Student Enrichment Programmes

The Faculty of Engineering is committed to nurturing its students as global citizens and providing them with education opportunities that foster international perspective and intercultural understanding through its curriculum and various student exchange opportunities.

Apart from the HKU Worldwide Undergraduate Student Exchange Programme offered by the International Affairs Office (IAO), Engineering students can also join the Faculty Exchange Programme to study in prestigious institutions in countries such as United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Norway, Japan, Singapore and South Korea, for one semester or one academic year.

An average of 15-20% of Engineering students are going abroad every year. Some examples of the Universities are:

• Canada: McGill University, University of British Columbia, University of Calgary, University of Toronto, University of Waterloo
• US: Drexel University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Princeton University, Tufts University, University of California, Berkeley, University of California, Los Angeles, University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• UK: King’s College London, University College London, University of Cambridge, University of Edinburgh, University of Nottingham
• Germany: Bremen University of Applied Sciences, Technische Universität Darmstadt
• Finland: Aalto University
• Spain: University of Navarra
• South Korea: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)
• Singapore: Nanyang Technological University, National University of Singapore
• Australia: Monash University, University of Melbourne, University of New South Wales, University of Queensland

Experiential learning is regarded as an integral part of students’ learning experience, and internship/industrial training is the most important component of experiential learning, which is compulsory for most of the BEng degree programmes.

Students normally spend six to eight weeks in summer after their third year of study as internship. Common training partners are:

• Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD)
• Electrical & Mechanical Services Department (EMSD)
• IBM
• HSBC
• Boeing Company
• CLP Power Hong Kong Limited
• Hongkong Electric
• Gammon Construction Limited

Integrated Study-Work Programme

Students may opt to join the Integrated Study-Work programme by taking a 6- to 12- month internship in industry in accordance with arrangements made for them by their home Department/Faculty before resuming their studies in the University; and will receive a salary determined by the employer.

During the internship, guidance and counseling will be provided by teaching staff of the students’ home Department/Faculty. In addition, the practical experience gained through full-time employment will count towards the period of training that engineers are required to undergo before receiving professional recognition.

Other forms of experiential learning

Apart from internship, engineering students are encouraged to engage in social service and apply their professional knowledge to provide solutions to real world situations. Such learning programmes will definitely help to enhance their social awareness, and to better prepare them to become responsible global citizens. Following the success of the Mingde Projects and the Sichuan Project, students are encouraged to participate in other similar projects like the new service learning project regarding the construction of the Community Centre for Dao Bao Tun (the Footbridge for Ying Tong Village had meanwhile been completed) in Guangxi province in the future organized by the Department of Civil Engineering.

The capstone experience is also an integral part of the major programme or the “professional core” of professional curricula and a graduation requirement under the 4-year curriculum. It aims at facilitating students to integrate and apply knowledge and skills that they have learnt from their undergraduate studies into different forms of capstone experience such as research project, research paper, thesis, internship, senior-level course(s), etc. Each major programme would decide, on the basis of the specific aims of the programme/ curriculum and the needs of the students, the form of the experience and the number of credits it should accrue.

The capstone experience is student-driven, requiring students to take ownership and responsibility for the experience. Accredited engineering bodies such as Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) and Hong Kong Institute of Engineers (HKIE) have recognized and emphasized the importance for engineering students to be able to “design a system” and to “work in teams”. Therefore capstone experience is adopted among universities with accredited engineering programmes as a popular mean in demonstrating students’ knowledge of creating and implementing a real design, where students work in teams and incorporate their knowledge from prior learning experience throughout their studies in the design process.

The Professional Preparation Programme (PPP) aims at facilitating students to make intelligent career choices through well-structured activities, such that students can acquire updated industry information, improve self-awareness, and to enhance students’ employability by practicing key job hunting skills, communication skills and increasing assertiveness.

PPP, in various length and forms, is tailor-made for each Faculty/Department according to their needs. Programmes may offer professional training in the areas of:

• Career Readiness
• Career Exposure
• Skill-based Training
• Self Management Skill
• Work Attitudes