HKUST’s first Aero Day, jointly organized by the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the HKUST Student Branch of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA), successfully took place on campus in February 2015.

 

Aero Day explored developments in the aviation industry locally and internationally, with exhibitions and presentations by airlines, maintenance and repair organizations, original equipment manufacturers, government agencies, and professional organizations. It introduced aerospace and aeronautical engineering to first-year students to assist with their choice of major and showcased career opportunities in the industry to more senior students. One of the highlights was the flight simulator experience set up by HKUST Aeronautics Interest Group.

 

Welcome speeches were delivered at the opening ceremony by Executive Vice-President and Provost Prof Wei Shyy, then Dean of Engineering Prof Khaled Ben Letaief, and Head of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Prof Christopher Chao.

 

The event concluded with an AIAA Distinguished Lecture by Dr Susan Ying, AIAA Fellow and VP-International for the AIAA Board of Directors, who spoke on the “ABC of Commercial Aviation: Technology Insertion Rewards and Challenges”.

 

The move into Aerospace Engineering has been a major School of Engineering initiative in recent years. Developments include the renaming of the Department of Mechanical Engineering to the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, recruitment of new faculty in aeronautical engineering, launch of the Aerospace Engineering Major Program and Aeronautical Engineering Minor Program, and the establishment of the Aeronautics Interest Group and HKUST Student Branch of AIAA.