2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

The Journey of Establishing and Operating an Innovation Center to Nurture Future Engineering Innovators

Presented at Engineering Management Division (EMD) Technical Session 1

This practice paper presents the establishment and operation of the Tam Wing Fan Innovation Wing (a.k.a. the HKU Inno Wing), a student innovation center at the University of Hong Kong. The project was initiated in 2016 within the engineering faculty, with the goal of creating a comprehensive workspace that nurtures students' innovation in engineering and technology. To gather valuable insights, we conducted visits to leading universities and makerspaces in the United States, studying their innovative infrastructure designs and program development. We then incorporated these experiences into the design of our center. Since its launch in 2020, the Inno Wing has actively supported Student-Initiated Interest Groups (SIGs) and Student-Initiated Courses (SICs) focused on technology exploration and development. These student-driven initiatives are interdisciplinary and project-based, providing a platform for students to engage in hands-on learning experiences.
To assess the impact of the Inno Wing on students' learning and development, we conducted a study using student surveys and alumni interviews. The results indicate that participation in SIGs and SICs effectively enables students to leverage the resources provided by the center, enhancing their acquisition of core engineering competencies. These competencies include technical skills, innovation, problem-solving abilities, project management, teamwork, and leadership, all of which are essential for future engineers. However, the survey also identified areas for improvement, particularly in terms of networking opportunities and global awareness. Suggestions were made to address these shortcomings.
This study offers practical insights for advancing engineering education through innovative infrastructure and serves as a reference case for planning, executing, and managing similar initiatives in higher education institutions.

Authors

Dr. Chun Kit Chui University of Hong Kong [biography]

Dr. Chun Kit Chui serves as the Director of the Tam Wing Fan Innovation Wing in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Hong Kong (HKU). Innovation Wing aims to unleash students' creativity by entrusting them to spearhead ambitious innovation and technology projects that will shape the future. The iconic facility is located at the heart of the campus, offering 2400m2 of space with state-of-the-art resources and a supportive environment to enhance hands-on and experiential learning for undergraduate students.

He also holds the position of Senior Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science at HKU. His research interests include database and data mining, as well as pedagogical research in computing education. Dr. Chui has received several education awards, including the University Outstanding Teaching Award (Individual Award) at the University of Hong Kong for the 2015-16 academic year and the Faculty Outstanding Teaching Award (Individual Award) in the Faculty of Engineering for the 2012-13 academic year. Additionally, he has been honored with the Teaching Excellence Award in the Department of Computer Science for the academic years 2011-12, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, and 2015-16. Furthermore, he was a shortlisted candidate for the UGC Teaching Award (Early Career Faculty Member).
Prof. Norman C. Tien University of Hong Kong [biography]

Norman C. Tien is the Taikoo Professor of Engineering and Chair Professor of Microsystems Technology at the University of Hong Kong (HKU). He is also currently the Head of Innovation Academy of Faculty of Engineering and the Managing Director of the Centre for Transformative Garment Production. He served as the Dean of Engineering from 2012 to 2018, and as the Vice-President and Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Institutional Advancement) from 2019 to 2021 at HKU.

Prior to joining HKU, Professor Tien was the Nord Professor of Engineering at Case Western Reserve University, where he was the Dean of Engineering from 2007 to 2011. He previously held faculty positions at University of California at Davis, University of California at Berkeley and Cornell University.

Professor Tien received his Ph.D. from the University of California at San Diego, MS from the University of Illinois, and BS from the University of California at Berkeley. His research interests are in the area of micro and nanotechnology, microelectromechanical (MEMS) systems, and robotics.

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