It was a celebration party fit for HKUST, the planned program ranged from the traditional to the technological, from the native to the international. There was the dragon dance and the ceremonial dotting of the eyes by the Council Chairman Dr Marvin Cheung and President Tony F Chan. Equally obligatory was the cake-cutting ceremony and the champagne toast with Founding President Prof Chia Wei Woo, Court Chairman Dr John Chan, the Vice Presidents, Deans and student representatives joining in.

What happens when energy meets festivity at an international university? A festival of diversity: Korean Drumming, Indian Dance, Chinese Martial Arts, plus the jaw-dropping Beatboxing whose solo performer could fabricate the amazing sounds of nature and human activity with nothing more than his mouth and throat as instruments. Staff members and some of their spouses, including the President's wife Mrs Monica Chan, sang their hearts out for their audience.

As a university of science and technology we should have a technological component in the celebration: a commemorative album showcasing our outstanding achievements and our future goals. Each copy comes with the Augmented Reality technology, with its specially prepared software. By downloading the software and holding the cover in front of a webcam-equipped computer screen, a 3-D short film will be set in motion, bringing the President to life on screen to introduce the album content.

The food lines were long and serpentine, the hugs were short and sweet, and the laughter and chatter audible above the din. It reminds one of a carnival where everybody finds something he or she fancies. Working hard and playing hard — that too is the 1-HKUST spirit.