Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Motto	求進，求新，創未來。(Chinese)
Motto in English	Hands on the present and eyes for the future
Established	1991
Type	Public
Chancellor	Donald Tsang
President	Tony F. Chan
Academic staff	453
Undergraduates	5,772
Postgraduates	3,228
Location	Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong 22.3375°N 114.263°E / 22.3375; 114.263
Campus	Urban, 60 hectares (0.60 km2)
Affiliations	ASAIHL, APRU
Website	www.ust.hk

The Sundial

The main gate on the Clear Water Bay Road

The main atrium of the HKUST

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (often abbreviated HKUST) is a public university located in Hong Kong. Established in 1991 under Hong Kong Law Chapter 1141 (The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Ordinance), it is one of the nine universities in Hong Kong.

Professor Tony F. Chan is the president of HKUST. The campus is located in Sai Kung District in the Kowloon of Hong Kong. Overlooking Clear Water Bay, the school is home to 9,000 students and more than 450 faculty.

It was ranked the best university in Asia according to QS Asian University Rankings department (2011). Yet, the QS World University Rankings(2011/12) ranked it as 40th in the world, 6th in Asia and 3rd in Hong Kong (after The University of Hong Kong and The Chinese University of Hong Kong). The Times Higher Education World University Rankings(2011–12) regarded the HKUST as 62nd in the world, 7th in Asia and 2nd in Hong Kong (after The University of Hong Kong).

The HKUST Business School’s MBA program is ranked 52nd worldwide by the EIU and 10th worldwide by the Financial Times. The school's Executive MBA program is run in partnership with Kellogg School of Management and is ranked number one worldwide by FT. HKUST also has a partnership with NYU's Stern School of Business for a Master of Science in Global Finance (MSGF) program.

History

Main entrance of HKUST with the red sundial

In the late 1980s the Hong Kong Government anticipated a strong demand for university graduates to fuel an economy increasingly based on services. Sir Chung Sze Yuen and the Governor of Hong Kong, Sir Edward Youde, conceived the idea of another university in Hong Kong. Planning for the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology began in 1986. Construction began at the former British garrison Kohima Camp in Tai Po Tsai on the Clear Water Bay Peninsula.

Originally scheduled to finish in 1994, the death of Sir Edward in 1986 led to increased effort and allowed for UST to open its doors early - in 1991. Thomas E. Stelson was also a founding member of the administration.

The project was criticized for surpassing the budget set forth by the Hong Kong Government and Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club. However, under the fund raising efforts of its Vice-Chancellor at the time, Woo Chia-wei, the first students enrolled in October 1991. By 1992, accommodation as well as athletic facilities were expanded to support about 7,000 students. Several more expansion projects such as the construction of the HKUST Enterprise Centre have since been completed and current efforts include the expansion of housing facilities scheduled for completion for 2009.

Campus

HKUST Campus as seen from Port Shelter

The university campus (layout) occupies a 60 hectares (0.60 km²) site which is divided into a several sections: the Academic Building, S.H. Ho Sports Hall, student halls, outdoor sports facilities, the University Centre, apartments, staff quarters and the President's Lodge. Being constructed along the slope of the surrounding hills, Port Shelter is visible from virtually every building on campus. Arranged in cascades, the buildings are connected by walkways and several balconies thus offer a spectacular view of the South China Sea.

The Academic Building

The Academic Building contains 10086 lecture theatres, classrooms, laboratories and administrative offices. There are 10 lecture theaters (A-H, J-K) as well as a multitude of classrooms and labs. They accommodate classes of up to 450 students and offer audiovisual equipment.

The University Library

The Lee Shau Kee Library

The Lee Shau Kee Library - a rare moment, when the sunset landscape reflects onto the library

Computers in the library

Bookcases in the library

The HKUST Library, part of the Hong Kong Academic Library Link (HKALL), occupies a central location of the campus. Connected to the Academic Building, it is accessible directly from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Atrium. It spans five floors with over 10,550 sqm. of floor space, providing 1,950 seats as well as computing facilities. It offers a wide array of information resources, both local and remote. In addition to over 650,000 print volumes and a large collection of media resources, it provides access to more than 25,000 electronic and print journals, a large number of e-books, databases, and other digital information resources.

The library owns a collection of old maps of China and the rest of Asia, produced by Chinese and Western cartographers over the last 500 years. A selection of these maps, providing an insight into the history of international geographic knowledge, has been published by the library in a limited-edition (1000 copies) volume in 2003.

Student housing

On-campus housing is available for undergraduate as well as postgraduate students. However, there are insufficient places available for the entire student population. While international as well as exchange students are generally guaranteed on-campus housing, spaces are appropriated on a competitive basis to the remainder of mostly local applicants.

Housing fees are low relative to off-campus accommodation and there are several halls. Generally, a room is shared between two or three students.

Health Services

Located on LG1, next to the Sports Hall entrance, the Health Center consists of a Medical Clinic, a Student Dental Clinic as well as a Staff Dental Clinic. The Medical Clinic provides free out-patient service to full-time students. Specialist services in Allergy, Dermatology, ENT, Internal Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Ophthalmology, Pulmonology, Surgery and Physiotherapy are also available subject to a charge.

