Why Participate?

The Department of Mathematical and Computer Sciences at Colorado School of Mines is establishing an REU program in Hong Kong supported by the National Science Foundation grant DMS-0453600. The primary purpose of this program is twofold. First, it will expose U.S. students to exciting research that is being conducted by world class researchers in numerical analysis and scientific computing, areas of fundamental importance in the burgeoning field of computational science and engineering. Second, it will provide students with international experience that will help them to assimilate into different cultures and learn how to function in a global environment, invaluable skills in today's world. In an environment combining the East and the West, their stay will introduce them to the culture of East Asia, an area of strategic importance to the U.S., as described in the NSF statement below.

Hong Kong's unique cultural diversity and its exceptional concentration of strong universities with excellence in numerical analysis and scientific computing combine to make it an excellent location for the REU program.

"The U.S. science and engineering (S&E) workforce is competing in a context that demands new and different skills and competencies, particularly those that provide maximum flexibility in meeting the current and future needs of employers that have a global reach. In this changed world, we need to educate our engineers and scientists beyond their technical expertise and prepare them for what is to come. The best technical training must be combined with an understanding of how that expertise fits into the larger societal environment, into our overriding national goals, and into the goals of other nations. East Asia presents clear challenges and opportunities for developing an S&E workforce. It is a region of strategic importance to the United States, with a strong cadre of scientific talent, a rapidly developing technological base, and the potential to provide significant new markets for U.S. technological products. The scientific, educational and technological strengths of the region present the U.S. with a rich array of potential partners, customers and competitors." -- National Science Foundation

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General Information

The REU program will be centered at Hong Kong Baptist University and will involve up to ten undergraduates who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Each participant will receive a stipend of $2500 plus travel, room and board. Applications should be submitted by February 15 2008, for full consideration. Accepted students will receive an invitation to participate by March 10, 2008.  Underrepresented students and students from universities with limited opportunities for undergraduate research are especially encouraged to apply.

Participants will spend eight weeks working in teams of two or three on projects in numerical analysis/scientific computing. Each team will be supervised by a professor from one of the participating Hong Kong universities. A faculty member from Colorado School of Mines will be on-site to oversee the program and to assist students in day-to-day practical matters.

Preference will be given to students who have a solid grounding in linear algebra and numerical methods, together with knowledge of a programming language such as C, Fortran, or Matlab.

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What to Expect

Prior to departure from the United States, participants will be familiarized with the Hong Kong research mentors and their projects. The research teams will be formed and each provided with some background reading for the team's project. Program Director, Dr. Graeme Fairweather, will be available to discuss and answer questions regarding these assignments. Information will also be disseminated through this web site and e-mail addressing practical issues such as cross-cultural understanding, travel arrangements and insurance matters, accommodation and food, and safety and health concerns. Upon arrival in Hong Kong, participants will engage in an orientation program led by the program directors.

Participants will be housed in the NTT International House at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU). The NTT International House was established in 1997 to provide courteous, clean, and comfortable accommodations for guests and visitors: please see http://www.hkbuntt.com.hk for more information. A wide variety of food, including Western food, is available in cafeterias on the campuses of HKBU and City University of Hong Kong (CityU) as well as in one of Hong Kong's largest shopping malls (Festival Walk) just a few minutes walk from each campus.

Both HKBU and CityU are located in Kowloon Tong and are a ten minute walk apart. They bracket Kowloon Tong Train Station, a direct transfer point between the MTR (underground system) and the Kowloon-Canton Railway (KCR) which provide easy access to the central business district (10-15 minutes by MTR) and the New Territories. The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) is a 15 minute ride by KCR from Kowloon Tong.

U.S. students will have few language problems to face in Hong Kong as English is an official language. Instruction in the universities is in English and everyday business can easily be conducted in English. With regard to health concerns, according to the Centers for Disease Control, visitors to Hong Kong should observe health precautions similar to those that would apply while traveling in the United States. With regard to safety concerns, Hong Kong publicity states that it is one of the safest locations in Asia.

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Participating Institutions

Colorado School of Mines is a 130-year old public institution of engineering and applied science with a special focus on natural resources, the environment, and related fields. Entrance requirements are among the highest in the nation for public institutions of higher learning. The undergraduate student body numbers 3250, while the graduate school enrolls about 750 students. Currently, the Mathematical and Computer Sciences Department has approximately 60 majors in mathematics.
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Founded in 1956, Hong Kong Baptist University, the former Hong Kong Baptist College, is a government-funded institution offering diverse undergraduate and graduate programs. About 5000 students study in degree courses offered under five faculties (colleges): Arts, Business, Communication, Science and Social Sciences. The Science Faculty consists of five departments: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics and Physics. The Mathematics Department has 14 faculty members, five of whom comprise the Scientific Computing Group. Over 130 students are enrolled in the Mathematical Science Major of the B.Sc. (Honours) Degree Course. The Mathematics and Computer Science Departments jointly offer a two-year part-time MSc course in Scientific Computing. This program is designed to integrate mathematical concepts with state-of-the-art computing technology to solve scientific and engineering problems. It involves course work, laboratory work, and an independent research dissertation.
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City University of Hong Kong was established in 1984. Since then its enrollment has risen from 1,067 to over 18,000, and the number of programs from 9 to 110. The University has also become a strong force for academic research in the region with approximately 650 students enrolled in its masters and Ph.D. programs. The Mathematics Department specializes in applied and computational mathematics and its undergraduate degree is named Computing Mathematics. The program aims to produce graduates with a strong background in mathematical modeling, scientific computing and technical computer software who are capable of making contributions in growth technology fields in Hong Kong. Currently, the department has approximately 130 undergraduate students and 60 graduate students.
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The Chinese University of Hong Kong has its origin in three colleges, New Asia College (founded in 1949), Chung Chi College (founded in 1951) and United College (founded in 1956). In 1963, the three colleges were amalgamated to form the Chinese University of Hong Kong and a fourth college, Shaw College, was added in 1986. The current enrollment is approximately 9900 undergraduates and 5500 graduate students. In Mathematics, there are approximately 150 undergraduates and 80 graduate students.
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