Two of the School of Engineering’s leading academics have recently been awarded the prestigious named professorships in HKUST’s Named Professorship Program, which honors eminent faculty and recognizes donor supporters of the University. A total of four professorships were conferred at the second inauguration ceremony of named professorships held in April.

“I would like to express my most sincere gratitude to the donors and for their generosity in creating the named professorships,” President Prof Tony F Chan said. “The named professorship appointments ensure the University will maintain excellence in education and research by giving due recognition to our exceptional faculty. HKUST will continue its relentless pursuit for innovation in education and research, in addition to garnering support from society and recruiting talents for the good of the University and the community.”

“The professorship holders all excel in a diverse range of disciplines encompassing science, engineering, business, and others,” President Prof Tony F Chan added. “Their education and research accomplishments have constantly been placed at the forefront of international scholarship, helping the University develop into a world-class research university. The honorees’ passion for teaching and research also sets an inspiring example for students’ learning and personal development.”

The professorships were made possible by donations given to HKUST from four long-standing contributors to higher education. The two engineering-related ones are: Wong Check She Charitable Foundation and The Swire Group Charitable Trust. Ms Laura Lau, Head of Philanthropy of The Swire Group Charitable Trust, remarked that, “we have established the Swire Professorship in Aerospace Engineering to help HKUST build its first ever degree course in aerospace engineering into a world-class program that will strengthen the competitiveness of Hong Kong’s aviation sector and increase career options and opportunities for Hong Kong students.”

The appointed School of Engineering professors are:

Prof Qiang Yang, New Bright Professor of Engineering
The Head and Chair Professor of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Prof Yang began his academic career specializing in astrophysics, but switched to computer science, at a very exciting time in the field. He has BSc and MSc in Astrophysics from Peking University and University of Maryland, respectively, and MSc and PhD in Computer Science, both from Maryland, and joined HKUST in 2001, after professorships at University of Waterloo and Simon Fraser University in Canada. Prof Yang’s focus is on pushing frontiers in the areas of big data, data mining and artificial intelligence, particularly when it comes to making a difference to everyday life. In 2012, Prof Yang set up the Huawei Noah’s Ark Lab, which conducts state-of-the-art research in data mining, machine learning and artificial intelligence by exploring theories and building intelligent systems. His other area involves working with smart cities and the healthcare industry to build intelligent systems to provide better services, such as emergency alert systems for the elderly.

Prof Xin Zhang, Swire Professor of Aerospace Engineering
The Chair Professor of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Prof Zhang is a graduate of the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, where he gained a BEng in aerospace engineering, then won a scholarship to the University of Cambridge, where he completed his PhD in fluid mechanics. The expertise of Prof Zhang lies in two research areas: aircraft aerodynamics and aeroacoustics, and racing car aerodynamics and performance. His role at HKUST is to develop the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering as a center of excellence for aerospace engineering. The reduction of aircraft noise will be one of the key aspects of research. HKUST is supporting research in sustainable aviation, aerodynamics, and aeroacoustics with the establishment of a modern aeroacoustics research tunnel, a unique “wind tunnel” for aerodynamics and noise technology, set to open in September 2016. This unique world-class facility will play a major role in developing new noise reduction methods and technology.

In addition, Prof Jitendra V Singh, Dean of the School of Business and Management and Chair Professor of Management, was named Michael Jebsen Professor of Business with donation from Jebsen Educational Foundation. Prof Xiuli Chao, Visiting Professor from the University of Michigan, was named Fung Visiting Professor of Information Systems, Business Statistics and Operations Management with donation from Li & Fung.

With two newly appointed named professors, there are currently six named professors at School of Engineering. The four existing named professors are Prof Hoi-Sing Kwok, Dr William M W Mong Professor of Nanotechnology, from the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering; Prof Chung-Yee Lee, Cheong Ying Chan Professor of Engineering, from the Department of Industrial Engineering and Logistics Management; Prof Tongyi Zhang, Fang Professor of Engineering, from the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering; and Prof Matthew McKay, Hari Harilela Associate Professor of Electronic and Computer Engineering, from the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering. These professorships were created with generous donation from Shun Hing Education and Charity Fund, Stephen Kam Chuen Cheong Education Fund, Fang Brothers Group, and Dr Hari and Mrs Padma Harilela respectively.

Related link:

• HKUST press release