Rankings

In 2011 QS World University Rankings ranked HKUST 40th in the world, making it the third highest ranked university in Hong Kong, after HKU and CUHK. However, in the QS Asian University Rankings for 2011, which employ a different methodology, HKUST came 1st. In the 2010 global rankings the university dropped down 5 places from its position of 35th in the 2009 THE-QS World University Rankings (in 2010 Times Higher Education World University Rankings and QS World University Rankings parted ways to produce separate rankings).

Exchange programs

School of Business and Management

• The school has the most extensive student exchange network in Asia, with more than 100 partner schools worldwide. Its partners consist of universities in Canada, America, Asia, Australia, and Europe.

• Around 2,800 students have been chosen for academic exchanges since the program's inception in 1995. Every year close to 400 undergraduates, that is over half of the School's BBA/BSc student population, spend a semester at Business Schools overseas. To allow for greater global exposure, some students can be selected for two semester exchanges at separate universities in two different continents.^{[citation needed]}

School of Engineering The School of Engineering provides exchange programs with many US universities and a few universities in Europe such as University of Illinois, University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, Rice University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Tulane University, University College London, Warwick University, TU Dortmund, etc. The program is usually one-year long. The school also provide exchange programs in mainland China which is more popular among local Hong Kong students while full time mainland China based students accounts more for the participants in oversea exchange-out program.

Students' Union

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Students' Union (HKUSTSU) consists of four independent bodies, the Executive Committee, the Council, the Editorial Board and the Court. All students' societies are affiliated under the Students' Union.^{[citation needed]}

The Executive Committee

The Executive Committee is the executive branch of the S.U. It consists of standing committees to take care of issues regarding the Union and its members such as Academic Affairs, External and Current Affairs, International Affairs, Public Relations, Publication, Social Activities, Orientation Affairs, University Affairs, and Welfare Matters.^{[citation needed]}

The Council

The Council acts as the legislature branch, which is responsible for legislation and regulation of finance and operations of Union. Its duties include:

• Hold all elections regarding Students' Union
• Consideration and approval of applications for affiliation to the Union
• Supervision, advice, proposing and passing rules and regulations on all sub-organizations
• Interpretation of and proposing amendment to the Constitution of Union
• Consideration and approval of Master Budget of the Union
• Consideration and approval of application of Union subsidies

In order to practice the above duties, the Council has four standing committees. They are Affiliated Societies Committee, Constitution Committee, Election Committee and Finance Committee.^{[citation needed]}

The Editorial Board

The Editorial Board (EB) maintains the official publication of Union. Its main functions are:

• Promotion of the objects of the Union
• Providing chances for and encourage free expressions of opinion by and among the student body

The Court

It is the judiciary body of HKUSTSU. Its main duties are:

• Settle disputes within the Union
• Provide interpretation to the Constitution

Affiliated societies

The application of Students' Societies in HKUST are approved by the Students' Union Council. They are the affiliated societies of the Students' Union. There are five types of affiliated societies of Students' Union in HKUST:

• Independent Clubs Association and Independent Clubs
• Sports Association and Sports Clubs
• House Associations
• Departmental Societies
• School Societies

Independent Clubs Association and Independent Clubs

Independent Clubs Association and Independent Clubs are the interest club for the students, such as the Yo-hoo Club, AIESEC-LC-HKUST, the Band Society, the Drama Society, the Magic Club and People's Campus Radio. There are over 30 independent clubs.

Sports Association and Sports Clubs

Sports Association and Sports Clubs are the students' societies that promote sports activities to students.

House Associations

House Association is the students' society of the undergraduate student hall. Each undergraduate student hall would have its own House which is responsible to organize extra-circular activities for the House Association's members. Since the New Hall is the newly built undergraduate student hall, it does not have its own house for organizing activities.

Departmental Societies

Each department in HKUST would have its own departmental society. The departmental societies would organize different activities to their departments' students.

Providing activities to students, departmental societies are also responsible for promoting their corresponding department on information day which is for giving information of the university to high school students.^{[citation needed]}

Honors Track Study (Applies to Engineering Students Only)

Minimum entrance requirements are:

A-Level results with B average or above in three subjects, one of which must be A-Level Pure Mathematics. Early admission students or students who have completed Year 0 with at least a CGA of B+, obtained a grade of B+ or above in both Mathematics courses. Students in the Honors Track are required to maintain a cumulative grade average (CGA) of A- or above every semester. Students with lower CGA will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Current students with good academic results will also be invited to join the honors study track halfway.^{[citation needed]}

Fok Ying Tung Graduate School

January 25, 2007, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) officially named its Graduate School in Nansha as HKUST Fok Ying Tung Graduate School in a ceremony that combined the official opening of the Graduate School and the ground breaking of its Nansha campus. HKUST Fok Ying Tung Graduate School

Institute for Advanced Study

The Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) at HKUST champions collaborative projects across disciplines and institutions. It forges relationships with academic, business, community, and government leaders. The IAS organised its inaugural lecture by noted scientist Prof. Stephen Hawking in June 2006.

See also

• Education in Hong Kong
• Higher education in Hong Kong
• List of universities in Hong Kong
• List of buildings and structures in Hong Kong
• LAOTSE, an international network of universities in Europe and Asia, including HKUST
• Hong Kong Virtual University, a collaboration project initiated by HKUST

External links

• The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology official homepage
• The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Students' Union official homepage
• A picture of the University
• HKUST Business School
• Department of Computer Science and Engineering, HKUST
• Genesis,An online publication for UST news
• 3D map
• Master of Science in Global Finance - partnership between NYU Stern School of Business and HKUST