staff. And despite adverse
weather, alumni joined the HKUST team at the 2016
Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon.
Many alumni saw their achievements and contributions
to society recognized during the year. They included:
Mr Rono Kwong (Hong Kong Top Outstanding Young
Persons Award 2015), Mr Alvin Lam (Capital Leaders
of Excellence Award 2016); Ir Dr Derrick Pang (Young
Industrialist Award of Hong Kong 2015); and Mr Bird
Tang (Hong Kong Youth Service Award 2015).
The Alumni Endowment Fund set
a fund-raising target by 2017
$25
MILLION
