News & Stories

In celebration of International Women’s Day 2023, we have asked our staff and students to share their take on society’s expectations for men and women.

“More women and girls in science equals better science.” This is the simple equation proposed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres during February’s International Day of Women and Girls in Science.While women remain underrepresented in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, the last decade has seen more and more ambitious female students enter and advance in traditionally male-dominated technical professions. Below, we speak to three promising young women who have benefited from HKUST’s pioneering WISE (Women in Science and Engineering) scholarship’s aim of enabling top caliber female students to realize their STEM dreams. Striving to make their marks in fields of aerospace engineering, physics, and computer science, all three WISE students are an inspiration for younger girls who wish to use technology and innovation to positively impact our world.A WISE Move for Taking Off 

For many of us, the prospect of soothing our tired bodies and minds under a long hot shower is a temptation just too good to resist. Students needing to unwind while stressed out during exam season are an excellent example. However, the longer we linger in the shower, the more water simply spirals down the drain. And the question is - Have we ever tried to understand how much water we waste when showering?  “I used to spend 30 - 40 minutes showering every day,” says Ann, a Year 2 Engineering student from UG Hall V. While many experts argue showers lasting over 10 minutes are excessively wasteful, very few of us worry because easy access to safe and clean tap water is something we take for granted. The new showerheads have helped cut around five minutes off my daily shower times.

Eight HKUST female faculty members share their experiences of breaking the glass ceiling and how they use research to make a difference.

Our non-local students' stories will equip younger readers with valuable insights into making the most of university life

People who suffer from diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration would usually be treated with intravitreal eye injections — a procedure to deliver drugs directly to the eye using a thin, tiny needle. This invasive treatment involves a certain degree of risk and the scary-looking procedure is surely not for the fainted heart. Langston SUEN and his fellow researchers at HKUST explored an alternative method of non-invasive drug delivery using ultrasound as part of his PhD studies at the University. Now he is working with pharmaceuticals to bring the technology to market. 

Prof. Rhea LIEM's career is one that has been forged in adversity. A convergence of crises, both familial and societal, led to her making decisive career choices at a young age. “My life was turned upside down, but actually in a good way," says Prof. Liem, Assistant Professor of Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, who recently won the University Grants Committee (UGC) Teaching Award 2021 under the category of Early Career Faculty Members.

 Sixty years ago, the whole world was gladly amazed when the first human blasted into space; over the years, hundreds of exploration missions have been deployed to extend our knowledge and understanding of the universe. Of all the space mysteries scientists still hope to solve, black holes remain the strangest and most mysterious phenomena we know so little about. After decades of effort, scientists finally reached a major milestone when they came face to face with a black hole by capturing its first-ever image in 2019, and a more detailed one earlier this year. The ground-breaking images show the supermassive black hole at the center of Messier 87, a galaxy about 54 million light-years away from Earth. The black hole's mass is equivalent to 6.5 billion suns.