Financial Technology (FinTech), an emerging industry that enhances convenience and efficiency in financial activities through the adoption of data-oriented and smart technologies, is bringing revolution to the financial service sector. The development of innovations such as virtual bank and blockchain technology opens up a new era of financial digitisation which drives up the demand for FinTech talents in Hong Kong. To meet the growing needs, after the introduction of the FinTech bachelor programme, the Faculty of Engineering will launch a new Master of Science in FinTech programme in 2019/20 academic year, admitting about 50 students in the first cohort. The new programme aims to nurture people who are technologically adept and business savvy who can offer innovative solutions to finance-related industries. Industry professionals with a career plan in FinTech are welcome. Graduates with a bachelor degree in engineering, science or a finance/business-related discipline will be considered favourably for admission.

Backed by experts in artificial intelligence, cyber securities and financial engineering, the programme covers different FinTech topics, including FinTech Infrastructures, Electronic Payments Systems, Quantitative and Algorithmic Trading, Internet Finance and Financial Informatics. The new programme emphasises hands-on experience and industrial training. Students will have the choice of working on real-life projects under the co-supervision of an academic advisor and an industrial supervisor, in addition to attachments to regulatory authorities and internships opportunities.

To suit the needs and career aspirations of students with different backgrounds, the programme features a career-oriented curriculum. Students can fulfill the programme requirements via three tracks: (1) Course Track, (2) Practicum Track and (3) Industrial Project Track. Moreover, electives courses are categorised into Technology-Oriented Electives, Business/Application-Oriented Electives and Enrichment Training. Field trips to visit FinTech companies will be arranged to let students observe the operations of these organisations at close quarters. The Faculty also offers entrance scholarships for students with outstanding academic qualifications.

Prof. Jimmy Lee, Assistant Dean (Education), Faculty of Engineering, and Programme Director of the Master of Science in FinTech at CUHK, remarked, “FinTech is transforming the way we make monetary transactions in everyday life. Imagine banking without banks and interacting with robo-advisors for important investment decisions. Hong Kong urgently needs the talents to secure and strengthen our lead in financial services in Asia and the world. After completing the programme in one year (full-time) or two years (part-time), graduates will have acquired advanced knowledge and practical skills in financial technologies. They are well suited for jobs demanding strong technical skills in finance-related industries including banking, insurance, asset management, internet finance, FinTech start-ups and government regulatory agencies.”

For details, please visit: http://fintech.erg.cuhk.edu.hk or email to mscfintech@erg.cuhk.edu.hk for inquiries.

Two groups of ELITE students were invited to attend the Electronics Fair on 15 Oct and 16 Oct 2018 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, organized by The Hong Kong Trade Development Council.  Guided tour and seminars on 3D Printing and AI Application were arranged. 

The Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering will launch a new four-year undergraduate programme in Artificial Intelligence: Systems and Technologies (JUPAS code: 4468) in the 2019-20 academic year with the aim of nurturing professionals and leaders for the age of artificial intelligence.

AI becomes an emerging engineering discipline that focuses on the technological innovations in enabling computing systems to behave and discover new knowledge with human-like intelligence. The new programme aims to equip students with the capabilities of designing and implementing AI systems and technologies that can analyze, reason about, and infer knowledge from massive information, backed by rigorous foundations of data structures, statistics, algorithms, distributed computing, etc.  Such capabilities enable students to develop cutting-edge AI solutions that are of practical interest to academics, industry, and society.  The programme offers four optional specialised streams for students to choose according to their own interests including Biomedical Intelligence, Intelligent Multimedia Processing, Large-scale Artificial Intelligence - Theory and Systems, and Intelligent Manufacturing and Robotics.

According to the Innovation and Technology Bureau, it is expected that Greater Bay Area opens the door to many career opportunities for people with knowledge and skills in high-end technologies.   To meet the rapid growth and demand of society, CUHK aims to train talented AI engineers/scientists for the following industries: biomedical engineering/science, information and computing technologies, manufacturing and robotic, as well as intelligence multimedia processing for various Internet companies.

For more details, please visit http://www.cse.cuhk.edu.hk/aist  

Dear Colleagues and Students,

It was with great sadness that we received the news that Professor Charles Kao, Nobel Laureate in Physics 2009 and former VC of the University, has passed away yesterday. Professor Kao has been an outstanding scholar, a great scientist, an innovator, a visionary and above all, a kind and upstanding human being. He was the founding Chairman of the Department of Electronics Engineering in 1970, and the then VC of CUHK establishing the Faculty of Engineering in 1991. To this day, the Faculty is greatly motivated by his vision, his lasting achievements and his exemplary leadership. His statue located on the 5th floor of the HSH Engineering Building is a constant reminder of the proud history underlying the Faculty of Engineering at CUHK.

While we must all be saddened by his passing away, let us also celebrate the fact that Professor Kao has lived a full life loved and respected by his family, friends and peers, and that he has made tremendous contributions to human society in his lifetime. His research on optical fiber communication changed the ways information are being transmitted, made internet and smart phones possible, and ushered the world into the era of big data and IoT. Moreover, let’s be encouraged to follow his footsteps in dedicating our time and efforts to advancing the technological frontiers and applications for the betterment of mankind.

Our thoughts and prayers go to Mrs. Kao and family members for their great loss.

Sincerely,
Yeung YAM
Interim Dean, Faculty of Engineering