It didn’t take long for Phisitchai Chavanachinda, or Pierre - a student graduated from Trinity International School, to pick the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) among his seven offers from universities in Thailand, Hong Kong and Canada.
“Many Thai people see Hong Kong as a vacation destination, but not many know about the city’s quality in education,” Pierre said. “My friends were all surprised when I told them there are many high-ranking universities there, and HKUST is one on the higher end – on par with top US universities like University of California, Berkeley and New York University, though at half of their tuition fees.”
HKUST, a young university with just 30 years of history, has soared quickly over the past decade in various global rankings. It was ranked 34th worldwide in QS World University Rankings 2022; and second in the QS Top 50 Under 50 2021 – which ranks the best universities in the world which are under 50 years old.
HKUST’s beautiful campus by the sea at Clear Water Bay in Hong Kong
While there are many great engineering students in Thailand, it was generally believed that many of them lack the business knowhow and the marketing skills necessary for pitching ideas to potential clients and investors. “While I am very passionate in engineering, I am sure business knowledge is very important as well. When I found that there’s a program combining the two, I know this is the thing I should go for,” Pierre said.
Now a third-year student studying for Dual Degree Program in Technology & Management at HKUST, Pierre said not only the cross-disciplinary program offers him a wider perspective in aerospace technology and business management, but the University’s rich and diverse extra-curricular activities also stimulate students to identify problems that confront mankind today and more importantly, to come up with original and innovative solutions. The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), for example, gave him the opportunity to remodel an aircraft to enhance its fuel efficiency under the guidance of a senior faculty when he was only in Year 1.
“It was a very fruitful experience,” Pierre said. “I never imagine I can a get a taste of research so young, it’s not only beneficial to my study, but also allows me to ponder if research can also be a future path for me.”
Pierre did a sharing at an international school in Hong Kong on his university life
As Hong Kong’s first research university, HKUST focuses on both basic science and how to translate knowledge into technologies that improve life and answer global challenges. At the onslaught of the Covid-19 pandemic, its faculty – of whom about a quarter, or 142, were rated by Stanford University last year as the world’s top 2% scientists, came up with many ground-breaking solutions. Those include an anti-microbial coating that wards off the Covid-19 virus for a prolonged period and an effective human tracking technology adopted by the Hong Kong government for its compulsory home quarantine policy, amongst many. Others include breakthroughs on climate change, sustainability, the underlying mechanisms and development of a cure for ailments such as cancers and neurodegenerative diseases, as well as advanced materials that can greatly enhance the performances of different spectrum.
With a strong culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, HKUST sees about 70 to 80 start-up companies springing to life by students, faculty and alumni every year. In a list of the unicorn startups published by Hong Kong X Foundation and CGTN last year, seven out of the 18 unicorns were founded/co-founded by HKUST members.
When HKUST’s new campus in Nansha, Guangzhou opens in September 2022, the resources and opportunities available to the HKUST community will be further enhanced. Not only that resources and curriculum will be shared between the two campuses, it would also be much easier for HKUST members to prototype their ideas as the new campus is situated next to a planned high-tech park.
Similar to many Thai Chinese, Pierre’s family has business connections in China, so studying in Hong Kong offers another upside, especially for those who wish to tap the opportunities offered by the Greater Bay Area.
Globally, HKUST also has over 310 collaborators – including Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Stanford University, University of Oxford, Facebook and Tencent. Wadeelada Thitisomboon, or Nink, who just graduated in 2021 with a PhD in Chemical and Biological Engineering, said the international exposure she gained at HKUST has helped land her a job in Dyson as a Characterisation Engineer.
“I managed to join many international events and seminars during my four years of study at HKUST, and I got to meet so many inspiring people – including Nobel laureates,” said Nink. “HKUST has many state-of-the-art research facilities. One reason that I gained the job in Dyson is because of my knowledge and expertise in using a rheometer – an advanced equipment I learnt to use at HKUST. I am lucky to have entered the University through the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme, but even if I haven’t, the tuition there is still much cheaper than that in a US institute.”
Nink met and exchanged with Prof. Michael Grätzel, winner of the 2010 Millennium Technology Prize - the highest accolade for innovations that improve the quality of human lives - at the Global Young Scientists Summit 2019 in Singapore
As a young university, HKUST is very agile in adopting new pedagogy in response to the ever-changing societal demand on the basis of a solid foundation of traditional disciplines. HKUST was among the first to launch the Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), and also one of the earliest to materialize cross-disciplinary teaching. It continues to introduce new initiatives such as Student Innovation for Global Health Technology (SIGHT) – a program that allows students to identify problems in the third-world countries, and proactively select and work with the local agencies to come up with creative solutions. “Major + X” is a framework for students to flexibly combine a science or engineering subject with new technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Digital Media and Creative Arts so as to allow better blending and application of these emerging knowledge. Students can even design their curriculum with courses from different departments, schools and even other universities, under the guidance of experienced educators.
Students at HKUST are offered many internship opportunities in major companies in Hong Kong, Mainland China and abroad – especially on STEM or business related fields. The Hong Kong government offers incentives to employers in hiring STEM students in both Hong Kong and Mainland China, and HKUST always matches the highest number of jobs.
Prof. Ekkachai Saenyasiri, Associate Professor of Business Education from the Department of Finance, said “As one of the most important business centers in the world, Hong Kong offers plenty of internship opportunities at top firms. Many students complete several internships with multinational firms before graduation. Hong Kong is one of the best career launching pads for students who want to expand their career choices around the world.”
Prof. Ekkachai Saenyasiri, Associate Professor of Business Education at the Department of Finance, HKUST
This is why HKUST graduates continue to be ranked as the world’s top 30 best employees in the Global Employability University Ranking and Survey commissioned by Times Higher Education. “HKUST fresh graduates’ average salary is around four times higher than their counterparts in Thailand,” added Prof. Saenyasiri.
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Learn more about HKUST’s programs and admission information: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxbIzKMZcOw.