In Focus - Issue 34 (Spring 2022)

rof. MOWWai-Ho, appointed Associate Dean of Engineering (Undergraduate Studies) in the summer of , is a rm believer in the bene ts of wide- ranging exposure to di erent settings and perspectives to deepen all-round understanding and capabilities – and is keen to motivate School of Engineering (SENG) students to do the same in his new role. In particular, he is seeking to motivate students to take advantage of experiential learning, exchange opportunities outside Hong Kong once COVID- diminishes, and internships to broaden their horizons and challenge themselves. “The opportunities are there, but some students may not fully leverage them due to lack of con dence or proactivity,” he said. “The more eye-opening experiences you seek, the more capable you will become in managing the ever-changing scenarios in life.” The electronic and computer engineering expert recalled how he was initially more of a mental traveler than geographical explorer, being amazed as science teachers at his high school cracked complex text-based problems with equations and formulae, nally coming up with concise yet profound solutions. Excelling in mathematics, physics, and interested in electronics, he decided to make electronic engineering his major focus. He undertook undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where he completed his PhD in just two years, winning the Best PhD Thesis in Engineering Award, Young Scholar Dissertation Award, and publishing a book on sequence design. He then began to go global when a Croucher Research Fellowship and Humboldt Research Fellowship enabled him to carry out research at Canada’s University of Waterloo and Germany’s Technische Universität München (TUM) respectively in his late twenties and early thirties. He went on to teach at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, before returning to Hong Kong to join the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering at HKUST in . The combination of academic excellence together with local and international insights he acquired are what he is now seeking to encourage in SENG students through his involvement in steering the School’s undergraduate curriculum and policies. Noting that many Hong Kong students and parents are highly pragmatic in their approach to education, he views it as important to avoid being overly focused on “hot” job trends. “In view of the fast-changing world, they should instead build robust fundamental so and hard skills that are always needed,” he said. This would then allow graduates to take advantage of newer opportunities that emerge during their years at university, he added. The School is also moving toward greater breadth and depth within a discipline to bring greater exposure, and know-how within a eld through more flexible program structures and project learning to facilitate students in taking courses that are of the highest interest to them, he said. As such, he advises that students “seek opportunities one step at a time” to deepen their insights and understanding. “This will take them much further.” P 10 IN FOCUS Faculty Insight Gaining the con dence to take opportunities Prof. MowWai-Ho would like undergraduates to seek out eye-opening experiences to build their capabilities. As an Associate Dean, Prof. Mow Wai-Ho is setting out to motivate students to take a broader view of learning and life

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