Whether competing in competitions overseas or helping to develop practical applications for people in need locally, students in the School of Engineering are set to gain more opportunities to strengthen leadership skills and social awareness with the launch of the innovative co-curriculum Global and Community Engagement (GCE) Program.

The School has already been successful in sending teams to take part in international robotics contests, and drawing students into community-oriented courses. The Global and Community Engagement Program will create additional space to strengthen students' participation in such activities, conferences and professional events.

"The program provides a platform for students to step outside the campus environment and put the knowledge they are gaining to work," said Prof Tim Woo, Electronic and Computer Engineering, who is the GCE Founding Director.

Prof Woo has been playing a leading role in supporting undergraduate students in external project competitions. He collected the SENG Teaching Excellence Appreciation Award in 2009-10. "The benefits of such a program are tremendous," he said. "Students can gain confidence and new perspectives. They can also see for themselves how their work as engineers can really make an impact on people's lives."

The HKUST Robotics Team, comprising 70 undergraduates from SENG's six departments, is a major example of the School's high-flying participation in international competitions. Recent achievements include: Robocon Team
	Best Idea Award and Mabuchi Motor Award, 2011 ABU Asia-Pacific Robot Contest in Bangkok. A total of 17 regional champions and 2 best teams from the host country took part in this international contest.
	Champion at the Robocon 2011 Hong Kong Contest, an inter-institutional contest with six local higher education institutions participating.
	Third Class Award, 12th Challenge Cup in China, a national technology contest.
ROV Team
	Design Elegance Award, 2011 International Student Remotely Operated Vehicle Competition for underwater robots, held at NASA Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in Houston, US. 26 teams from 7 countries/regions participated.
	First Class Award, 12th Challenge Cup in China. Some 1,000 student teams competed, with just 8% gaining a First Class Award.
	Merit Award, 11th Asia Pacific ICT Awards
Smart Car Teams
	Third Class Award and Merit Award in the Freescale Smart Car Competition (South China Region), one award each for two HKUST teams. Held in Changsha, Hunan. Over 100 teams took part.