66
HKUST 2015-2016
Annual Report
67
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
2015
HKUST’s
signature
Undergraduate
Research Opportunities Program (UROP)
entered its 10th anniversary year.
JULY
The ASPIRE Forum was hosted at the
UniversityformembersoftheAsianScience
and Technology Pioneering Institutes of
Research and Education (ASPIRE) League,
comprising HKUST, Korea Advanced
Institute of Science and Technology,
Nanyang Technological University, Tokyo
Institute of Technology and Tsinghua
University. Activities included a “Smart
Green Cities” symposium and week-long
student workshop on innovation and
entrepreneurship.
AUGUST
The 5th International Conference on Logistics and
Maritime Systems successfully took place on campus.
The forum’s theme was “Ocean Transport Logistics:
Making the Global Supply Chain Effective”.
The prestigious Gordon Research Conference
on Marine Molecular Ecology was held at the HKUST
Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study, co-chaired
by Prof Hongbin Liu (Life Science) and Prof Peter
D Steinberg (University of New South Wales).
The focus was on linking molecular mechanisms
with ecological outcomes.
HKUST and Digital China Holdings
Limited signed a framework agreement
to establish the Smart City (Hong Kong)
Research Institute.
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
A groundbreaking ceremony marked
the start of the Water Sports Center
Phase I project, followed by water polo,
dragon boat and coastal rowing races
involving more than 150 participants.
HKUST hostedCoursera’s second annual
Asia Regional Workshop in Hong Kong.
Coursera is one of the world’s major
international platforms for Massive
Open Online Courses (MOOCs).
Prof Dan Shechtman, Nobel
Laureate in Chemistry in 2011
and Philip Tobias Professor of
Materials Science, Technion – Israel
Institute of Technology, discussed
how to nurture technological
entrepreneurship at the UC RUSAL
President’s Forum and HKUST
25th Anniversary Distinguished
Speakers Series.
The University’s 23rd Congregation
conferred honorary doctorates on
five distinguished academics and
community leaders.
HKUST and Google jointly
organized the inaugural “Solve
for X @ HKUST” Conference
in Hong Kong to encourage
technological
breakthrough
proposals with the potential to
solve major global problems.
NOVEMBER
The University celebrated the opening
oftheWeChat-HKUSTJointLaboratory
on Artificial Intelligence Technology.
HKUST established two Hong
Kong branches of Chinese National
Engineering Research Centers
following approval from the Ministry
of Science and Technology. The
centers focus on Tissue Restoration
and Reconstruction and Control
and Treatment of Heavy Metal
Pollution respectively.
DECEMBER
Businessman and philanthropist Dr
Li Dak Sum donated HK$300 million
to three universities in Hong Kong,
including HKUST, to set up scholarship
schemes to nurture young talents.
