The Sky’s the Limit at HKUST
HKUST prides itself on its approach to diversity, as reflected in our multicultural student body and teaching faculty. According to a report published by Times Higher Education in 2023, HKUST ranked the fifth most international university in the world.
Our commitment to diversity is reflected in our strategic plan and its focus on diversity. It is also expressed in our goal of bringing down prejudices and biases and ensuring a level playing field, regardless of age, gender, race, religion or socio-economic background. In addition to our strategic plan, we have established both academic and non-academic scholarships, which aim to nurture campus diversity and promote talent development among our students.
A role model for future women engineers
Prof. Rhea Patricia LIEM exemplifies HKUST’s approach to diversity. Born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia, she has studied, taught, or worked in Canada, Singapore, and now Hong Kong as a professor in our Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering.
As a result of her international background, Prof. LIEM understands the true meaning of diversity and is well suited to teaching students from many different countries and cultures. She believes that empathy is key to building trust in her interactions with students and strives to treat them as partners — an approach unique to HKUST — in an open and dynamic learning environment.
“The increasingly diverse student population calls for equally diverse teaching and assessment methods. I am a strong believer that Diversity brings Quality. Constructive exchanges of different points of view, perspectives, and opinions are needed for a truly fruitful learning process. They can be catalysts in the process of understanding a subject matter, perceiving a problem, and formulating a solution method.”
Prof. LIEM also feels that it is important to break down barriers and to be a good role model for the younger generation, both as a teacher and a woman in engineering, in the same way that her mentors did for her. This is an integral part of the culture of acceptance and nurturing that is the main heartbeat of HKUST.
Although she has received many distinctions in her career, what is most rewarding for Prof. LIEM is building trust and winning respect from her students, many of whom send her thank you notes after they graduate. To her, the opportunity to boost students’ self-confidence and help them discover a new learning experience is “almost magical”. Her dedication to inspiring students has earned her multiple awards, including the 2021 University Grants Committee Teaching Award.