Overview
Research in Industrial Projects for Students (RIPS) is an innovative education program launched by the founding director, Prof. Tony Chan, of the Institute of Pure and Applied Mathematics (IPAM) at UCLA in 2002. This is a nine-week summer program for senior undergraduate students to form teams of four to work on a real-world research project proposed by a sponsor from industry or the public sector under the guidance of an academic mentor. Most of these projects involve both analytic and computational work. The students, with direction from their academic mentor and industrial sponsor, will learn about the problem, master the latest analytical and computational approaches and techniques to solve it, and develop report-writing and public-speaking skills to be able to make professional presentations about the progress and results of their work to a scientific audience.
Beside the RIPS program in Los Angeles, IPAM has collaborated with partners in Beijing and Berlin to offer RIPS-Beijing and RIPS-Berlin at Beijing and Berlin, respectively.
RIPS-HK was first launched two years ago at HKUST. RIPS-HK is a summer research plus industrial internship and international education exchange program. This year We are happy to cooperate with UCLA-IPAM to offer RIPS-HK again.
In 2011, we had industrial sponsors including Huawei, MetLife and and BGI (Beijing Genomics Institute) Shenzhen. Last year we also had a project from the Hong Kong Observatory.
Program Details
RIPS-HK 2013 will run from 10 June 2013 to 10 August 2013 at HKUST. It is essential that the students are available for the duration of the program; late arrivals and early departures are not possible.
Students will work in team of four comprising two students selected by IPAM and two students selected by HKUST.
Participants will receive a total of HKD10,000 as stipend upon successful completion of the project.
All students are mandatory to stay on campus.
Office space will be provided for the teams to conduct their work on the project.
Each team should submit 2 interim reports, one written report and one oral presentation at the conclusion of the project. Industrial sponsors will be invited to attend the oral presentation.
Some cultural programs will be provided and HK students are expected to help out to organize these programs.
English is the only language required for participation. The Chinese students chosen to participate will speak English, as will the faculty mentors and industry mentors.
Depending on the projects, students will pay visits to the sponsor periodically.
For more information please also check the RIPS-HK page by IPAM.
Application Procedure
Eligible applicants include undergraduate students or recent graduates (May/June 2013). Citizens of other countries who are not Hong Kong or China are not eligible for RIPS-Hong Kong.
A resume and an academic record or transcript (unofficial) will be requested along with the completed application form (Click here for the form in [PDF] or [DOC])
Non-local students should ensure that they hold the NOL ("No Objection Letter") issued by the HKSAR Immigration Department.
The deadline for applications and all supporting documents is Friday, 15th March 2013. While there is no preference given to people who apply early, try to do so for your own benefit as to give yourself time to submit all required documents. Interview may be conducted by the end of March. We will begin making offers to successful applicants (by email or phone) by early April, and will continue until all spots are full.
All application materials should be submitted to the Mathematics Department Office Room 3461, or rips@ust.hk on or before deadline.
Experience from Participants
“RIPS was definitely one of the most valuable experiences I’ve had in my academic career. The opportunity to spend a summer in an amazing city doing what I love was definitely a life-changing experience!” - Jeff Jacobs, RIPS-Hong Kong 2011 (University of Maryland)
“Not only do you venture into an industry team environment, but you also gain an intercultural experience. I loved RIPS!” - Christy Duan, RIPS-Hong Kong 2011 (University of Michigan)
"We just cannot believe that we have learnt so much in 9 weeks." - Chaoxing Dai, RIPS-Hong Kong 2011 (HKUST)
“The experience is unlike any other research experience. The project was interesting, and it was useful to see the industrial application of our academic skills. Working across cultures was eye-opening.” – Raymond Perkins, RIPS-Hong Kong 2012 (Morehouse University)
“I believe that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for all of us … I am grateful that this research experience was available to undergraduates.” – Karen Larson, RIPS-Hong Kong 2012 (Davidson College)
Selection Criteria
Applicants should have good academic standing. They will be selected according to their mathematics background, computational skills, communication skills and relevant knowledge of the projects.
Organization Committees
Academic Committee: CHENG Shiu Yuen (MATH, co-chair), LEUNG Shingyu (MATH, co-chair), XUE Hannah (LIFS), ZHANG Qian (CSE).
Executive Committee: CHENG Shiu Yuen (MATH, co-chair), LEUNG Shingyu (MATH, co-chair), KU Albert YB (MATH), YU Chi Wai (MATH).
Poster
![[Click here]](RIPS-poster.jpg){kind=link}
Contact Us
- Email:
- rips@ust.hk
- Address:
- Department of Mathematics
- Attn: RIPS/HK-2013
- The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
- Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong