The transdisciplinary mission of science and technology

An esteemed scholar in Mathematics, Computer Science and Engineering, Dean of Science, Professor Michael Ng shares his vision of making an impact through transdisciplinary collaboration.

“When it comes to transdisciplinary learning and teaching, we should try to focus on the students’ interest and where their passion lies. Identifying impactful internships and mentoring opportunities for our students would be one of the Faculty’s top priorities. In my new role, my mission is to tap into opportunities to collaborate and connect across different faculties and with our alumni,” Professor Michael Ng, Dean of Science and Chair Professor in Mathematics and Chair Professor in Data Science, speaks firmly and passionately about his plans to give students the best possible exposure to transdisciplinary education.

Appointed as the new Dean of the Faculty of Science effective 1 February, Professor Ng is an internationally distinguished scholar and long-time valued educator at HKBU.  Professor Ng first joined HKBU’s Department of Mathematics in 2005. In 2015, he became the Chair Professor in Mathematics and Chair Professor (Affiliate) of the Department of Computer Science and was also Head of the Department of Mathematics from 2014 to 2019.  In 2019, Professor Ng took on a role at HKU as Chair Professor and Research Division Director for Mathematical and Statistical Science, before re-joining HKBU in August 2023. 

AI for social good

As a devoted scientist and educator, creating impact and synergy tops Professor Ng’s priority list. Professor Ng believes universities have a critical role to play in advancing social good.  By leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) and fostering meaningful exchanges among the different fields of Social Sciences, Arts, Science, Commerce and Medicine, universities are at the forefront of driving social good and making discoveries that benefit the community at large.

Professor Ng highlights HKBU’s recent initiative to empower the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHoH) community with AI techniques and automated sign language translation, as a compelling example of how technology and academic research can drive social good.

“There are endless possibilities of how science and technology can help the DHoH group. One of our HKBU mathematics alumni joined the Lutheran School For The Deaf in Kwai Chung, where he used mathematics as a medium to engage DHoH students. This speaks of the creativity and vocation of our graduates. We have already lined up summer projects and mentorships for our students to learn from our alumni friends, and we will continue to engage and strengthen our ties with this talented community.”

In Professor Ng’s words, “there are a lot of treasures to be uncovered” as he takes the helm of the Science Faculty. He cites the promising collaboration on the study of sports science and genomics as a potential project.  “As educators, we need to stay curious and create impact in what we do. Securing research grants and doing social good are equally important. The academia has a lot to offer in addressing the human needs of individuals and using science and technology to make a tangible difference to people’s lives. There is so much we can achieve together, through cross-faculty collaboration and whole-heartedly embedding a transdisciplinary and versatile approach in the way we teach and learn.”