Baggie Waponde

Before choosing engineering, I had to battle the general perception that engineering as a field is meant for a subgroup of the masculine gender with little or no social lives.  However, upon careful consideration and interaction with people in various engineering disciplines like civil, mechanical, chemical and computer engineering, I realized that is not often the case. I decided to pursue chemical engineering not only because of my interest in science, but also because we interact with chemical engineering systems and products which are vital to life on a daily basis. These range from cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, fuels, batteries as well as materials for advanced computing and smartphones. In addition, whether in large or small organizations, engineers seldom work alone which means there are countless opportunities of working with professionals in other disciplines. Also, the engineering training serves as a springboard for pursuing other fields of interest with greater success.

Based on my interest in research work, I chose HKUST for my postgraduate studies because of its excellent research infrastructure. It also has an international reputation with culturally diverse student population and top ranking faculty whose student-centered, innovation-driven and outcome-based approach to teaching and learning I have come to appreciate even the more. Furthermore, HKUST is located in Hong Kong, one of the best study destinations in the world.