Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)

This course is taken with LIFS2720, Biochemistry Lab. It explains the theories and concepts behind the chosen experimental sessions. This is a basic course introducing the underlying principles of essential biochemical techniques that have remained indispensable in experimental biochemistry. The principles of biochemical techniques including spectrophotometry, column chromatography, electrophoresis, metabolite assay, enzyme assay, nucleic acid isolation, and protein isolation are discussed.

This is a hands-on course in basic biochemical techniques. The primary objective is to introduce procedures commonly used in biochemical laboratories and to provide a basis for understanding how biochemical data is obtained, analyzed and presented. The course introduces relevant applications of standard biochemical equipment, commonly-used equipment in a standard biochemical laboratory, specific knowledge of selected biochemical laboratory procedures, laboratory data in a concise manner, and interpretation of basic biochemical data.

This course introduces the operation of the Chinese legal system or legal institutions. It examines how laws are used in the social, economic, and political activities of the Chinese people. The course focuses not on the Chinese laws per se but on how laws are used in people's daily lives. Examples or cases are used extensively in the course to illustrate the topics included. Major topics discussed include the interactions between legal institutions and the party-state (i.e., the party and the government), the behavior of legal workers (e.g., judges, police officers), citizens' use of civil lawsuits and administrative litigation, and some important mechanisms through which citizens or other social actors seek justice in China.

This course introduces basic sociological concepts and perspectives and how to apply them to societies. It presents such issues as social inequality, social control, power, values, norms, and social institutions. The course enables students to relate sociology to their life experiences and the social context.

The culture of a community encompasses social and personal behaviors, language and dialects, visual and performing arts, economic activities and the ideas, beliefs, and customs of its people. As a traditional genre of performing arts unique to Hong Kong, Cantonese opera has a long history of development and is entwined with all such aspects of Hong Kong culture. Set within the socio-cultural context of Hong Kong, this course explores the genre in terms of its course of development, repertory, plots, script structure, performing techniques such as singing, acting, reciting and fencing, troupe organization, training of artists, performing venues including theater and the bamboo stage, and its marketing strategies, aiming at unfolding to the students how an art form should be appreciated through both the aesthetic and functional perspectives.

This course provides a concise introduction to linear algebra and differential equations, with exposure to the use of numerical computing software like MATLAB. Topics include systems of linear equations, matrix algebra and determinants, language of vector spaces and inner product spaces, eigenvalue and eigenvector, first order ODEs, linear second order ODEs and oscillations, and homogeneous system of first order ODEs with constant coefficients.

This course introduces the essential elements of telecommunications in support of business activities. Topics include: OSI Model and TCP/IP Protocol Suite; LAN and WAN technology; voice and data communication technologies; communication architectures; networking and security; protocols and standards.

This course examines the economic situations of low and middle-income economies, considering many important topics in the field of development economics. It addresses questions such as what factors help explain why some countries are rich and others poor and whether economic policies can affect these factors. The coruse also studies key aspects of life for poor households in the developing world, such as inequality, gender and the intra-household division of resources, education, child labor, health, savings and credit, institutions and globalization. Students read recent research in the field and examine empirical evidence on these topics.

This course is the laboratory course to accompany PHYS 12 (HKUST course PHYS 1114). Students conduct experiments in static and current electricity and magnetism and optics to illustrate the experimental foundations of physics presented in the lecture course. Experiments include: Coulomb's Law; capacitance and electrostatic energy; Coulomb Constant; DC circuits; magnetic field generated by a coil; current balance; introduction to the oscilloscope; Faraday's Law of induction; AC circuits; two-slit interference and diffraction grating. Corequisite: PHYS 12 (HKUST PHYS1114). Text: Penger Tong and David Mak, GENERAL PHYSICS I LAB MANUAL. Assessment: lab performance (30%), lab report (70%).

This course mainly explains the most typical representative works of Chinese opera - Tang Xianzu's PEONY PAVILION, which enables students to actually read a traditional Chinese classic in their university life and comprehend PEONY PAVILION as a drama in Chinese literature. The course emphasizes the historical location and value in the development of ideas and culture. The course uses Bai Xianyong's YOUTH EDITION PEONY PAVILION as a reference to help explain the text of Peony Pavilion, combines fun and seriousness, and finally enhances students' aesthetic taste and ability to understand beauty.