School of Engineering in Depth

The School of Engineering (SENG) at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) was founded alongside the University in 1991^※. It is now the largest school at HKUST, home to over 3,900 undergraduates and more than 3,300 postgraduates^※—accounting for over one-third of the University’s total student body—and its full-time faculty constitutes more than 30% of the University’s total academic staff^※. Built around a “360° Engineering Experience” educational philosophy, the School operates six academic departments alongside six student support centres, integrating education, research, and industry practice.

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# I. The Six Departments

# 1. Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE)

The Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) is one of SENG's largest and most internationally prominent flagship departments. According to the department’s official Fast Facts^※, it has 56 regular faculty members^※ (figures vary slightly across different counting points; other sources show 54), ranging from senior professors to junior appointees, plus visiting scholars. This makes it one of the largest computer science faculties among Hong Kong universities.

Student Numbers (2025–26):

CSE’s PhD cohort (around 466 students) far outstrips its MPhil cohort, reflecting a research-intensive orientation centred on doctoral training. The substantial numbers on the MSc programmes in Big Data Technology and Information Technology, meanwhile, are a direct response to insistent industry demand for AI and data talent.

Eight Research Areas: Per the official Fast Facts, the department’s research covers eight areas: Artificial Intelligence (including machine learning and knowledge representation), Cybersecurity, Data/Knowledge/Information Management, Human-Computer Interaction, Networking and Computer Systems, Software Engineering and Programming Languages, Theoretical Computer Science, and Vision and Graphics—a spread that spans nearly every major branch of modern computer science. The AI and Vision/Graphics areas draw particular external attention because of their close ties to industry booms in robotics, autonomous driving, and computer vision startups.

Subject Rankings:

• Times Higher Education (THE) 2025: Computer Science ranked 28th globally; 1st in Hong Kong for the 9th consecutive year^※
• QS 2025: Computer Science and Information Systems ranked 24th globally^※
• QS 2025: Data Science and Artificial Intelligence ranked 17th globally; 1st in Hong Kong^※

New Programme: Starting from autumn 2025, a new BEng in Artificial Intelligence^※ will be formally launched. The department continues to offer BEng in Computer Engineering, BEng/BSc in Computer Science, and the joint MSc in Big Data Technology with the Department of Mathematics.

CSE in HKUST’s Tech-Entrepreneurship Narrative: HKUST is often perceived as 「香港最像理工科技校的大學」 (“Hong Kong's most STEM-focused university”), and CSE is one of the academic pillars of that identity. In the University’s founding narrative, a few threads concerning CSE deserve to be set side by side. First, the coupling with the startup ecosystem—the broader computing cluster at HKUST (CSE + ECE) forms the academic soil for a genealogy of startups including DJI; multiple alumni-founded AI and computer vision companies (such as SmartMore and Fourth Paradigm—see Research Output and Spin-offs^※) have founders or core technical leads who came through CSE-related doctoral programmes. Second, resource tilts in the AI era—the University’s 2025 establishment of the Von Neumann Institute, focused on AI and algorithms research (see Historical Timeline^※), resonates directly with CSE’s strengths in AI and theoretical computer science. Third, taught-postgraduate alignment with industry—the large intakes on the Big Data Technology and Information Technology MScs embody the department’s role in serving the digital-economy talent needs of Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area. One could argue that to understand CSE is to understand the hardest-nosed piece of the foundation on which HKUST’s “built on technology” identity rests.

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# 2. Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering (ECE)

The Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering’s research spans chip design, integrated circuits, photonics, wireless communications, embedded systems, signal processing, and sensing and instrumentation. Undergraduate offerings include a BEng in Electronic Engineering and a BEng in Microelectronics and Integrated Circuits^※ (a new programme designed to meet semiconductor-industry demand in Hong Kong and mainland China). A full suite of taught postgraduate and research MPhil/PhD programmes is also available.

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# 3. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE)

The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering offers two undergraduate degrees—BEng in Mechanical Engineering and BEng in Aerospace Engineering^※—alongside multiple taught and research postgraduate programmes. Research areas cover energy systems, aerodynamics, fluid mechanics, advanced manufacturing, biomimetic robotics, and intelligent systems. DJI founder Frank Wang^※ was a graduate of the Mechanical Engineering programme, and his final-year project on a drone flight-control system laid the foundation for DJI’s subsequent development.

