The College of Science and Engineering (the College) is a dynamic, forward-looking part of the City University of Hong Kong (CityU). Established in 1990, the College has become renowned for setting a strong pace for excellence in research and teaching, while simultaneously maintaining important and mutually beneficial links with various sectors throughout Asia-Pacific.
The College strives to not only provide excellent higher education opportunities, but also aspires to nurture and develop individual talent using an appropriate and applicable knowledge base that is always in touch with and fully supports ongoing social changes and economic advances.
CityU was among the world's top 50 universities in the fields of engineering, technology and computer science, according to the academic ranking of world universities published by the Shanghai Jiao Tong University in 2011. It is a testament to the faculty's hard work and sustained efforts.
The College continues to play an important role in helping the University maintain its prominent position in world standings by keeping meaningful research at the forefront of its approach to teaching and learning. This approach has already brought about some quite remarkable achievements: made evident by the establishment of two State Key Laboratories – specialising in the fields of millimetre waves and marine pollution, two joint laboratories with the Chinese Academy of Sciences and ten research centres. Furthermore, in 2009-2010, the College was awarded more than 1,000 funded research projects worth more than HK$550 million.
It is also important to stress that these accomplishments reflect the dedication and commitment to research by the College’s body of distinguished scholars. Among the faculty, seven staff members have been honoured as academicians, four are recognized by ISIHighlyCited.comSM as Highly Cited Researchers, while others have been awarded various prestigious international honours.
Despite the acclaim and success, the College does not rest on its laurels and will continue to broaden its research spectrum. On the teaching front, for example, the College strives to instil in its students the 4 Is: an International outlook; an Interdisciplinary background; an Innovative approach, and Interpersonal skills. Students will learn and implement these skills in the College’s nine academic units that possess expertise across diverse domains in science and engineering. Further advantages for students are made accessible by an interdisciplinary background honed through a highly active, interdepartmental/ divisional collaborative initiative.
In addition to delivering a forward-looking curriculum, the College gives enthusiastic support to students by allowing them to work hand-in-hand with faculty members in meaningful research activities. Students are also encouraged to exploit novel ideas and scientific innovation, and thus obtain an early taste of research during their undergraduate studies.
Students also benefit from the College’s extensive and close ties with various sectors of industry, and array of training opportunities carefully aligned with their major studies. The College has several well-established placement schemes that provide a platform to enable students to display and sharpen their professional and interpersonal skills in real-life settings. The College’s worldwide academic partnerships and exchange programmes also allow students to study at top universities around the globe. Indeed, since 2006, over 600 inbound and outbound students have taken advantage of the exchange programmes.
Drawing on these pillars of strength, the College will continue to nurture research excellence, and to provide students with a solid foundation for their future success by cultivating their talents to the full. I am confident that the College’s global focus and interdisciplinary approach will continue to steer it into the fulfilment of its stated aspiration to become one of the best science and engineering colleges in the Asia-Pacific region.
Jian Lu
Dean, College of Science and Engineering
