Pioneering Workshop Promotes Collaboration The 1st EPFL-HKUST Workshop on Computer and Communication Sciences, involving faculty from the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and strategic partner École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) of Switzerland, was held at HKUST in October 2013. It focused on a range of topics including artificial intelligence, cloud computing, database, and crowdsourcing and big data, with the aim of promoting research collaboration and exchange between the computer science faculty and postgraduate students at EPFL and HKUST. The workshop featured talks by eight HKUST professors, namely Profs Gary Chan, Lei Chen, Lin Gu, Pan Hui, James Kwok, Qiong Luo, Dimitris Papadias and D Y Yeung, and four EPFL professors – Profs Babak Falsafi, Boi Faltings, Matthias Grossglauser and Pearl Pu. Students Gain Exposure at Anniversary Event To celebrate the setting up of Microsoft Research Asia (MSRA) Lab 15 years ago and the Ministry of Education HKUST-MSRA Key Lab 10 years ago, the Department of Computer Science and Engineering organized the MSRA Hong Kong Day at HKUST on November 19, 2013. The event featured an HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study Lecture “Transforming the Impossible to the Natural” by Prof HsiaoWuen Hon from MSRA, poster and demo session, and the 10th ACM-HK Student Research and Career Day. The latter event was co-organized by the Association for Computing Machinery in Hong Kong and MSRA with a view to enabling computer science and engineering students from universities across Hong Kong and Macau to gain exposure in a conference, present their innovative research work and share research ideas and experiences. Prof Wilson Tang Memorial Fund Awards Launched In memory of the late Prof Wilson Tang, Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering from 1996-2002, the Prof Wilson Tang Memorial Fund was set up in 2012. Using the investment return from the memorial fund and matching support from the University, School of Engineering and the Department, the scholarships, prizes and bursaries were launched in the 2013-14 academic year. In honor of Prof Tang’s devotion to educating the youth, nurturing talents and promoting intellectual excellence, four different awards are provided, namely The Professor Wilson Tang Engineering Scholarship, The Professor Wilson Tang Scholarship, The Professor Wilson Tang Prize and The Professor Wilson Tang Bursary. Condolence We are deeply saddened to report that Prof Moe M S Cheung, former Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (2003-2009), passed away peacefully in Hong Kong on March 2, 2014, aged 69, with his wife at his side. He joined HKUST in 2003, and under his leadership the department thrived. He enjoyed a distinguished academic career in which he made significant contributions in the areas of finite element and finite strip analysis in civil engineering, particularly in structural and bridge engineering. His outstanding achievements were internationally recognized by numerous awards and honors. He retired in 2011, but remained active in research, teaching and public service. He loved his students and mentored numerous graduate students and younger colleagues. Even after retirement, while in Hong Kong he would come to HKUST almost daily to undertake his research. His wisdom, kindness, and gentle and embracing nature will be sorely missed. 27 IN FOCUS
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