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# 4. Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (CBE)

The Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering offers three undergraduate degrees: BEng in Chemical Engineering, BEng in Energy and Environmental Engineering^※, and BEng in Bioengineering^※, as well as research MPhil/PhD and taught master's programmes. Research areas include catalysis and reaction engineering, nanomaterials, biosensing, fuel cells, drug delivery systems, and environmental engineering.

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# 5. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CIVL)

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers undergraduate programmes including BEng in Civil Engineering and BEng in Civil and Environmental Engineering^※ (a joint degree that incorporates a sustainable-development perspective), plus research MPhil/PhD and taught master’s programmes. Research directions cover structural engineering, geotechnical engineering, water resources engineering, environmental engineering, transportation, and smart-city infrastructure.

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# 6. Department of Industrial Engineering and Decision Analytics (IEDA)

The Department of Industrial Engineering and Decision Analytics offers two undergraduate degrees—BEng in Decision Analytics and BEng in Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management—and collaborates with the School of Business and Management on cross-disciplinary programmes. Its research focuses on operations research, supply chain management, data-driven decision-making, and financial engineering, and it holds considerable influence in Asia-Pacific industrial engineering circles. The department also delivers the engineering-side teaching for the Dual Degree Program in Technology and Management (T&M-DDP)^※.

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# II. Division of Integrative Systems and Design (ISD)

The Division of Integrative Systems and Design (ISD) was established in 2017 under the Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS)^※, with a remit to cultivate a new generation of technology innovators. ISD’s signature blend is “interdisciplinarity + design thinking + systems thinking + entrepreneurial spirit + hands-on practice.” It runs the BSc in Innovation, Design and Technology (IDT)^※ undergraduate programme, Hong Kong’s first degree course delivered primarily through experiential learning^※, which adopts a team-based and project-based pedagogy from day one.

Research directions include robotics (with medical and biological applications), sustainable energy, smart materials, and urban systems, with active links to industry and the startup ecosystem.

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# III. Six Student Support Centres

SENG houses six specialised centres^※ that underpin its “360° Engineering Experience”:

1. Center for Engineering Education Innovation (E²I) — Advances pedagogical innovation
2. Center for Global and Community Engagement (GCE) — Fosters social awareness and community contribution
3. Center for Industry Engagement and Internship (IEI) — Liaises with industry partners and facilitates internships
4. Academy for Bright Future Young Engineers (ABFYE) — Introduces secondary-school students to foundational engineering concepts
5. Student Innovation for Global Health Technology (SIGHT) — Develops technological solutions in health and wellness
6. Academy for Continuing Education (ACE) — Provides professional part-time upskilling courses

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# IV. Undergraduate Programmes at a Glance

Based on the 2025–26 programme catalogue^※, the School of Engineering (including joint arrangements with AIS/ISD) offers the following undergraduate degrees:

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# V. Postgraduate Programmes

The School offers research MPhil and PhD degrees; every department accepts applications for an integrated MPhil-PhD pathway^※ (the standalone MPhil phase cannot be applied for independently—entry is via the PhD track with an upgrade option). Taught master’s programmes include:

• MSc in Artificial Intelligence (jointly with CSE)
• MSc in Big Data Technology (jointly with the Department of Mathematics)
• MSc in Information Technology (offered by CSE)
• Specialist taught MSc programmes within individual departments (e.g., Financial Engineering, Environmental Engineering, etc.)

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# VI. Global Rankings

Both composite engineering rankings place HKUST as Hong Kong’s top-ranked engineering university, and within the top ten among all Chinese universities^※.

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# VII. International Diversity

SENG students come from more than 50 countries and regions^※, spanning six continents: Africa, Asia, Oceania, North America, South America, and Europe. The School has actively promoted female participation in engineering in recent years; the proportion of female assistant professors is now close to one-third^※.

Since HKUST’s founding, the School of Engineering has awarded over 45,000 degrees^※. Its alumni are active across the globe in every sector of the economy, as company founders, inventors, NGO leaders, and industry innovators.

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