Samantha Wing Man Kong, 2014 BEng Chemical and Environmental Engineering, has published a book of stories about School of Engineering graduates and students to inspire secondary school students to take up engineering.

 

The book, titled “誰說Engineering是水泡科” (“Who Says Engineering is Second Best”) and published in Chinese in 2015, features 46 people from different engineering disciplines, who dispel myths about the field and expand on the opportunities it offers. Alumni appearing in the book work in education, engineering companies, government, or have started their own businesses. They explain why they took up engineering and talk about university life as well as discussing work experiences. 

 

Samantha has self-funded publication, with all proceeds from sales being donated to HKUST as a thank you for her all-round education at the University. During her undergraduate days, Samantha successfully pursued numerous activities in addition to her degree. These included co-founding social enterprise Eldpathy, going on exchange to Stanford, attending the G20 Youth Summit in St Petersburg, Russia, becoming the University’s Head Student Ambassador, and gaining community recognition as a Hong Kong Top 10 Outstanding Youth and Social Service Award recipient. She has also undertaken a United Nations internship in New York and, in February 2015, was one of four young people chosen to talk with Mr Jack Ma, Founder of Alibaba, on the characteristics of successful entrepreneurs. She is now working as a Graduate Environmental Engineer for an international consultancy and recently received the Trainee of the Year Award by the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers.