Powering Hong Kong’s Healthtech Ambitions The field of biomedical engineering is developing rapidly thanks to recent advances in AI, advanced materials and personalised medicine. HKU has provided an undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering for more than two decades. Now, that commitment is being deepened with the launch of a new School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME) – coming at a time when Hong Kong has designated healthcare technology (healthtech) a strategic economic pillar. Under the joint leadership of the Deans of Medicine, Engineering, Dentistry and Science, the SBME will drive HKU’s efforts to be a major source of healthtech talent and innovation by developing a new interdisciplinary ecosystem for research and translation, adding postgraduate studies, and revamping the undergraduate curriculum. The new School of Biomedical Engineering unites four faculties – Medicine, Engineering, Dentistry and Science – to train the next generation of biomedical engineers and accelerate the journey from laboratory breakthroughs to patient care. HKU Bulletin | May 2026 Teaching and Learning 28 29 we haven’t yet translated them to the clinical level at full scale. That requires an inclusive community that fosters deep collaborations between engineers, scientists and clinicians. So the School aims to have them co-localise and create new synergies in order to accelerate the cycle of technology development and clinical translation,” he said. The University is currently recruiting an Inaugural Director for the School. In the meantime, Professor Häusser – who also directs the School of Biomedical Sciences – sees a natural connection with his own work harnessing neurotechnology for brain science. Furthermore, he sees the School as an important development for the healthtech economy in Hong Kong and for HKU – what he describes as a step towards HKU’s President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Xiang Zhang’s vision: to make the different parts of the University work together towards a common goal and promote world-leading research excellence with real-world impact. Taught and research postgraduate programmes are also being planned, and experts are being recruited to drive research at the School. Seed Grants have also been established for projects that have at least two principal investigators from separate faculties. “The aim is to support the development of new ideas and high-risk, high-reward science. We want people to come together from across the School and the different faculties,” he said. Professor Häusser pointed out that HKU already has existing world-leading strengths related to interdisciplinary biomedical engineering, such as biomedical imaging, tissue engineering, genome engineering, and the emerging fields of brain-machine interfaces and wearable electronics. Professor Tsia (himself an expert in AI-driven, ultrafast imaging of cells for disease detection) noted that one of SBME’s most important roles will be to help promising technologies move beyond the laboratory. “Biomedical engineers at the University have developed a lot of cutting-edge technologies, but A key enhancement is increased clinical exposure so they can better understand clinical and patient needs. Under the new curriculum, students will have opportunities to do laboratory placements and shadowing, take the newly launched biomedical engineering skills studio training, and integrate projects aimed at solving real-world healthcare problems. In their senior year, they will have the opportunity to do a six-to-eight-week internship in industry or research labs. “Clinical exposure gives students a richer experience for understanding what is happening in the clinic so they can apply the design thinking process to develop solutions based on their learnt knowledge,” Programme Director Professor Kevin Kin Man Tsia said. “For example, they might learn about the current challenges and technologies in cancer treatment monitoring, and then draw on their training in medical imaging, cell therapy, microfluidics and AI analytics to propose new solutions. As teachers, we can then guide them to think critically about how specific limitations might be addressed.” Experimentation is a key part of that process. At the new SBME maker space – the Nexus Lab – students have access to the latest equipment for prototyping medical devices and to AI computing and 3D printing resources, so they can design, make and test their own devices for clinical applications. “We want to empower students to take control of their knowledge and make something that is directly useful for patients,” Professor Häusser said. Clinical exposure and experimentation Going beyond the lab Professor Michael Häusser, Lee Man-Chiu Professor in Neuroscience, is Interim Director of the SBME, which has its administrative home in the Faculty of Medicine and physical space on the Sassoon Road Campus. “This is a great opportunity to build bridges across the University – to bring people together that should be working together and harness their talents,” he said. “Now is a pivotal moment for this field because of the emergence of new technologies that can help achieve that.” The SBME is establishing those links in several ways. First, it is training students to have an interdisciplinary mindset and skillset so they can contribute to the healthtech economy. Building on the existing Bachelor of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering – which has already been preparing students for diverse pathways, including becoming chartered biomedical engineers and research scientists – the curriculum revamp will provide students with even broader and more integrated training opportunities. The aim is to support the development of new ideas and high-risk, high-reward science. We want people to come together from across the School and the different faculties. Professor Michael Häusser
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