#leadingwithoutboundaries

Year In Review 2021

It's almost the end of 2021! Let's look back to all the highlighted events at IPO throughout the year! 

• The Establishment of Division of Emerging Interdisciplinary Areas (EMIA)

• “Reimagine Education during COVID-19 and Beyond” - 2021 Winter Technology & Management International Business Plan Competition (IBPC)

The case challenge we brought to the students at the 2021 Winter Technology & Management International Business Plan Competition (IBPC) was, “How might we reimagine education during COVID-19 and Beyond?”. Students were equipped with knowledge and insights on post-pandemic education through a combination of online learning, in-person workshops, experience sharing by EdTech industry leaders and startup founders from MIT Hong Kong Innovation Lab, N3 EcoCorp, Talent Labs Ltd., Xccelerate, Find Solution Ai, and Big Bang Academy. Each team also received few hours of private coaching by industry experts which is a rare and valuable opportunity for undergraduate students.

To Read More: https://ais.hkust.edu.hk/whats-happening/news/reimagine-education-during-covid-19-and-beyond-2021-winter-technology

• TEMG4952B Special Project: “Machine Learning and Credit Rating Prediction”

The final presentation for TEMG4952B Special Project: “Machine Learning and Credit Rating Prediction” was held on 7 August 2021.  Students were challenged with the topic “How to use Machine Learning to predict financial institutions with highest probability of credit rating movement? And, supply supporting evidence?”. Through 6 weekends of intensive interaction with the corporate sponsor, students learned how wholesale bankers make business decisions, interpret corporate finance ratios and macroeconomic indicators.

To Read More: https://ais.hkust.edu.hk/whats-happening/news/temg4952b-special-project-machine-learning-and-credit-rating-prediction

• EVMT Local Orientation Study Trip 2021
  

In order to foster closer bonding between 2021/22 cohort freshman from Environmental Management and Technology (EVMT), a 3-day local orientation trip was organized for both Year 1 and Year 2 freshman students respectively. Year 1 students were taken on a field trip to High Island while Year 2 students were brought to Tai O. Through visiting different organizations and sites, students were led to study various environmental and sustainability topics. They also visited The Mills, Black Point Power Station, Fung Yuen Butterfly Reserve and the Hong Kong International Airport to learn how organizations tackle the fast-changing business and their environmental policy, and how technology helps promote sustainability.

To Read More: https://ais.hkust.edu.hk/whats-happening/news/evmt-local-orientation-study-trip-2021

• A Passion for Sustainability
  

Environmental Management and Technology (EVMT) alumni from Class of 2020, Connor KAM, has been passionate about sustainability since secondary school. He appreciated the specific design of his program EVMT to prepare students to work in environmental and sustainability field.  Now a ESG Consultant at EY, he advises the junior students to join volunteering activities during early years of study to gain exposure in collaboration and contribution with like-minded peers towards a common good goal. Networking is also valuable even for students to understand the up-to-date market development and get valuable insights from people in the industry about how to deliver ecologically and economically sound solutions and drive sustainability initiatives in the public and private sectors.

To Read More: https://ais.hkust.edu.hk/whats-happening/news/passion-sustainability

• IIM new majors
  

Two new students from Individualized Interdisciplinary Major (IIM), Saikey LEI and Hanya Efje BOULNOIS, created a major for themselves called “Anthropomorphism in Interactive Systems” and “Medical Engineering” respectively. Saikey thought that Anthropomorphism meant not only the user friendliness between the computers and human, but also the emotional aspect and the individual attachment, so he wants to develop the technology that could serve the emotional and spiritual connections between human and the machines. Efje’s primary focus was medical engineering by adapting various engineering components and putting integrative systems together to serve the patients.

• Hands-on AI Workshop
  

Partnered with the HKUST Robotics Team, the Division of Emerging Interdisciplinary Areas (EMIA) organized Hands-on AI workshops in November 2021 to provide students enrolled in the Extended Major in AI with hands-on experience in AI. The 2-hour workshop covering Google teachable and introduction to Python also provides an opportunity for students without any AI background to get a taste of AI. A total of 102 students attended the workshops instructed by Mr. Eric Leung from HKUST Robotics Team.

To Learn More about Major + AI Program, please view the admission talk at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fge4A10mK_4

• HKUST Collaborates with HKSAR Government on Solving Regional Ozone Pollution in Greater Bay Area
  

HKUST partnered with the HKSAR Government in a 3-year groundbreaking cross-border study to monitor the air quality on land, at sea and in the air, which will give us a more in-depth understanding of the formation and transportation of ozone in Hong Kong and across the Greater Bay Area. Using the state-of-the-art technology, a research team co-led by Prof. NING Zhi, Associate Professor, and Prof. Dasa GU as well as Prof. Zhe WANG, Assistant Professors of the Division of Environment and Sustainability (ENVR) at HKUST, have instigated a series of investigations in collaboration with the Environmental Protection Department and the Government Flying Service since August to develop the monitoring and sampling system for the capture and measurement of vertical and spatial nature of ozone, as well as the key precursors critical for ozone formation and transportation.

To Read More: https://ais.hkust.edu.hk/whats-happening/news/hkust-collaborates-hksar-government-solving-regional-ozone-pollution-greater

• IPO Faculty Are Recognized in the 3rd HKUST Faculty Recognition Ceremony

The 3rd HKUST Faculty Recognition Ceremony was held in July to acknowledge and applaud the outstanding research and teaching achievements of the University’s faculty members in the 2018/19 and 2019/20 academic years. Prof. King Lun YEUNG from Division of Environment and Sustainability (ENVR), Prof. Richard SO and Prof. Pan HUI, Affiliated Faculty of the Individualized Interdisciplinary Major (IIM) Program were among the honorees to receive the award. Prof. YEUNG and Prof. SO are recognized for their outstanding contributions to the fight against COVID-19 and we will continue to contribute to the anti-pandemic battle.

To Read More: https://ais.hkust.edu.hk/whats-happening/news/ipo-faculty-are-recognized-3rd-hkust-faculty-recognition-ceremony

• IPO PhD Graduate was Nominated to Join IDEA League's Doctoral School on “Ethics of Science & Technology”  
  

Athar MANSOOR, a 2021 PhD graduate in Public Policy (PP), was nominated to participate in the Doctoral School on “Ethics of Science & Technology” in April - June, organized by the IDEA League, an alliance of 5 leading European universities of science and technology. In August, Athar also published his research on child obesity in the British Medical Journal, along with other Salzburg Global Seminars (SGS) fellows, to call on governments to prioritise child obesity as they implement measures to recover from the pandemic.

To Read More: https://ais.hkust.edu.hk/whats-happening/news/ipo-phd-graduate-was-nominated-join-idea-leagues-doctoral-school-ethics

• IPO Lightning Talks for Research Postgraduate Students

The IPO Lightning Talks for Research Postgraduate (RPg) students were held on 20 and 27 April 2021. It provides a platform for RPg students to exchange research insights and experience how to pitch their research work to audiences with diverse backgrounds and interests. During the Lightning Talks, each speaker gave a presentation of 5-6 minutes to introduce their research work and answered questions from the floor.

To Read More: https://ais.hkust.edu.hk/whats-happening/news/ipo-lightning-talks-research-postgraduate-students

Have a great year of 2022 which is blessed with hope and optimism!