Head: Professor Van Hove, Michel Andre
BSc Federal I.T. (Switzerland) , PhD Camb.
The world of science and technology in the new millennium is facing scientific challenges in the areas of information technology, biotechnology, nanotechnology, energy and environmental science. In all these endeavors, materials issues are ubiquitous and the understanding of the underpinning physics is essential. In 1993, the City University of Hong Kong, recognising the importance of these frontier challenges as well as the need for a synergism between education and research encompassing both physics and materials, formed the Department of Physics and Materials Science — the first of its kind in Hong Kong. The Department's objectives are threefold: to educate students with advanced knowledge and skills, to conduct innovative, especially applied, research and development leading to the advancement of science and technology, and to render professional services for the professional community in Hong Kong and the Pan Pearl River Delta region.
The academic staff of the Department have all earned doctoral degrees from the world's leading academic institutions. Many acquired international reputation and substantial working experience in North America, Europe, Australia or China before joining the Department, bringing with them invaluable knowledge and skills for transfer to their students. Apart from education, the Department excels in research and collaborates with international scientific communities. Our current research areas include: applied optics, atmospheric and environmental physics, computational materials science, surface science and engineering, functional coatings, electroceramics, metals and alloys, polymer composites, electronic materials, plasma engineering, biomaterials, optoelectronics, instrumentation and measurements, medical radiation physics, nanoscience and technology, organic light emitting devices, shape memory alloys.
The Department has well-equipped laboratories and a multimedia education facility to serve students and all research staff. It has a group of devoted teachers and researchers who welcome new challenges and are ready to bring state-of-the-art education to all students entering the undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.