College of Science - City University of Hong Kong

Comprising 4 departments, the College of Science is committed to providing quality education programmes for students and faculty with an environment that supports their scientific exploration and innovation in Biostatistics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics.

Our vision is to become a world-renowned hub for pioneering scientific research and innovation, as well as quality teaching and learning in multiple disciplines of science for the betterment of society. We strive to provide the best opportunities to students and faculty to arouse their interest in science and help them realise their goals. We take pride in nurturing the next generation of scientists who would make a positive impact on society.

Building on the success of our previous strategic plan and our Department’s extraordinary efforts, we continue to invest resources to advance research and learning activities that address some of the grand challenges in the years to come. Not only focus on students’ academic and career success, but we also actively inject new impetus through the recruitment of outstanding faculty members. Through the applications of cutting-edge research, our dedicated scholars and researchers are expanding the boundaries of knowledge and imagination.

The College’s commitment to teaching, research, and community services reaches beyond the campus. To capitalise on the collective strength and advance the knowledge of science, our Departments maintain and develop strong research collaborations with the industry and other organisations. Moreover, the College earnestly promotes science education and cultivates the students’ interest in science through various outreach activities. We believe this would infuse science aspirations in young minds, thus planting seeds for great discoveries and innovations in the future.

The College of Science comprises four academic units: Biostatistics; Chemistry; Mathematics; and Physics, providing quality education programmes with an emphasis on interdisciplinary studies.

The College offers different types of academic programmes:

• Research Degree Programmes: The College has a strong international reputation in research. In Chemistry, we are ranked 1^st in Hong Kong and 53^rd worldwide by the Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers for World Universities by National Taiwan University Ranking (NTU Ranking) (2022). In Mathematics, we are ranked 1^st in Hong Kong and 71^st worldwide by the NTU Ranking (2022), and within the top 100 internationally by QS World University Rankings (2022). In Physics, we are ranked 1^st in Hong Kong and 15^th worldwide by the US News & World Report Best Global Universities (for Condensed Matter Physics; 2023).
• Taught Postgraduate Programmes: The College offers 4 MSc programmes: Master of Science in Biostatistics, Master of Science in Chemistry, Master of Science in Financial Mathematics and Statistics, and Master of Science in Applied Physics.
• Undergraduate Programmes: The College welcomes applicants from all over the world to enrol in these UG programmes: Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Bachelor of Science in Computing Mathematics, and Bachelor of Science in Physics. For talented students who are interested in pursuing a career in scientific research or starting business ventures that involve the use of new scientific discoveries and innovative technologies, they can choose the unique option “Global Research Enrichment and Technopreneurship (GREAT)” under each of these programmes.
• Joint Bachelor's Degree Programmes: To provide students with an international undergraduate educational experience, the College has established partnerships with Columbia University, The University of Edinburgh and The University of Manchester, and offers three joint bachelor's degree programmes. Students will spend two years at CityU and two years at the partner university. On completion of the curriculum requirements, students will earn two bachelor's degrees - one from CityU, and the other one from the partner university, normally within four years.
• Double Degree Programme: The College offers a five-year Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Science in Computing Mathematics double degree programme which fills an important market need in the legal profession. The training provided will bring additional mathematical knowledge to law students and equip them with critical skills in areas such as probability and statistics, quantitative analysis and formal logic which are becoming increasingly important in the legal world. The mathematical and computational skills that the graduates acquire in this double degree will give them an advantage in several legal fields. 
• Undergraduate plus Taught Postgraduate Degree Programmes: ​Being part of the CityU Tiger Programme, these programmes aim to nurture high-calibre students through integrated learning. Undergraduate students can benefit from learning research elements normally taught at the postgraduate level. The programmes are open to new students and existing Year 1 students. The College of Science offers two such programmes: BSc in Chemistry and MSc in Chemistry; and BSc in Physics and MSc in Applied Physics.

Our missions are to inspire and nurture the next generation of creative and innovative specialists in multiple disciplines of science, who are willing and capable of using their knowledge to serve the community with a broad vision. Dedicated to pioneering cutting-edge research, our faculty members from the 4 Departments are translating knowledge into innovations that benefit local and global society.

Our outstanding research areas:

• To achieve a vision of enhancing collaborations in data science, public health and veterinary epidemiology; advancing health data science; as well as synergising interdisciplinary education and research, the newly established Department of Biostatistics is the first of its kind in Hong Kong; aligning with the One Health concept. Research focus and expertise in the Department include Computational Statistics, Functional Data Analysis, Inferential Statistics, Statistical Genetics Genomics Omics, Survival and Event History Analysis, and Time Series Analysis.
• For the Department of Chemistry, its strength in the design and synthesis of novel molecules and materials has continued to push the frontiers of our knowledge and understanding. Research focus and expertise in the Department include Materials Chemistry, Organometallic and Inorganic Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Environmental Science or Biology, and Computational Chemistry.
• Continuously ranked in the top 100 globally, research focus and expertise in the Department of Mathematics include Applied Analysis, Computational Mathematics, Mathematical Modelling, Probability and Statistics.
• The Department of Physics is particularly strong in theory and computational physics research and has been instrumental in the development of the China Spallation Neutron Source in Dongguan, China. Research focus and expertise in the Department include Theoretical and Computational Physics; Spectroscopy and Imaging; Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics; Quantum Materials, Soft Matter and Biophysics.

University Distinguished Professor and notable scholars from the College have been leading their fields in research, teaching and collaborative projects. Their contribution to science and research is widely recognised: among our faculty members are national academy members, fellows of renowned academic societies, recipients of prestigious international awards, highly cited researchers, and promising young scholars.

Moreover, associated with the College are some world-class research facilities, for example, Joint Laboratories with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) including the Joint Laboratory of Nano-organic Functional Materials and Devices and the Joint Laboratory on Neutron Scattering Science and Technology, as well as the following:

• State Key Laboratory of Marine Pollution (City University of Hong Kong) (SKLMP)
• Centre for Neutron Scattering (CNS)
• Liu Bie Ju Centre for Mathematical Sciences (LBJ)