#researchwithoutboundaries

The IPO Best Research Award was established in 2011 with the support of the Provost’s Office to recognize outstanding achievements by research postgraduate students who made the most original and influential research achievements outcome from their study that has been carried out mainly at HKUST.  The key objective of the Best Research Award is to foster the overall quality of research education in the University.  The Award has two categories – the PhD and the MPhil category.

The IPO Best Research Award 2021/22 was contested by highly productive students of IPO, who have in all instances excelled in academic performance. For the PhD category, the first prize was awarded to Dr. Jinjian LI (PhD in Environmental Science, Policy and Management program, Class of 2021) in light of her numerous publications and her outstanding innovative work on an online Aerosol Nitrogen Analyzer. The runner-up prize was given to Mr. Tilman Leo HOHENBERGER (PhD in Atmospheric Environmental Science program, Year 5) for his substantial contribution to develop new data analysis and integration techniques to measure urban air quality.

For the MPhil category, Ms Veronica Qin Ting LI was awarded the first prize to honor her policy research on using personal data and digital applications to improve information management on COVID-19.

The Selection Committee, comprising Prof Benjamin STEUER (Chair), Prof Dasa GU and Prof Eun Soon IM from the Division of Environment and Sustainability, Prof Kira MATUS and Prof Magdalena KLEMUN from the Division of Public Policy, assessed candidates on the research impact and output on evidence-based criteria based on candidates’ work done at HKUST.  The Selection Committee hopes that the Award would encourage the students to continue their research work and make an impact to the society.

The IPO Best Research Award accepts both self-nominations by students or nominations by supervisors.   All research postgraduate students who are registered students of IPO in the award year, including those who graduate in Spring semester of the award year, are eligible to apply.  Nomination is normally invited in the Spring semester of an award year.