L Advancing innovation ooking back at , it has clearly been an amazing months, lled with new beginnings and fresh endeavors at the School of Engineering (SENG). The launch of the SENG-managed, University-wide Division of Integrative Systems and Design was a proud occasion. We also welcomed the rst cohorts in several innovative undergraduate programs that span di erent departments, Schools, or address knowledge economy needs. Both developments are set to broaden the skill sets of our graduates to answer the burgeoning demand in elds such as robotics and autonomous systems, data analysis, and sustainable energy, as reported in our cover story and other articles in this issue of In Focus. The School’s strong global reputation for research and talented graduates has also led to a large number of collaborations with industry over the past year. We will be seeking to extend this in the year ahead, not just through joint laboratories but deeper understanding of where our discoveries and applications can be most impactful to society and companies. Such moves will help to ensure that SENG remains at the forefront of our fast-changing times, as an academic leader of engineering education, an explorer of novel frontiers, and a solution-builder to global challenges. As such, the School is set to play a major role in HKUST’s recently announced campus to be constructed near Guangzhou. This major University initiative will initially focus on multidisciplinary programs and postgraduate education and seek to underpin cutting-edge science and technology development in the Greater Bay Area, a national strategic development plan comprising Hong Kong, Macau, and neighboring cities. Working or undertaking an education in such a dynamic environment and area of the world, where investment in science and technology is receiving greater emphasis from both government and industry, and enthusiasm for new knowledge and making a di erence is high, makes the School a highly satisfying place to call home. Our % expansion of faculty members is underway. But in growth, our goal is not just size. Rather, we vigorously seek to fuel expanded scope and vision in emerging areas where we expect to excel, and society needs such expertise and talents to move on. In and beyond, I look forward to such an approach, and the many exciting opportunities opening up in the School and this part of the world, energizing our students, faculty, alumni, and sta to further new beginnings, achievement, and contribution. Prof. Tim CHENG Kwang-Ting Dean of Engineering 03 IN FOCUS Dean’s View
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDk5Njg=