History
The history of the Faculty of Engineering at The University of Hong Kong dates back to the very foundation of the University in 1911 and the appointment of the first Chair of Engineering in 1912. Before the Second World War, it satisfied Hong Kong’s demand for qualified engineers, and also provided China with first-rate professionals. In the postwar era, its Department of Civil Engineering played a significant part in the rebuilding of Hong Kong and provided the professional talents to support the development of Hong Kong as a dynamic industrial centre in the 1960s and 1970s. A large proportion of Hong Kong’s senior engineers and managers in public utilities, government and industry are graduates of the Faculty.
Although the Faculty of Engineering remained small until the general expansion of the University in 1960s and 1970s, it kept pace with developments in the engineering world and is always in the forefront of engineering research. The Faculty began its first academic year in 1912-13, with 37 students out of a total of 54 undergraduates and had since developed into one of the largest Faculty in the University with five departments providing first-degree, postgraduate and research degrees in a number of important fields of modern engineering, technology and computer science. These include civil engineering, environmental engineering, computer science, information systems, computer engineering, electrical energy systems engineering, electrical and electronic engineering, mechanical engineering, building services engineering, communication engineering, communication and information technology, geotechnical engineering, industrial engineering and technology management, engineering management, electronic commerce and internet computing, logistics engineering and supply chain management, and software engineering.
As one of the University’s founding faculties, the mission of the Faculty is to innovate through world-class education and cutting-edge research; to conduct interdisciplinary and international collaboration to overcome regional and global challenges, and to create impact on knowledge-based economy through technology development and entrepreneurship. The emphasis is on the balance between technical and non-technical subjects, theoretical foundation and practical design and applications, and the education of the mind as well as the whole person.
The Faculty of Engineering has been making significant contributions to Hong Kong and the engineering community world-wide by nurturing top-rated engineers. Amongst our graduates, there are internationally renowned engineers as well as eminent community leaders, and a large proportion of Hong Kong’s senior engineers and managers in public utilities, government and industry are graduates of the Faculty. Our 40,000 strong alumni excelled in different industrial sectors, formed a strong network to contribute to the sustainable development of the world, and served as great supporters to their alma mater and mentors for our younger generation.
Today, the Faculty of Engineering continues to attract the best students from Hong Kong to study the many diverse programs, with an annual average intake of about 500 students into the undergraduate curricula, as well as over 1,000 postgraduate students for the taught and research postgraduate studies. With our world-renowned scholars and research facilities, we offer comprehensive broad-based education to our students, and our research achievements play a significant role in contributing to the betterment of the world.
The 4-year curriculum implemented in 2012 has provided greater flexibility in the selection of courses. In addition to the technical subjects, all students in the Faculty are required to take common core courses from the four Areas of Inquiry (AoIs): Scientific and Technological Literacy, Humanities, Global Issues, and China: Culture, State and Society. These AoIs are inter-related rather than mutually exclusive. Language skill is also a very important area of training for our students. All students are required to take English Language and Chinese Language courses. To equip students with practical working experience, most students are required to take Engineering Internship or Workshop Training in the summer after the first year of study.