HKUST Annual Report 2017-18

10 It has been a dynamic year of change across the University’s educational landscape, with the introduction of new and revamped divisions, departments, and degrees that answer changing needs in the era of big data and cross-disciplinary approaches; pace-setting collaborative, internationalized, and personal development endeavors; and entrepreneurial accomplishments. Several Schools and offices redrew field boundaries in 2017-18. The restructuring generated three more Divisions/ Departments (Division of Integrative Systems and Design, School of Engineering; Department of Ocean Science, School of Science; and Division of Public Policy, Interdisciplinary Programs Office) and saw three other Divisions/Departments (Division of Environment and Sustainability, Interdisciplinary Programs Office; Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering and Department of Industrial Engineering; and Decision Analytics, School of Engineering) established after existing units were realigned and renamed. UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION Keeping at the Forefront In line with such moves, the Senate approved six new majors over the year. Four have started in Fall 2018 (BSc in Integrative Systems and Design, BSc in Data Science and Technology, BEng in Decision Analytics, BEng in Sustainable Energy Engineering) and two in Fall 2019 (BSc in Ocean Science and Technology, BEng in Bioengineering). Faculty have adopted a “real world” problem-based project learning approach as the key pedagogy for the pioneering Integrative Systems and Design program. The program will have an annual cohort of around 30 students whose study paths will be determined by their technical inclinations and capstone project requirements. In other exciting initiatives, the University signed a first-of-its kind partnership agreement with the Minerva Project to launch the HKUST-Minerva Scholars Program in Fall 2018. Minerva is a provider of unique higher education offerings that bring together rigorous active learning methodologies and advanced information technology to equip students to think critically and creatively, and communicate and interact effectively. Several HKUST faculty members will use Minerva’s Active Learning Forum technology platform to deliver the organization’s cornerstone competency-building courses to HKUST students while students at Minerva Schools at Keck Graduate Institute in the US can opt to spend time in their fourth year of study at HKUST. The partnership, administered by the Center for Education Innovation, is expected to lead to further advances in the University’s curriculum design and pedagogical development. Around 35 students will be recruited to join the program. On the e-learning front, HKUST joined eight other top universities worldwide in a Global Virtual Exchange Agreement, giving students the option to take online courses and gain credits using the edX platform. The virtual exchange provides students with a wider range of courses and expertise, and makes learning more flexible by allowing them to study across borders. This will be of particular benefit to those unable to travel to another institution as part of a regular exchange. HKUST signed the agreement in December 2017, becoming the first institution in Asia to participate. Over the year, HKUST also added to its host of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) with the launch of a fintech specialization on the Coursera platform in April 2018. Education Development HKUST deepened its high- performance, all-round student experience through multi-faceted teaching and learning innovation