Latest news with #HKUST
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
As US education system falters, Hong Kong is quietly becoming a global student magnet: Here's why
Amid US education system crackdown, students are looking towards Hong Kong as a better academic option. Amid growing concerns over the reliability of the US higher education system, from shifting immigration policies to political interference on elite campuses, Hong Kong is stepping up to redefine its place on the global academic map. With a sharp increase in international applications, expanded student quotas, and strategic outreach efforts, the city is attracting students and scholars who are reconsidering their traditional study destinations. A recent Times Higher Education (THE) report highlighted the dramatic shift, noting that Hong Kong universities are not only seeing more applications from the US but also from Europe, Africa, Australia, and Latin America. This diversification marks a notable departure from their earlier dependence on mainland Chinese applicants, signaling a new global ambition. Hong Kong's growing appeal Behind the surge is a series of deliberate policy moves. In 2023, the Hong Kong government raised the cap on non-local students from 20% to 40%, a significant leap that immediately expanded the intake potential for international talent. Simplified visa rules for research and teaching staff, along with a more coordinated recruitment push, have further eased the pathway for global students and faculty. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Live Comfortably: 60m2 prefabricated bungalow for the elderly in Sungai Raya Pre Fabricated Homes | Search Ads Search Now Undo According to the THE report, The Hang Seng University of Hong Kong reported a 50–60% increase in international applications over the past two to three years. And it's not just student interest that's growing. Universities across the city have also seen a spike in academic applications from regions such as North America, the UK, Africa, and Europe, an indicator that faculty mobility is responding to Hong Kong's renewed academic promise. HKUST and the global push The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), one of the city's top institutions, is a clear example of this trend. As per the same THE report, HKUST is hosting students from over 80 countries this academic year, with nearly half of its international intake now coming from outside mainland China. These students are drawn by Hong Kong's strong performance in global university rankings and its proximity to cutting-edge research hubs in the Greater Bay Area. In a move reflecting its responsiveness to global shifts, HKUST extended admission offers to high-performing students from elite US universities like Harvard, following growing unrest and uncertainty in the American education space. The university reportedly received hundreds of inquiries and responded with dozens of offers, an indication of how quickly students are reevaluating their options. Beyond the rankings: A strategy to retain talent Hong Kong's academic resurgence isn't just about attracting students, retention is the next big test. While streamlined policies have made entry easier, long-term success depends on the city's ability to support international graduates through work opportunities, collaborative research, and broader social integration. Experts cited in the Times Higher Education report argue that universities alone cannot create the full ecosystem needed to keep talent. Support from government bodies, industry partners, and civil society will be essential in ensuring Hong Kong doesn't just draw global minds, but also gives them reasons to stay. A turning point in global education? Just a few years ago, concerns around academic freedom, particularly in the wake of the 2019 protests, cast doubt over Hong Kong's future as an education hub. But today, it appears those fears are giving way to a more pragmatic global reassessment. With US institutions facing policy volatility and increasing scrutiny, Hong Kong's clear, research-driven strategy and regional connectivity are winning over a new generation of students and academics. In this shifting landscape, the global classroom may indeed be tilting eastward, and Hong Kong is quietly but firmly staking its claim. TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here . Ready to navigate global policies? Secure your overseas future. Get expert guidance now!
South China Morning Post
17-07-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
New AI medical imaging ‘cuts X-ray radiation by 99%', Hong Kong researchers claim
Hong Kong researchers have developed artificial intelligence (AI) technology that generates 3D bone and organ models for implants from X-ray images, which they claim reduces patients' radiation exposure by up to 99 per cent compared to computed tomography (CT) scans. The team at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) said they hoped that the technology would be adopted in the city's public healthcare system as it could lead to substantial cost savings and shorter wait times for generating 3D medical models. Currently, medical professionals rely on CT scans to produce 3D models of bones and organs for patients. However, this conventional method emits high levels of radiation, posing potential risks, especially to vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women, and elderly patients who require frequent monitoring. 'CT imaging is widely used in medicine, but it has drawbacks, such as high radiation levels, lack of portability, and long waiting times for patients to undergo CT scans in Hong Kong,' said Professor Li Xiaomeng, assistant professor from the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering at HKUST. 'X-rays are cost-effective alternatives, but their limitation is the inability to achieve high-definition 3D images. Our AI technology compensates for this weakness.' Li, who is also the associate director of the university's Centre for Medical Imaging and Analysis, said 500 patient cases were used to train the AI model and 120 sets of data to compare its accuracy to that of CT scans.
