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University-wide List of Academic Units

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ScopeUniversity-wideEra2020sGenreDataThemeUniversity origins

Below is a comprehensive inventory of the schools, departments, divisions, and principal affiliated academic bodies on the Clear Water Bay main campus of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). The information is sourced from the official HKUST academic structure directory and individual departmental pages, and is current for the 2025–26 academic year.

1. School of Science

The School of Science comprises the following five academic units:

Unit English Name Abbreviation
Department of Chemistry Department of Chemistry CHEM
Department of Mathematics Department of Mathematics MATH
Department of Physics Department of Physics PHYS
Department of Ocean Science Department of Ocean Science OCES
Division of Life Science Division of Life Science LIFS

2. School of Engineering

The School of Engineering houses six departments and one division:

Unit English Name Abbreviation
Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering CBE
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering CIVL
Department of Computer Science and Engineering Department of Computer Science and Engineering CSE
Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering ECE
Department of Industrial Engineering and Decision Analytics Department of Industrial Engineering and Decision Analytics IEDA
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering MAE

The Division of Integrative Systems and Design (ISD) was established in 2017 under the Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS). It maintains close ties with the School of Engineering, and its teaching and research activities span multiple engineering departments.

3. School of Business and Management

The School of Business and Management comprises six departments:

Unit English Name Abbreviation
Department of Accounting Department of Accounting ACCT
Department of Economics Department of Economics ECON
Department of Finance Department of Finance FINA
Department of Information Systems, Business Statistics and Operations Management Department of Information Systems, Business Statistics & Operations Management ISOM
Department of Management Department of Management MGMT
Department of Marketing Department of Marketing MARK

4. School of Humanities and Social Science

The School of Humanities and Social Science comprises two divisions and an affiliated unit:

Unit English Name Abbreviation
Division of Humanities Division of Humanities HUMA
Division of Social Science Division of Social Science SOSC
Center for Language Education Center for Language Education CLE

5. Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies

The Academy of Interdisciplinary Studies (AIS) houses:

Unit English Name Abbreviation/Remarks
Division of Integrative Systems and Design Division of Integrative Systems and Design ISD (established 2017)
Division of Emerging Interdisciplinary Areas Division of Emerging Interdisciplinary Areas EMIA

6. Independently Operating Interdisciplinary Units

The following units operate independently or across schools within the academic structure:

Unit English Name Type
Division of Public Policy Division of Public Policy Division (cross-school)
Center for Education Innovation Center for Education Innovation Academic support
HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study HKUST Jockey Club Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) Research institute
IAS Center for Quantum Technologies IAS Center for Quantum Technologies IAS-affiliated

7. Major Research Institutes, Centres and Laboratories

The following are the principal research units affiliated with each school; small-scale laboratories housed within individual departments are not listed.

Research units affiliated with the School of Science

Research Unit Parent Department
State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience Division of Life Science
Biotechnology Research Institute Division of Life Science
William Mong Institute of Nano Science and Technology Department of Physics
Big Data Institute Department of Mathematics
Energy Institute Department of Chemistry
Center for Stem Cell Research Division of Life Science
Center for Epigenomics Research Division of Life Science
Center for Fundamental Physics Department of Physics / IAS
Center for Metamaterials Research Department of Physics
Center for Quantum Materials Department of Physics
Center for Chinese Medicine R&D Division of Life Science
National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction (Hong Kong Branch) Department of Chemistry

Research units affiliated with the School of Business and Management

Research Unit
Center for Business Strategy and Innovation
HKUST Finance Research Institute
LKK Institute of Supply Chain Management
and 7 other centres, bringing the total to 9

Research centres affiliated with the School of Humanities and Social Science

Research Unit
Center for Chinese Linguistics
South China Research Center
Center for Global China Studies

8. Student Support Centres Affiliated with the School of Engineering

Centre English Name
Center for Engineering Education Innovation Center for Engineering Education Innovation (E2I)
Center for Global and Community Engagement Center for Global and Community Engagement (GCE)
Center for Industry Engagement and Internship Center for Industry Engagement and Internship (IEI)
Academy for Bright Future Young Engineers Academy for Bright Future Young Engineers (ABFYE)
Student Innovation for Global Health Technology Student Innovation for Global Health Technology (SIGHT)
Academy for Continuing Education Academy for Continuing Education (ACE)

Notes

  • The list above references the Clear Water Bay main campus. For the academic structure of HKUST(GZ) — based on the Thrusts/Hubs model — please refer to the relevant entry in Module 09 (Internationalisation and Partnerships) of this site.
  • The School of Medicine has been approved for establishment (government announcement on 18 November 2025) and is expected to admit its first cohort in the 2028/29 academic year. It is not yet integrated into the current departmental structure; further details can be found in Module 11.
  • Departmental abbreviations follow the standard codes used in course catalogues. Some course codes match the department abbreviation (e.g., MATH, PHYS), while others differ.

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