HKUST Annual Report 2017-18

A N N U A L R E P O R T 2 0 1 7 - 1 8 39 HKUST The second cohort on the International Research Enrichment track actively participated in internships, with most students receiving offers from renowned institutions, including CERN in Switzerland. Such internships broaden students’ horizons and serve as a springboard to PhD studies. In addition, two collaborative summer research programs with industrial internship components provided senior undergraduates with research experience. A nine-week summer program, organized together with the Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics at the University of California, Los Angeles, focused on research in industrial projects, while a seven-week program, arranged with Seoul National University, tackled industrial and applied mathematics. Participants worked on real-world research projects proposed by an industry sponsor under the guidance of an academic mentor. To help students cope with their transition from secondary school to undergraduate studies, the School ran a series of mindfulness-related activities throughout the year, including Zentangle, forest therapy, low-carbon mindful diet, and a stress management workshop. Other strategies used students’ interests as a motivator to increase engagement. These included forming a School band and a five-day furniture-making project for the HKUST community using recycled materials. Outreach activities for prospective students drew 164 high school students from 43 target schools to science laboratory workshops on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in 2018. Over 140 local high students participated in the 2017 Science Summer Camp. At the postgraduate level, the addition of strategic partnerships with Vietnam National University and the University of Sussex strengthened the School’s School of Science international ties while outreach recruitment trips and a one-week summer camp for potential students took place. Other than Hong Kong, Mainland China, Taiwan, and Macao, the School’s postgraduate population now comprises over 20 nationalities, including Australia, France, Germany, Indonesia, Korea, Poland, the US and Vietnam. The School also established a Postgraduate Research Excellence Award to recognize outstanding research achievements. Fourteen students were selected for this prestigious award in 2017-18. ADVANCING THE WIDER VIEW To develop students’ global perspectives, the School runs exchange programs with over 90 overseas partner institutions covering the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. Partnerships established in 2017-18 included Australian National University and University of New South Wales (Australia), University of Toronto (Canada), École Polytechnique (France), University of Zurich (Switzerland), Newcastle University and University of Manchester (UK), and University of Notre Dame (US). A Sri Lanka Cultural Exploration and Service Trip in June 2018 raised further international and social awareness. The 20 participants took part in voluntary teaching, organic farming, and elephant conservation, while visits to UNESCO heritage sites and local farmers’ homes enabled students to understand Sri Lanka from different perspectives. Short-term exchange tours to Mainland China helped students learn more about the culture, history, and social aspects of different parts of the country. In 2017-18, trips were arranged in collaboration with Sichuan University, South China Agricultural University, and Sun Yat-Sen University. PACE-SETTING EDUCATION The School initiated an undergraduate program in data science in partnership with the School of Engineering. The BSc in Data Science and Technology will be jointly offered by both schools from 2018-19. The program will provide students with a strong foundation in mathematical and computational knowledge and hands-on skills training. A specially developed augmented reality (AR) mobile application was introduced into the Marine Biology Laboratory course in January 2018 to foster learning. The app integrates AR simulation aids with multi- modal learning resources to facilitate students’ experiential experience and engagement. Other School courses expanded their experiential components over the year. The signing of a collaboration agreement with Ying Ding Education Technology Co., Ltd. will also see the setting up of a lab to support research and development of blended learning programs. The lab will use cutting-edge artificial intelligence and big data technologies to better evaluate students’ learning experience and their challenges as well as to develop novel teaching tools and techniques. The School’s holistic development approach led to fresh enrichment endeavors, such as the Dialogue with Executives Series and HKUST Science X UBS Mentorship Program, which offered insights into a range of industries and personal career advice from experienced leaders in various fields. To enhance understanding of the diversified job market for School graduates, a student-led SCI/ PATH YouTube Channel was launched, featuring interviews with science alumni from different sectors.