Finding a second gear for the mainland trucking industry-HKUST students in search of solutions
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) today (Feb 9) kicked off its joint Corporate Project as part of its Dual Degree Program in Technology and Management (T&M) in tandem with its corporate partners and project sponsors, Orient Overseas Container Line Ltd and Sun Microsystems of California Ltd.
(From left) Mr Steve Siu and Ms Betty Lin present a cheque to sponsor Corporate Project of HKUST Dual Degree Program in Technology and Management
Mr Steve Siu and Ms Betty Lin pose for a photo with 16 HKUST T&M students participating in Corporate Project
Officiating at the Opening Ceremony were Prof Chi Ming Chan and Prof Kar Yan Tam, Co-Directors of HKUST Dual Degree Program in Technology and Management, Mr Steve Siu, Director and Chief Information Officer of Orient Overseas Container Line Ltd and Ms Betty Lin, General Manager, Hong Kong/Macau, Industry Solution Sales Organization, Global Sales & Services of Sun Microsystems of California Ltd.
Speaking at the ceremony, Prof Chi Ming Chan explained the purpose of the project and highlighted the unique competitive edge of HKUST Dual-degree Program.
"The combination of technology and business enable our students to see a problem from multiple angles and solve it by applying a combination of disciplines. Our Dual-degree Program blends classroom learning with a taste of the real world. The joint corporate project launched today is a good example," Prof Chan said.
The theme chosen for the Corporate Project this year is "Trucking Logistics in Mainland China". The idea is inspired by China's accession to WTO which presents both opportunities and challenges for its trucking industry. Inland trucking is fragmented by hundreds of thousands of individual truck drivers, each with a small operational radius. High tolls and low efficiency are the main constraints for the inland truck drivers to keep pace with rising demand.
Against this real market situation, 16 HKUST T&M top-performing students were selected and divided into four teams to tackle the problem. With their unique dual degree background, they are expected to apply their management skills and technology know-how to improve the competitive edge of truck drivers and expand their business opportunities on the mainland.
A sponsorship cheque was jointly presented by Mr Steve Siu, Director and Chief Information Officer of Orient Overseas Container Line Ltd and Ms Betty Lin, General Manager, Hong Kong/Macau, Industry Solution Sales Organization, Global Sales & Services of Sun Microsystems of California Ltd to HKUST. The funds will be used to sponsor the participating students on a field trip to rural areas on the mainland for a deeper understanding of the trucking industry there. A winning team will be selected in mid-May based on the creativity and technical feasibility of the proposal as well as the quality of its presentation.
For media enquiries, please feel free to contact :
Donna Wong
Tel: 2358-6317
Email: donnaw@ust.hk
About The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) (www.ust.hk) is a world-class research university that focuses on science, technology and business as well as humanities and social science. HKUST offers an international campus, and a holistic and interdisciplinary pedagogy to nurture well-rounded graduates with global vision, a strong entrepreneurial spirit and innovative thinking. HKUST attained the highest proportion of internationally excellent research work in the Research Assessment Exercise 2014 of Hong Kong’s University Grants Committee, and is ranked as the world’s best young university in Times Higher Education’s Young University Rankings 2019. Its graduates were ranked 16th worldwide and top in Greater China in Global University Employability Survey 2018.
