24 IN FOCUS Creativity Food for thought Jocelyn BEng in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering ( ) I am Jocelyn from Indonesia, and, yes, that is my full name. I am ethnic Chinese yet don’t speak or read the language very well. Given this background, I had never really thought of studying in a city such as Hong Kong until my nal year of high school. I decided to join HKUST as its programs are taught in English, the University is internationally recognized, seemed to provide a global learning atmosphere on campus, and o ered a variety of learning and research opportunities. Moreover, HKUST is the only university in Hong Kong to o er a degree in Chemical Engineering, a subject I had decided to pursue when still at school. At HKUST, I found that chemical engineering is not all about oil, nuclear power, or specialty chemicals, but also the food and drugs we consume, water treatment, and more. Courses have been more challenging than expected but at the same time more engaging and rewarding. For example, I undertook a common core course about food science and technology, run by my department and taught by Prof Marshal Liu. I enrolled mainly because I have always been keen on nutrition and health. The course comprised lectures along with lab experiments, a plant visit, and a food design project, making it fun to attend as well as useful. To carry out the experiments and project, we had to actually make food ourselves while still learning the science. I had never even fried an egg properly before. However, I managed to bake my rst cookies in a chemistry lab (and they tasted ne!). With the majority of students coming from other disciplines for that course, I also learned how to work well in a group of people with diverse backgrounds and to learn from others. I thought this was a great introductory course to food science, processing technologies, and further studies in these areas. Or simply to help with deciding whether to have salad or oatmeal for breakfast! Just try it! Experiential learning takes many forms at the School of Engineering.Two undergraduates discuss contrasting opportunities to combine knowledge and practical skills Jocelyn enjoys a hands-on way to learn about food science.
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