Courses

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Hong Kong SAR, China

Established in 1991, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is a world-class international research university dedicated to cutting-edge education and research. The University was founded with a mission to advance learning and knowledge through teaching and research, particularly in science, technology, engineering, management and business studies complemented by humanities and social sciences, and to assist Hong Kong’s socio-economic development. In just over 25 years, this young and high-achieving University has risen with miraculous speed to take its place among elite institutions, climbing to the peaks of international esteem and receiving numerous honors and accolades.

HKUST was ranked No.44 globally among 1,000 universities and No.1 in the world’s top 200 young universities by Times Higher Education (THE) in 2018. Our Schools also fly high individually. The School of Engineering is ranked No.18 in the THE World University Rankings by Subject – Engineering and Technology (2018) and No.2 in Greater China. HKUST Business School’s sought-after Kellogg-HKUST Executive MBA (EMBA) program has also topped the Financial Times EMBA global rankings eight times in the past 11 years.

At HKUST, we are committed to achieving excellence in education and research and to ensuring we contribute to solving the great challenges of our time, including sustainability, energy, healthcare, and more. Our research culture nurtures and facilitates collaboration and innovation, which is why our campus is a magnet for some of the best and brightest minds. Researchers at the University are encouraged to take a multidisciplinary approach, to explore and collaborate across scientific and geographical frontiers, and to engage with decision-makers, industry, and the public in pursuit of improving people’s lives. The diverse discoveries made by our researchers across the Schools of Engineering, Science, Business and Management, and Humanities and Social Science have led to many ground-breaking additions to the global knowledge base as well as practical technologies and applications transferrable to the world. We frequently partner with leading industries, and support and facilitate entrepreneurship among our students and faculty.

Website: http://www.ust.hk/

Additional Application Instructions

Students should submit an application to the HKUST online application system immediately after submitting their VSE online application.

English Language Proficiency Requirements

Applicants to VSE courses offered at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology are required to fulfill the following English language proficiency requirements set by The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology:

IELTS overall band 6.0; or
TOEFL paper-based test (PBT) 550; or
TOEFL computer-based test (CBT) 213; or
TOEFL internet-based test (iBT) 80

For applicants who do not possess the above test results, they must seek endorsement from their home institution to confirm their English language proficiency using an endorsement form.

Applicants are required to upload their relevant test results or the signed endorsement form into their HKUST application form.

The requirements are waived for applicants whose first language is English and/or studying in institutions where English is the primary medium of instructions.

For enquiries, please consult the VSE Coordinator at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Course Offerings for the semester from January to August 2021

APPLICATION CLOSED

Students must submit an application online before:
January 11, 2021 12:00nn Hong Kong Time (UTC+8)

Home universities must submit the list of endorsed students to VSE Central Office before:
January 12, 2021 12:00nn Hong Kong Time (UTC+8)

Click on the course titles to reveal full course details:

Number of Credits	3
Offering Department	Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering
Course Teacher	WONG, Tsz Wai Terence
Language of Instruction	English
First Day of Class	Feb 1, 2021
Last Day of Class	May 8, 2021
Course Component	Lecture
Mode of Teaching	Synchronous
Meeting Time	Mon 1330 - 1450 & Fri 0900 - 1020
Time Zone	Hong Kong Time (UTC+8)
Restrictions	Students must be from HKUST exchange partners.
Course Description	This course is designed as an introductory course in biomedical engineering. The aim of this course is to present some of the basic science and human physiology knowledge used by biomedical engineers and illustrates the first steps in applying this knowledge to solve problems in human medicine. The second goal of this course is to link knowledge of basic science and engineering to fields of specialization and current research. This course also introduces the sub-specialties in biomedical engineering and through real-life examples to emphasize the types of problems biomedical engineers solve.
Course Outline	English

Number of Credits	3
Offering Department	Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Course Teacher	LAU, Alexis Kai Hon
Language of Instruction	English
First Day of Class	Feb 1, 2021
Last Day of Class	May 8, 2021
Course Component	Lecture
Mode of Teaching	Synchronous
Meeting Time	Tue & Thu 1030 - 1150
Time Zone	Hong Kong Time (UTC+8)
Restrictions	Students must be from HKUST exchange partners.
Course Description	Big History as an emerging interdisciplinary framework, provides a long term perspective to see the world through reconstructing the history from the big bang all the way to the present. In such a longer time scale, overview of stars, planetary and species evolution, as well as concepts in climate change and how it is related to sustainability of the planet's environment for its current inhabitants, including humanity, will be discussed. The physical science basis, impacts, risk, mitigation and adaptation measures of climate change will also be investigated (including technical and social solutions). For local and regional vulnerabilities, such as extreme weather events, sea-levels rise, storm surge and coastal flooding, will be covered. The significance of collective learning under the big history framework, both as a driver for our exponentially growing impacts, as well as for better solutions, will be highlighted.
Course Outline	English