South China Morning Post
13-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong's dim sum trolleys are a tradition worth preserving
Dim sum trolleys that entice customers with tempting dishes used to be a familiar sight in Hong Kong. They are one of the city's best-known traditions. But as tastes and dining habits change, the number of restaurants using the iconic carts is dwindling. They are on the verge of becoming extinct. The closure of the Metropol restaurant in September, after 35 years, will therefore be keenly felt. The traditional eatery at Admiralty's United Centre prided itself on the warm and efficient service offered by its 'dim sum ladies'. Regular customers and long-serving members of staff will badly miss the restaurant. The closure highlights two trends. The premises have been purchased by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, joining others in the building used for classes. The city is seeking to establish itself as an international education hub. It is natural for there to be growing demand for spaces in urban areas offering convenience to students. But the closure also comes at a time when the food and beverage industry is facing severe challenges which have seen many restaurants disappear , including some serving dim sum. The problems range from the shifting demands of consumers to high rents, labour shortages and the trend of Hong Kong people visiting the mainland on their days off. There is a need for a concerted effort to help eateries survive – and for the industry to help itself. Restaurants need to adapt if they are to continue to appeal to diners. This is not easy for traditional eateries to do. Young people are seeking new experiences and a dim sum cart is, for many, not an exciting option. But there is a need to preserve the tradition. The remaining restaurants – and any brave enough to adopt this time-honoured form of service – must maintain high standards and promote their business well. The once-ubiquitous trolley restaurants are now so few in number that they are almost unique.
The Star
12-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Hong Kong's famous dim sum Metropol Restaurant to close in September as HKUST buys the space
A restaurant known for serving dim sum from traditional trolleys will close at the end of September after the venue was acquired by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) for HK$354.4 million (US$45 million). In a reply to the Post, HKUST confirmed on Tuesday that it recently reached an agreement to purchase a property at United Centre in Admiralty for teaching purposes. Records showed the location was the fourth floor, which had been occupied by Metropol Restaurant for more than three decades. 'The university's School of Business and Management has always been setting up teaching facilities in business centres in the urban areas to facilitate classes and interaction for its students and staff,' a university spokesman said. He added the university would use such spaces for other activities to support its long-term development and foster student growth. Records show that Hong Kong Ping Jeng Lau, which operated the Metropol Restaurant and other eateries, had owned the property since 1989. A restaurant employee told the Post that the establishment would remain open until September 27, but had not offered any reason for the closure. The restaurant opened in 1990 and is one of three eateries in Hong Kong operated under the Heichinrou Group, a Japanese brand of traditional Chinese restaurants first established in the Chinatown of Yokohama, Japan, in 1884. On the group's website, Metropol Restaurant is described as the brand's premium eatery for dim sum lunches and banquets. It can accommodate 1,200 people, has five private rooms and is available for small parties or banquets of more than 100 tables. The other two restaurants are located in Diamond Hill and Kwun Tong. A notice in Japanese on the business group's website announced the closure of all its restaurants in Japan on May 20, and that the company had filed for bankruptcy the following day. Metropol Restaurant is one of the few dim sum restaurants in Hong Kong that still serves dim sum from trolleys. In an interview with the Post in 2012, Billy Cheong, then senior vice-president and managing director at Heichinrou Group, said he expected that Metropol would be the only restaurant to still use serving trolleys in busy areas such as Central and Admiralty in the future. He said the rent would be too high for any other restaurant to keep the practice going, as it required operators to hire additional staff and incur extra costs. The restaurant's looming shutdown is the latest in a recent string of closures in the city's catering sector. The 36-year-old Super Star Seafood Restaurant abruptly shut down its last remaining branch last week. Bakery chain Taipan Bread & Cakes, which invented 'snow skin' mooncakes, closed all of its branches last month after 41 years in business. In May, 33-year-old congee restaurant chain Ocean Empire Food Shop also shut all its outlets. Among the reasons cited by some of the eateries were high rents, shifting spending patterns among locals, who often crossed the border for leisure, and declining consumption by visiting mainland Chinese tourists following the Covid-19 pandemic. Simon Wong Ka-wo, president of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants and Related Trades, said the situation had not improved in the catering industry as customers had become more cautious about spending money. 'Traditional Chinese restaurants encounter different challenges. The younger generation doesn't want to dine there,' he said. 