Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)

This course guides students to create, produce, and perform their own musical theater work. As musical theater is a multi-artwork, this course is suitable for students who are interested in language art, music, theater, dance, and visual art. At the discretion of the instructor, an in-class or public performance is offered during the term. No prior knowledge or experience of performing arts is required.

This course is designed for students with non-Chinese speaking background and exchange students from overseas. It introduces the Chinese language and Chinese culture through practical use of the language, with a particular emphasis on oral communication. Learning activities are focused on developing students' listening and speaking skills to build confidence in using Putonghua for daily communication. Some reading of high frequency Chinese characters is integrated into the learning activities. Topics include the basic knowledge of Hanyu Pinyin, the phonology of Putonghua, using Hanyu Pinyin to help pronunciation, understanding and conducting simple conversations for social purposes, dealing with questions at an elementary level, recognizing the most frequently used Chinese characters in daily use context, and the elements of Chinese culture.

This course introduces the basic concepts of game theory, it emphasize on the unifying perspective that game theory offers to questions in economics, other disciplines, and everyday life. It shows how to view social interactions as strategic games, to use game theoretic concepts to predict behavior in these interactions and to conceive of ways in which altering the game affects social outcomes.

This course introduces the concepts and techniques in the field of data mining. Topics include an introduction to data preprocessing and the techniques used to explore the large quantities of data for the discovery of predictive models and knowledge. The course includes data mining techniques such as nearest neighbor, decision trees, neural networks, Bayesian networks and Naïve Bayes, rule-based methods, association analysis and clustering, as well as social networks and data mining applications in business and finance applications.

Introduction to the molecular understanding of brain function, building upon the basis of biochemistry and biology. Four specific themes are covered: (i) structural neurochemistry and neural membranes; (ii) synapses, transmitters and receptors; (iii) cellular and (iv) medical and behavioral neurochemistry.

This course presents basic and advanced theoretical concepts in entrepreneurship and small business studies. The course examines problems faced by small firms and basic skills needed for developing new business, including entrepreneurial strategies, legal and financial considerations and effective new venture management. Topics: analyzing, crafting and presenting a professional business plan; different types of entrepreneurship (social, family business, corporate). The course includes series of guest lectures from experts from the field.

This course is the laboratory course to accompany PHYS 11S. Students conduct experiments in mechanics and heat to illustrate the experimental foundations of physics presented in the lecture course. Experiments include: the Atwood Machine, projectile motion, centripetal force, work, energy and friction, conservation of linear momentum, rotational motion, conservation of angular momentum, simple harmonic motion, standing waves on a vibrating string and specific heat and latent heat of vaporization. Co-requisite: PHYS 11S (HKUST course PHYS 1112) Text: Penger Tong and David Mak, GENERAL PHYSICS 1 LAB MANUAL. Assessment: lab performance (30%), lab report (70%).

This course surveys the field of international business from a managerial perspective. The course briefly examines the context and environment of international business and explores the management of an international business, considering issues on both a micro- and macro-level. It also examines general issues affecting international management such as ethics, social responsibility, and women in international firms. Topics include international management in North America, China, and other countries; culture and culture gaps in international management; competitive strategies, company-situation analysis; global markets; entry market modes; international strategic alliance; multinational e-commerce; international human resource management; motivation and leadership theories; and current issues in international management. Text: Cullen and Parboteeah, MULTINATIONAL MANAGEMENT. Assessment: attendance (5%), project (13%), project presentation (10%), quizzes (27%), midterm exam (20%), final exam (25%).