Number of Credits	3
Offering Department	School of Science, School of Engineering and School of Business and Management
Course Teacher	HUANG, Erwin
Language of Instruction	English
First Day of Class	Feb 1, 2021
Last Day of Class	May 8, 2021
Course Component	Lecture
Mode of Teaching	Synchronous
Meeting Time	Wed & Fri 1330 - 1450
Time Zone	Hong Kong Time (UTC+8)
Restrictions	Students must be from HKUST exchange partners.
Course Description	This course introduces various elements of starting an entrepreneurial journey, including team building, crowd sourcing, use of social media, etc. Based on an experiential learning model, there will be sharing from industry representatives in class while students will also have opportunities to gain authentic experiences in different industries and reaching out to network of co-working spaces. This course does not require students to have previous entrepreneurial experience or any form of business training.
Course Outline	English

Number of Credits	3
Offering Department	Division of Humanities
Course Teacher	DU, Daisy
Language of Instruction	English
First Day of Class	Feb 1, 2021
Last Day of Class	May 8, 2021
Course Component	Lecture
Mode of Teaching	Synchronous
Meeting Time	Tue 1500 - 1750
Time Zone	Hong Kong Time (UTC+8)
Restrictions	Students must be from HKUST exchange partners.
Course Description	This course examines the history and development of animation as an industry, an art form, and a technology around the world. It begins with early experiments with animation, the transition to sound and feature film, and the rise of the classical Hollywood studios such as Disney and UPA. It then moves to the representative artistic styles in other countries or regions, including the experimental animation of NFB in Canada, socialist realism under Stalin, puppet animation in the Czech Republic, anime in Japan, the National Style in China, and the McDull series in Hong Kong. This course explores a variety of animation forms, with a focus on cel animation, stop-motion animation, silhouette animation, direct animation, abstract animation, limited animation, TV animation, computer animation, and VR animation. It will also track the development of technologies and techniques in animated filmmaking, such as sound and color technologies, rotoscoping, pixilation, digital technology and motion capture. Related animation theories will be introduced throughout the course. The aim of this course is to build a foundation for undergraduate students and beginning graduate students who are interested in animation studies.
Course Outline	English

Number of Credits	3
Offering Department	Division of Integrative Systems and Design
Course Teacher	MOK, Luisa
Language of Instruction	English
First Day of Class	Feb 1, 2021
Last Day of Class	May 8, 2021
Course Component	Lecture	Laborartory
Mode of Teaching	Synchronous	Synchronous
Meeting Time	Tue 1200 - 1350	Tue 1400 - 1450
Time Zone	Hong Kong Time (UTC+8)
Restrictions	Students must be from HKUST exchange partners.
Course Description	This course aims to cultivate students’ appreciation of design and sense of aesthetic sensibility. This raises students’ awareness of design to the visuals and beauty of surroundings and equally important, solving everyday problems in an aesthetic way. Furthermore, the course familiarizes students with design language, which enables them to discuss design and exchange their viewpoints. The course covers design fields from city planning, architecture, lighting, cars, consumer products, to information, services and interaction design. Different design stories from different parts of the world are unfolded wherein the need, cultural and environmental specificity of the design in different societies and at different times are explained. Each week, a special topic is addressed, for example, form follows function, design and technology, color theory and so on.
Course Outline	English

Number of Credits	3
Offering Department	Department of Information Systems, Business Statistics and Operations Management
Course Teacher	JAISINGH, Jeevan
Language of Instruction	English
First Day of Class	Feb 1, 2021
Last Day of Class	May 8, 2021
Course Component	Lecture
Mode of Teaching	Synchronous
Meeting Time	Wed & Fri 1500 - 1620
Time Zone	Hong Kong Time (UTC+8)
Restrictions	Students must be from HKUST exchange partners.
Course Description	This course describes the development of technology and innovation from social and business perspectives. It covers the technology side of innovations, how an invention can be developed into a successful commercial product, the role of innovation in society and how innovations are created from a socioeconomic perspective. It highlights that successful development and adoption of innovative products relies not only on the technology itself but also a complex process that is subject to the impact of cultural, political, economic and managerial factors.
Course Outline	English

Number of Credits	3
Offering Department	Department of Ocean Science
Course Teacher	KO, Ice Wai Ping; YAU, Sin Ting Cynthia
Language of Instruction	English
First Day of Class	Feb 1, 2021
Last Day of Class	May 8, 2021
Course Component	Lecture
Mode of Teaching	Synchronous
Meeting Time	Tue & Thu 1330 - 1450 or Tue & Thu 1200 - 1320
Time Zone	Hong Kong Time (UTC+8)
Restrictions	Students must be from HKUST exchange partners.
Course Description	This course introduces students to the general concepts of environment, natural resources, and sustainable development. The topics include pressing global, regional and local environmental changes; life-supporting systems of our planet; biodiversity and its conservation; atmosphere, water resources, and their pollutions; solid and hazardous waste management; environmental health and sustainable development. Throughout the course, students will gain a sufficient background and a better understanding of the root-causes of the upfront environmental issues. They will also become more aware of their role, as citizens, in environmental protection and sustainable development.
Course Outline	English

Course enrollment is subject to final approval from your home university and the course offering university. Please contact the APRU VSE Coordinator of your home university for credit transfer information.

	APRU Virtual Student Exchange Program Central Office The Chinese University of Hong Kong
	Email: [email protected]