Katie Ka Yan

Chemical engineering plays a crucial role in manufacturing chemicals, improving the quality of products, saving our environment, and solving health-related problems. It is a hybrid mix of mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, and computation, requiring high levels of problem-solving skills and analytical skills. I enjoyed studying physics and chemistry in Secondary School, realized my passion for chemical engineering. HKUST Engineering was surely my top priority in the JUPAS application, as it is the only institution that provides chemical engineering in Hong Kong, and is also famous for its research achievements and abundant resources to support students’ development and interests. I feel motivated to learn what I like, no matter how much time and effort it takes. I love how engineers can apply what they learnt to solve problems, from tiny problems in the household to huge problems on a global scale.

I particularly enjoyed being a part of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (CBE) . I got to meet many like-minded friends to spend time with and contribute to the CBE community, and also to know a lot of faculty members who are experts in the field and have various research interests. With the tremendous amount of opportunities offered at HKUST, I continue to challenge myself to try something entirely new, such as doing research as an undergraduate and being an Engineering Student Ambassador (in which I tried video shooting for the first time!). I am always willing to go the extra mile to contribute to the community and improve myself.

With my experience in exploring my interests and realizing my passion, I hope to introduce the field of engineering to prospective students and also to offer guidance to first-year engineering students in their university lives. Thanks to the ESA program, I get to meet people from diverse backgrounds and also obtain important life skills to become a well-rounded person.