Michael Ka Hin

I had always been a curious kid who was enthusiastic about science and engineering. I was not a typical good student back in high school and have gotten myself into trouble more times than I can remember. However, this troublemaking kid would somehow quiet down in science classes. I did not realize it at the time, but in retrospect, this is a consistent reminder to me of the importance of passion - loving what you do is key.

This passion drove me into one of the best programs HKUST offers — the International Research Enrichment Program in the School of Science. But after studying for a year, I gradually realized that my true passion lies not in scientific research, but in how to implement ideas to solve real-world problems. Therefore, in my second year, I switched to the Dual Degree Program in Mechanical Engineering and Business.

To me, university entails more than just pure studying and getting good grades, we have all done enough of that in high school. University is a journey of self-discovery; it is a sandbox for you to jump out of your comfort zone, and find your aspirations through trial and error. I am proud to say that HKUST Engineering has provided me with every resource and opportunity I could have hoped for to enable me to do just that, from projects that allowed me to hone my technical skills in prototyping and programming, all the way to case competitions and programs that allowed me to network and learn alongside other students. I came to HKUST expecting to learn about engineering. But in hindsight, I found myself taking away so much more.