Advancing society with creativity and IT expertise
By : Dr Raymond Wong Hau-san, Department of Computer Science
Majoring in Computer Science requires the ability to apply knowledge to real-world environments. My teaching philosophy focuses on empowering students to discover their potential through outcome-oriented learning, and to develop a holistic set of capabilities including problem-solving abilities and communication skills.
I explain the rationale behind every concept and idea in my class, and illustrate abstract concepts with examples. In the data science course, I use the annual marathon race as an example, predicting the number of participants requiring medical attention based on data such as temperature, humidity and air pollution levels. During the process, students learn how to translate data into useful information and make a data-driven decision.
Students in CityU’s Department of Computer Science (CS) do not just spend their time sitting in front of a computer and writing programmes. They solve real-world problems through computation. I encourage students to develop multi-disciplinary knowledge and good communication skills, and to be aware of the legal responsibilities, ethical obligations, and the professional conduct expected of an IT professional.
From left: Dr Kwok Lam-for, Dr Jacky Keung Wai, Dr Raymond Wong Hau-san and Dr Chan Mang-tang CityU students have myriad opportunities to put their knowledge into practice during their time at CS. Undergraduates learn how to develop a large-scale software project and undergo a mandatory placement programme in which they gain nine months’ work experience under the supervision of their instructors. The latter is a unique feature of our CS programme.
I am glad that our students and graduates put their talents and skills to good use for society. Over the years, several student projects have impressed me, such as an innovative app for helping the visually impaired to recognise the distance and phase of pedestrian traffic signals.
While the final-year project allows students to integrate their creativity with technical knowledge to address real-world problems, the placement programme teaches students practical requirements for the workplace and how they can work in teams effectively.
Students in CS learn how to overcome inevitable challenges. To assist in this endeavour, we invite veteran executives to serve as mentors, and we monitor progress regularly via a one-stop online platform. Students who complete their placement programme tend to be more focused and prudent.
Computer Science is a continuously evolving discipline. Those intending to pursue a career in this field should be committed to life-long learning and possess the courage to innovate.
To keep our curriculum up to date, CS has launched two new study streams over the past few years: artificial intelligence (AI) and data science. A specialised study stream helps to develop in-depth knowledge about the latest technology in addition to foundation studies. In the AI stream, students focus on how a computer can learn by itself to acquire knowledge from the external world, knowledge that is then used in different applications.
Dr Wong presents an award to a CS student who created an app for the visually impaired. As a computer scientist, I seek to create new ideas for the future. I started my research in AI when the public was not yet interested. My objectives now include developing new AI algorithms and systems that improve the learning process and to apply these new approaches to pedestrian detection and image understanding, both of which are integral to computer vision systems in self-driving cars.
Interest is growing for this rapidly expanding field. Many industries are exploring ways to adopt AI techniques and my research has been published in top journals and presented at conferences on AI and computer vision. I am delighted that I can contribute to accelerating innovation in this field, and I am certain that contributions from computer science graduates will advance Hong Kong’s competitiveness in innovation and technology.
I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to my teammates in the IT Professional Placement Team, including Dr Chan Mang-tang and Dr Jacky Keung Wai, who have significantly enhanced the placement programme, and Dr Kwok Lam-for for his contributions to the professional mentorship programme. It was especially gratifying to earn CityU’s Teaching Excellence Award together with them.
The Award belongs to all CS colleagues!