News & Stories

By Henry Tye and Wang Yi, Chair Professor of Physics and IAS Professor; Assistant Professor of Physics, HKUST Scientific breakthroughs do not always make the front pages, but when an image of a black hole was released in mid-April, it became a headliner for days. What makes this photo so fascinating? There are multiple reasons. First, it is the first time humanity succeeded at photographing a black hole; in the past, scientists only inferred its existence from the effect black holes exert on their neighbors via its gravitational waves. Second, this picture confirms a number of theories we have long believed about these mysterious objects. People often ask: "How do you see a black hole?" Thanks to the immense energy emitted by its spinning accretion disk, this cosmological wonder is actually one of the brightest objects in the universe.

Prof Tom Hiu Tung Cheung and Prof Kam Tuen Law from Division of Life Science and Department of Physics respectively were honored the prestigious Croucher Innovation Awards 2015 by the Croucher Foundation for their distinguished scientific research achievements. Click here for further details.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWBgqAOXbBc&feature=youtu.be

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) President Tony F Chan today had an inspiring dialogue with Cambridge University Vice-Chancellor Prof Sir Leszek Borysiewicz at the Presidents Dialogue at HKUST. Cambridge University is one of the world's top universities, with 89 of its faculty and alumni having won Nobel Prizes. Prof Borysiewicz said that a world-class university must have focus and determination. He stressed that it is important to have good professors as they will attract good students. He stated that for Cambridge University, the key to success was the uncompromising pursuit of quality and excellence. He said that while competition encourages improvement, collaboration is also conducive to growth. On the research front, he stated that both basic and applied research should run in parallel as both are of equal importance. He added that HKUST has built a robust foundation and is primed for significant growth in the years to come.

Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) President Tony F Chan today had an inspiring discussion with President Jean-Lou Chameau of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) at the Presidents Forum at HKUST. Both HKUST and Caltech are elite universities, with relatively small student numbers but outstanding achievements by their faculty, alumni and students. The Presidents Forum is one of the celebratory activities for HKUST's 20th Anniversary. President Chan furthered his studies at Caltech after completing his secondary education in Hong Kong. Caltech is an internationally renowned university with a long history. Over 30 of their faculty or alumni have so far received Nobel Prizes. Related link: http://videochannel.ust.hk/Watch.aspx?Video=D1CCDA76128FE02E For media enquiries, please feel free to contact :

The 2010 Nobel Laureate in Economic Sciences, Prof Christopher Pissarides, shared his wisdom on labor market equilibrium at the UC RUSAL President's Forum organized by the Institute for Advanced Study of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today. Prof Pissarides spoke on "Equilibrium in the Labour Market with Search Frictions" - discussing the research that won him the 2010 Nobel Prize with two other scholars - Prof Peter Diamond of MIT and Prof Dale Mortensen of Northwestern University. He then had a dialogue with HKUST President Tony F Chan on his personal approach to academic research and world affairs, sharing insights with a general audience comprising mainly faculty and students.

Partnership between industry and the academia will play a critical role in underpinning the new economy as governments in leading economies turn to scientific and technological research as an engine of growth in the face of financial tsunami, according to Prof Matthew Yuen, Acting Vice-President for Research and Development at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Speaking at a technical conference in Taiwan - the AMD Technology Forum and Exhibit, Prof Yuen noted that one highly unanticipated outcome of the financial tsunami is that governments turn to increasing research funding to enhance their competitiveness. The G8 countries are pumping extra cash into areas such as energy exploration and medical research. He said that the recent G20 meeting in Pittsburgh epitomized the dawn of the New Economy as the globalized G20, evolved from G8, was designated as the premier forum for international economic cooperation.

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