29 28 HKUST Annual Report 2020-2021 CONNECTING PEOPLE AND COMMUNITIES Building Heritage Knowledge In relation to cultural heritage, the University’s South China Center continued to build up community knowledge about local and South China traditions and customs through participation in the three-year Yim Tin Tsai Arts Festival pilot scheme, launched in 2019 and organized by the Tourism Commission. Located on a small island off Sai Kung, Yim Tin Tsai is home to a 300-year-old Catholic Hakka village. Festival-related activities over 2020-21 encompassed a tree-planting project in the village, an exhibition on village life and Hakka culture, and consultancy on the creation of an audio-visual exhibition hall. ALUMNI PACE-SETTERS Fast Forwarding Fresh Graduates and Young Entrepreneurs An Alumni Co-op program was launched to help students develop the skills and knowledge to have a successful career through a six-month work placement and guidance by an alumni mentor. The initiative is HKUST’s first creditbearing work placement program that systematically matches up students with alumni employers and mentors. Alumni coach students on different career development topics during the placement. Meanwhile, HKUST United, a program that leverages the alumni network to help fresh graduates through challenging times in the job market due to COVID-19, resulted in almost 500 job postings over the year. Online workshops, focus groups, and sharing sessions with alumni in different fields took place, providing advice on kickstarting a career to students. The experiential learning and internship needs of HKUST(GZ) Pilot Scheme students were also addressed by partnering with alumni and corporate giants involved in smart electric cars, smart manufacturing, fintech, environmental consultancy, and higher education institutions. During 2020-21, start-up OFLO was able to implement a one-month trial of the company’s proprietary walkie-talkie technology for Android phones, as part of the Full Circle @ HKUST initiative. This scheme opens up opportunities for alumni businesses to showcase novel ideas and approaches on campus in line with the University’s goal of fostering an entrepreneurial community and where the innovation can add value to the HKUST community. Strengthening Bonds With the pandemic still restricting in-person gatherings over 2020-21, a Virtual Alumni Reunion was held in March 2021, br inging together Schools and alumni groups in Hong Kong, the Mainland, and overseas. The successful event drew more than 1,200 alumni globally for a fun and inspiring online get-together. The same month saw the election of a new HKUST Convocation Standing Committee. The Convocation serves as an essential communication channel between the alumni community and HKUST, enabling both to keep informed of developments and to share their views. INSPIRING TOMORROW’S TECHNOSTARS Generating Enthusiasm for Science and Technology Community science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM) endeavors powered forward with the announcement that HKUST and Hang Lung Properties would jointly organize the biennial Hang Lung Mathematics Awards (HLMA) from 2021. The established initiative promotes mathematics and science education among secondary students and identifies young mathematicians with high potential. Students work in teams, under the supervision of a teacher, to identify a mathematics research topic, conduct independent research, submit a report, and if shortlisted, undertake an oral defense. Tuition scholarships for the University’s MSc in Mathematics for Educators are also offered to nominated teachers. In addition, the Academy for Bright Future Young Engineers received a further donation from Prof. Roy CHUNG, Founder of Bright Future Charitable Foundation, to fund the Academy for two more years and develop the Bright Future Cup Soccer Robot Competition for secondary and primary school students. First established in 2016, the Academy inspires school students’ interest in technology and engineering through a variety of workshops where they can interact with HKUST engineering students. FOSTERING FINTECH LEADERSHIP Seizing Opportunities in Digital Transformation HKUST co-presented a webinar on the post-COVID-19 role of fintech, together with the University of Chicago, attracting 10,000 viewers globally. The event featured prominent academics and leaders in fintech, including Prof. TAM Kar-Yan, Dean of the School of Business and Management. The experts offered diverse perspectives on how fintech can seize the opportunity presented by the digital transformation brought by the pandemic to grow and expand, with Prof. Tam sharing results from his study on virtual banks and insurers in Hong Kong. The University also participated in the launch webinar of the Hong Kong Academy of Finance’s Fintech and Digitalization program, presenting on the concepts and applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning. BROADENING CULTURAL HORIZONS Extending Creative Endeavors Arts and culture endeavors continued to play a significant role in the life of the University and connectivity beyond the campus during COVID-19. The opening of the University’s multipurpose Shaw Auditorium in late 2021 represents another major step in the integration of artistic awareness and excellence at HKUST and a closer relationship with the local community, with preparatory work for the launch of the landmark venue on-going over 2020-21. (See also p.35) In Spring 2021, the inaugural Conference of the Association for Chinese Animation Studies provided the University community and members of the public with a notable opportunity to engage with leading experts in the Chinese animation field from around the world, as well as view screenings via webinars. Another first saw the launch of HKUST’s Cosmopolis Festival, introducing the public and University to music from a cross-section of cultural, linguistic, ethnic, and economic backgrounds, and musical genres. In addition, the HKUST Arts Festival 2021, delivered an uplifting program under the apt theme of “Art, Despite the Pandemic”. This festival took audiences travelling through performances and exhibitions that celebrated different world cultures, including a novel interactive display creating a multisensory experience of the music and costumes of central Asia and the Middle East via multimedia technologies.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzkwMzc=