9
R E S E A R C H @ H K U S
he role of educator is still the onemost frequently associated
with universities in the eyes of the public and many potential
students. Yet in today’s hotly contested academic arena and
swiftly evolving internationalized society, capabilities as a
transmitter of knowledge alone are generally no longer enough
to secure a higher education institution’s standing or relevance.
HKUST, established in 1991, was built with such a development
already in mind. Through the foresight of the University’s
founders, the generation of knowledge has always been a core
activity, alongside education, through original research with
global impact.
Importance of New Knowledge
“At HKUST, the value of research is viewed as manifold,” said
Executive Vice-President and Provost, Prof Wei Shyy. “Research
impact entails moving the boundary of knowledge forward. It
means deepening understanding or creating a new capability in
substantial ways. It helps us to fulfil our social responsibility to
improve on what we know.”
“But we are not solely a basic research hub,” he said. “At
HKUST, research also involves how to apply that knowledge,
how to solve existing problems and drive development. It encom-
passes how such insight and approaches to enquiry can be inte-
grated with our teaching mission to serve undergraduates and
postgraduates in exploring their own potential and capabilities.”
From Discovery to Market
While HKUST is relatively small with a focused concentration on
certain fields in line with its designation as a science and tech-
nology university, careful planning has accommodated a holistic
research vision.
The University’s broad areas of Science, Engineering,
Business and Management and Humanities and Social Science
operate as both independent powerhouses of enquiry as well
as an interlocking whole in which interdisciplinary insights can
enhance questions asked and answered. The quality of research
work is set by the recruitment of faculty who are among the most
eminent international researchers in their fields, along with the
brightest young minds of the future to work alongside them.
Adding to suchmotivation, the launch of the HKUST Jockey Club
Institute for Advanced Study in 2006 has helped to draw Nobel
laureates and other prominent thinkers from around the world
to visit and work with the University community. This allows a
wide range of state-of-the-art knowledge and developments to
continually percolate throughout the campus, the wider society
in Hong Kong, and beyond.
To move research out of the lab or published journal and into
use in society, the University has a well-established knowledge
transfer infrastructure handling patent applications and its
IP portfolio, licensing proof-of-concept support, and contract
research and consultancies. Research collaborations with local,
national and overseas institutions are encouraged as are strategic
industrial partnerships with major companies around the
world. The University’s own start-up culture among faculty and
students is fostered through a dynamic Entrepreneurship Center
and incubation support under the HKUST Entrepreneurship
Program, among other initiatives.
How Students Benefit
A “research-enriched” environment is seen as a great platform for
students to learn in ways that add value to a traditional university
experience. The popular Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Program is one example, providing “live” experience of research
team life ahead of graduation. Research postgraduates benefit not
only from the rich academic insights and networks of HKUST’s
senior faculty, but also from a Professional Development initiative,
driven by the Office of the Vice-President for Research and Graduate
Studies. Courses encompass a broad range of skills, from writing
proposals and ethical behavior to entrepreneurship, to build a
strong foundation as well as analytical and practical competencies.
“The aim is to provide a more comprehensive education, equip
students with a wider range of professional competencies beyond
the usual mentor-student research-focused relationship,” said
Prof Joseph HW Lee, Vice-President for Research and Graduate
Studies. “Such self-development increases their exposure and,
from that, confidence and self-respect. This in turn widens the
future prospects of our postgraduates.”
Ready for the Future
To keep moving at the frontiers of the vastly expanded realm of
knowledge created by advancement in science and technology
in many fields and explore the fresh possibilities arising, HKUST
is currently building on its established strengths to broaden its
research across Schools. This is being encouraged through cross-
disciplinary faculty cluster hiring in areas identified as highly
significant for future social development. The pinpointing of
data science, sustainability, autonomous systems and robotics,
public policy, and design thinking and entrepreneurship took
place through a demanding consultative process involving all
20 of the University’s departments and divisions together with
senior research management.
“Tackling many of the most challenging research topics of
today involves solution-building across different fields, not only
one,” Prof Shyy noted. “This is not an easy task. But we see it
as highly important and timely to foster such an environment.
When you put the right capabilities and expertise together, the
results can be remarkable. We could be making game-changing
contributions, a trendsetter of a domain.”
Providing the environment to inspire the younger generation
to recognize the significance and thrill of discovery in a research
career is also an on-going endeavor. The pure joy that can be
generated by research is something both Prof Shyy and Prof
Lee, as world-renowned specialists in their respective fields of
aerospace engineering and environmental engineering know all
about. “You collaborate, yes. You have partners, yes. But, in the
end, it is really up to you to unlock whatever mystery you are
trying to figure out or the invention you are seeking to develop,”
Prof Shyy said. “It is you versus the unknown.”