'It's hard for the traditional restaurants to make changes; operators have to change their mindset and have to invest a lot to make changes. These restaurants are facing a lot of competition, and it is not easy to recruit new blood.' Vincent Cheung Kiu-cho, managing director of Vincorn Consulting and Appraisal, said it was difficult to find people who were willing to take over such restaurants as operating expenditures were high, including rent and the cost of ingredients and labour. 'Especially when the vacancy rate of commercial buildings is relatively high, if someone is willing to take over the property under such circumstances, it will be easier for the owner,' he said. Cheung said he believed there was a strong demand for facilities operated by tertiary institutions in urban areas as the government was promoting the 'study in Hong Kong' campaign to turn the city into an international education hub. He observed that some university campuses were in remote areas and they could be on the lookout for convenient locations to set up satellite centres for part-time students and those enrolled in external programmes. 'Having centres in the city centre can cater to their needs and provide accessibility for students to attend classes after work or on holidays,' he said. He added some educational institutions had been setting up satellite offices in the urban areas, citing the example of City University's acquisition of spaces in a Tsim Sha Tsui shopping centre. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Hot electrons from quantum dots break tough bonds using 99% less energy: Study
Imagine using just a flicker of sunlight to break stubborn chemical bonds that once required intense energy or toxic chemicals to split. This may sound almost impossible, but chemists at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) have found an interesting way to achieve it. By supercharging quantum dots, tiny particles thousands of times smaller than a grain of sand, they've developed a highly efficient, light-powered tool called a super photoreductant. This tool can revolutionize the field of organic synthesis, according to the researchers. Until now, quantum dots have shown promise as photocatalysts but have fallen short in practice. Their full potential was locked behind complex physics, and scientists struggled to unlock efficient hot electrons needed to drive challenging chemical reactions, but with the super photoreductant, this would change. Quantum dots (QDs) are nano-sized semiconductors that can absorb light and release energy in powerful ways. Researchers have long known that QDs could work as photocatalysts, substances that use light to speed up chemical reactions. However, despite years of research, they didn't outperform traditional small-molecule photosensitizers because scientists didn't fully understand how to control or boost their most valuable feature: the hot electrons, fast-moving electrons that can help tear apart strong chemical bonds in a target molecule. While scientists have explored ways to generate these electrons from QDs, doing so efficiently and under calm and non-damaging conditions, remained a major challenge. To overcome this, the HKUST team developed a new photocatalytic system using manganese-doped CdS/ZnS quantum dots. The researchers deployed a special quantum effect called the two-photon spin-exchange Auger process to produce hot electrons far more efficiently than before. This process allows two low-energy photons (particles of light) to combine their energy inside the QD to generate one ultra-energetic hot electron. Essentially, the team created a way for quantum dots to act like tiny energy multipliers, absorbing gentle visible light and converting it into a strong punch that can break bonds. The results were impressive. The system developed could drive tough reactions like the Birch reduction, a reaction normally requiring liquid ammonia and alkali metals. It could also break a wide variety of chemical bonds, C–Cl, C–Br, C–I, C–O, C–C, and even N–S bonds. Even more impressively, it could handle molecules with extremely negative reduction potentials down to −3.4 volts vs. SCE (Standard Calomel Electrode), which are usually considered too stubborn for light-driven systems. All of this was done using just one percent of the light energy needed by conventional systems. That's a big leap in efficiency. Moreover, the system allows researchers to turn the reaction on or off just by adjusting the light's intensity. This feature could be used to program complex sequences of reactions in the future, like a chemical computer. The discovery could have huge implications for how we manufacture everything from pharmaceuticals to plastics. For example, industries that rely on chemical synthesis could use the light-powered approach to reduce their dependence on harsh chemicals, lower energy use, and create less waste. The research also shows how quantum-confined materials, like these custom-built QDs, can unlock new types of chemistry that were previously thought impossible. "The study underscores the unprecedented potential of quantum-confined semiconductors to facilitate challenging organic transformations that were previously unattainable with conventional molecular photocatalysts," the scientists note. However, some challenges remain. For instance, these systems still need to be tested on a broader range of reactions and in industrial-scale conditions. The long-term stability and cost of producing such specialized quantum dots is also something that will decide the success of this approach. The researchers are now exploring ways to refine this light-based system to drive even more complex chemical transformations. The study has been published in the journal Nature Communications.
