The first recipients of the grants initiative involving Ford Motor Company were announced last Fall. A total of 23 Master of Science engineering students have benefited from the FordHKUST Conservation and Environmental Research Grants program, with research funding totaling HK$1 million. The students were honored at a ceremony held in October, with Mr Alan Mulally, President and CEO of Ford Motor Company, on hand to congratulate the students on their winning proposals, along with Prof Wei Shyy, Executive VicePresident and Provost, HKUST. The initial funding comprises equal donations from both Ford and the University. The grants support recipients’ expenditure, including research, field study and laboratory needs. The research is based around environmental sustainability and conservation engineering, with a focus on green motoring and transport. Among the areas covered by the proposals are the Winners of Ford Conservation Grants Program Honored Infiniti Offers Engineering Talents Chance with Top F1 Team optimization of heat management in hybrid-electric vehicles, powering vehicle A/C systems through recycled exhaust heat, and cooling automotive inverters by maximizing lithium-ion batteries and super-capacitor performance with nanomaterials. The research was carried out through to May 2014. “It is truly inspiring to meet these passionate, really smart students and discuss their innovative ideas,” said Mr Mulally. “These kinds of conservation solutions are so important to the future sustainability of the environment.” Prof Christopher Chao, Associate Dean of Engineering (Research & Graduate Studies) noted that he was confident that the students will make good use of the grants to advance technology that improves people’s lives: “The partnership will help support the development of engineering solutions to promote environmental sustainability.” Infiniti Red Bull Racing is currently Formula One’s most successful team, having won both the Drivers’ Championship and the Constructors’ Championship for the last four years. HKUST is therefore immensely pleased to have entered into a cooperation agreement with Infiniti Motor Company Limited that will offer top engineering students the opportunity to gain experience with Infiniti Red Bull Racing through the new Infiniti Performance Engineering Academy. On hand at the signing ceremony in October 2013 were Infiniti Red Bull Racing Formula One team ambassador Mr David Coulthard, Infiniti Formula One Global Director Mr Andreas Sigl, HKUST VicePresident for Institutional Advancement Dr Eden Y Woon and Dean of Engineering Prof Khaled Ben Letaief. Engineering students also engaged in discussions with the Formula One team at the event. HKUST is the only university in Hong Kong to be a part of this global talent search, and one of a handful in Asia. Students will be able to participate in the global selection process for the Academy. Two winners chosen from the shortlisted candidates from around the world will enjoy a year-long internship, split between Infiniti Red Bull Racing and Infiniti’s European Technical Center in the UK. Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Woon commented: “This is a great acknowledgement of the University’s world-class education and research, and high-flying engineering students. We hope to work closely with Infiniti on research and applications related to racing and road car technologies, and develop other programs to advance our students’ professional knowledge and skills.” It is envisioned that there will be opportunities to develop further cooperation. Ford-HKUST Conservation and Environmental Research Grants IN FOCUS 24
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