HKUST Alumni News 2014
7
The HKUST Edge
efficiency in our laboratories,” says Professor Chan. “The results are
encouraging. We are working with RUSAL on this green-building
system, and they have first option on this project.”
The collaboration with RUSAL, which is listed on the Hong Kong
Stock Exchange, came about in 2011 when the Russian company
approached HKUST with a view to strengthen scientific and
business ties between Russia and Hong Kong.
For Professor Chan, the project has been a golden
opportunity, and his enthusiasm for the project is very
evident. He is also an excellent role model for new alumni and
students, as he himself studied at HKUST. He graduated in
2000 from what was then Civil and Structural Engineering,
and went on to do an MPhil, also at HKUST.
“I worked in industry for one-and-a-half to two years, but
then thought about doing a PhD. My interest was in bridge
engineering, and one of the key academics in this field was
Professor Moe Cheung at the University of Ottawa, but he then
moved to HKUST! I wrote him a proposal and it was accepted,
and I completed the doctorate at HKUST in 2008. And then I
joined the faculty.”
Professor Chan confesses that although he always
liked carrying out research, originally he did not
consider that he would do a PhD. “It is not easy
to achieve, but the faculty here encouraged me
and helped me with advice and providing
connections with industry. It is a good
place with good people.” As much as he
loves the research, he also appreciates
the opportunities he gets to encourage
engineering students, especially those
in the first year, through the Center for
Engineering Education Innovation. “At E
2
I,
I provide mentoring to young engineers.
It is very valuable, because good advice
can really help in their careers – and I
enjoyed the benefits of mentoring at
HKUST myself.”
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