ACADEMICS

Bachelor of Engineering in Bioengineering

Program Objectives

Bioengineering is the bridge between basic life sciences and engineering. It covers a broad spectrum of disciplines and creates interfaces among them as emerging areas of technological development. Bioengineers are trained on solid foundations of basic and applied sciences, and the analytical, quantitative, and design skill-set required of engineers. Most importantly, bioengineers are called upon to leverage their knowledge and skills to solve real-world problems, many of which are among the grand challenges of the 21st century.

HKUST’s bioengineering program aims to educate the next generation of bioengineers. Drawing upon the university’s strength in science and engineering, this program is designed to prepare our students for career opportunities in local and regional industries in pharmaceuticals and biomedical devices, biosensors, healthcare analytics, biotechnology and healthcare products, and to stimulate their innovative minds to tackle challenging bioengineering research initiatives in a very competitive global environment.

The new administration of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government has identified biomedical technologies and artificial intelligence as the two areas of focus in Hong Kong’s transformation into a high value-added, technology-driven economy. Public and private investment in these areas is rapidly increasing. However, there is a shortage of qualified professionals to support these emerging industries. At the same time, looking outside Hong Kong, the Pearl River Delta has become the regional hub of manufacturing and innovation. There is considerable synergy between Hong Kong’s strength in basic research and medicine, and the manufacturing and IT ecosystem in Shenzhen and beyond.

Since the most exciting opportunities in bioengineering sit at the cutting edge of technological innovation nowadays, successful bioengineers will need to be trailblazers and constantly reinvent themselves. Many of our graduates are expected to have research experience and pursue graduate studies or industrial R&D careers. Therefore, instead of tailoring the program for a particular industry, the program aims to educate our students for the future rather than for the present, which is essential for such a fast-changing field as bioengineering. The program emphasizes solid foundational training in science and engineering, transferable skills, data analytics, problem solving acumen and design thinking.

Our program objectives can broadly be summarized as follows:

  1. To provide a holistic learning experience to our students so that they will graduate with a good balance of engineering knowledge and professional skills, a desire to pursue lifelong learning, and a commitment to solving societal problems; and
  2. To enable our graduates to be successful in their chosen career path, whether in the practice of bioengineering, in advanced studies in related fields, or in other professions that demand a strong engineering training.