50
HKUST 2015-2016
Annual Report
51
I
PO makes every effort to help students discover
their potential and what they truly seek to pursue
in the future.
EDUCATION INITIATIVES
An Individualized Interdisciplinary Major was planned
over the year under review. The degree is currently
Innovation lies at the heart of IPO and 2015-16 was a fruitful year
INTERDISCIPLINARY
PROGRAMS OFFICE
the only one of its kind in Greater China, allowing
students to create a unique program focused on
a specialized area of study that best suit their own
intellectual interests and passion. Students can take
advantage of courses from different departments,
divisions and schools at HKUST or from outside
universities and exchange institutions in creating
their program. The objective is to inspire long-term
commitment to an interdisciplinary research field
or an emerging career path not yet fully established
in themarket. Four students with newmajors in Bionics,
Computational Cognitive Science, Environmental
Geoscience and Bioenergy Management will start
their respective studies in 2016-17.
The inaugural Solve for X@HKUST Conference
took place in Hong Kong in November 2015, jointly
organized by HKUST and Google Headquarters and
coordinated by IPO. The Solve for X competition
seeks to encourage out-of-the-box projects, known
as moonshots. Such projects set out to solve
a global problem that impacts millions of lives
through a radical solution involving breakthrough
science or technology. At the conference, five
innovators discussed their moonshot projects, which
included next-generation material for batteries and
non-invasive retinal disease treatment.
A career advisor started work in July 2015 to assist
IPO students in understanding themselves and
potential career directions through the use of
professional assessment tools. These included the
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI®) Workshop
enabling students to assess their natural strengths
and possible areas for growth; and the SHL
Talent Measurement™ Occupational Personality
Questionnaire (OPQ32r), a personality assessment
tool that focuses specifically onworkplace behaviors.
The career advisor also runs individual advising
sessions to give specific advice, encompassing
mock interviews, CV clinics, or consultations on
personal growth and career development. Over 200
IPO students have used the career services.
STEPPING BEYOND HONG KONG
Dual Degree Program in Technology and
Management students took part in the Technology
and Management International Business Plan
Competition 2016 alongside peers from the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University
of Bayreuth, and University of Sao Paulo. The
contest, held in Brazil, focused on “New Horizons
for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Technology”,
with students working in multicultural teams to
draw up business plans. They also visited several
companies leading the way in UAV innovation in
Brazil. Working with people from North/South
America and Europe on the latest UAV technology
was a fresh way to experience cultural exchange
and a great inspiration for students with regard to
UAV applications.
Students from the BSc in Environmental Management
and Technology and MSc in Environmental Science
and Management Programs, visited Seoul, South
Korea, to explore the city’s sustainability measures.
BRIDGE TO THE WORKING WORLD
IPO emphasizes connections with industry liaison
to bridge the gap between university education
and the workplace. Plans are now underway to form
an industry resource network, with people from
various industries sought to become “industrial
fellows”, who will serve as guest speakers, guide
students as mentors, provide advice and relay their
working experience to students.
In March 2016, Mr Bin Lin, Co-founder and President
of Xiaomi Corporation, spoke to students about how
he disrupted the world’s mobile markets, and his
innovation and start-up journey as an engineer, at
the Technology and Management Executive Forum,
organized by the Dual Degree Program Office.
The annual RMBI Symposium continued to draw
together experts from academia and industry to
meet and exchange views and to give students
the opportunity to learn first-hand lessons on risk
management (RM) and business intelligence (BI)
from industry professionals. The focus in 2016
was data management in business applications,
regulatory issues of risk management, and the
latest market trends.
ACROSS RESEARCH DISCIPLINES
The Max Planck Society-Croucher Foundation
Joint Workshop on Molecular Systems Engineering
Sciences in April served as an excellent platform
for interdisciplinary research exchange. Organized
by IPO over three days, the workshop brought
together researchers from different Max Planck
Institutes in Germany and universities in Hong
Kong for in-depth discussion on topics including:
material science and physics; single cell/molecule
manipulation; biomaterials, cell migration and cell
matrix interaction; and medical devices, imaging,
optics and photonics, among others.
