HKUST Annual Report 2017-18

13 Realizing the Potential to Lead The University encouraged student-initiated activities via a range of schemes, such as the President’s 1-HKUST Student Life Award (82 projects) and Student Enrichment Activities Fund (68 projects). In 2017-18, the Redbird Leadership Community, which trains student leaders, recruited 120 members and 10 student leaders to serve the University and local community. Three members and alumni gained financial sponsorship from the Redbird Overseas Learning Program to participate in young leader events in Australia, Thailand, and Malaysia. A total of 7 silver awards, 55 bronze awards, and 15 certificates of completion recognized students’ dedication. Nurturing Well-being The University launched the pilot First-Year Experience @ Residence Program in 2017- 18 to enhance students’ campus life and ease the transition from school to university. The scheme enabled around 500 first-year students, including non-local undergraduates, to enjoy one full year in a residential hall. Senior undergraduate mentors, who received training in mental health awareness, leadership, and personal development skills, provided additional support. Over 2,000 HKUST students and staff completed a 12-hour Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training program organized by the Counseling and Wellness Center. Such training equips participants to give initial support to people with mental health problems or experiencing a mental health crisis. POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION The number of postgraduates reached a record 5,098 as at December 31 , 2017, marking an increase of around 5% compared with the previous year. The student body hailed from over 60 countries and regions, with 2,000 postgraduates enrolled in 53 research programs and 3,098 students studying on 37 taught programs. Increased Scope In line with HKUST’s strategic focus on data science research, the University introduced an MSc in Business Analytics and an enriched Scientific Computation Concentration for MPhil and PhD students in nine disciplines in science and engineering. Planning took place for a two-year professional Master of Public Policy program and the dual-degree HKUST-SKOLKOVO Executive MBA Program for Eurasia. The latter is jointly organized with the Moscow School of