Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) will offer the new Bachelor of Science with Honours in Medical Laboratory Science programme from September this year, which has received an enthusiastic response from applicants. To support the development of the programme, a 7,000-square-foot Medical Science Laboratory, equipped with cutting-edge professional equipment, will be officially opened at the same time.
The Laboratory is located on HKMU's main campus and is divided into five dedicated areas that support teaching and research in the five core disciplines of the programme: clinical haematology and transfusion science, clinical chemistry and immunology, medical microbiology, cellular pathology, and molecular diagnostics. Equipped with state-of-the-art instruments commonly used in hospitals, the Laboratory is set to enhance the students' pre-employment training.
The HKSAR Government forecasts up to 300 full-time vacancies for medical laboratory technologists in Hong Kong each year by 2030. HKMU Provost Prof. Reggie Kwan Ching-ping said, “The University has responded to strong demand from the community by launching this new programme and allocating resources to set up the Medical Science Laboratory. By combining our expertise in healthcare, life sciences, and testing and certification, HKMU will continue to nurture talented medical laboratory professionals for Hong Kong with the use of advanced technology and through inter-disciplinary collaboration.”
Prof. Kwan added, “The University also plans to make the Laboratory a fully intelligent one, with advanced equipment, such as a digital laboratory monitoring system, a robotic system and smart glasses, with the aim of developing it into the first smart teaching medical science laboratory in Hong Kong.”
The Bachelor of Science with Honours in Medical Laboratory Science programme will train qualified medical laboratory technologists and prepare graduates for medical laboratory work. It is designed in accordance with the requirements of the Medical Laboratory Technologists Board, which has formally commenced the accreditation of the programme. Upon completion of the accreditation, the students will be eligible to obtain the qualification of registered medical laboratory technologist.
HKMU School of Science and Technology Dean Prof. Philips Wang Fu-lee said, “With scientific advances, the application of big data analysis has become a new trend in the development of healthcare. To keep abreast of the times, HKMU has incorporated bioinformatics, and laboratory management and accreditation in the programme and has also strengthened training in molecular diagnostics to equip students with professional knowledge, and with the opening of the brand-new Medical Science Laboratory, to provide them with ample opportunities for application and practice, thereby helping them build a solid foundation for their future career in the industry.”
The programme's teaching staff are accredited medical laboratory technologists with extensive experience in the field, some with 20 to 30 years of work experience, and two scientific officers have been recruited to strengthen laboratory training.
In 2021, HKMU received a grant of HK$40 million from the Education Bureau's Enhancement and Start-up Grant Scheme for Self-financing Post-secondary Education as start-up funding for the Bachelor of Science with Honours in Medical Laboratory Science programme. In addition, a Master of Science in Medical Laboratory Science programme was offered last year to cater for the continuing education needs of the industry. The Master's programme will send forth its first cohort of students at the end of this year, with the majority of them engaging in medical laboratory-related work.
Jonathan handles all external affairs include business development, patents write up and public relations. He is frequently interviewed by media and is considered a pioneer in 3D printing products.
After graduating from OUHK, Krutz obtained an M.Sc. in Engineering Management from CityU. He is now completing his second master degree, M.Sc. in Biomedical Engineering, at CUHK. Krutz has a wide range of working experience. He has been with Siemens, VTech, and PCCW.
Hugo Leung Wai-yin, who graduated from his four-year programme in 2015, won the Best Paper Award for his ‘intelligent pill-dispenser’ design at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering’s International Conference on Consumer Electronics – China 2015.
The pill-dispenser alerts patients via sound and LED flashes to pre-set dosage and time intervals. Unlike units currently on the market, Hugo’s design connects to any mobile phone globally. In explaining how it works, he said: ‘There are three layers in the portable pillbox. The lowest level is a controller with various devices which can be connected to mobile phones in remote locations. Patients are alerted by a sound alarm and flashes. Should they fail to follow their prescribed regime, data can be sent via SMS to relatives and friends for follow up.’ The pill-dispenser has four medicine slots, plus a back-up with a LED alert, topped by a 500ml water bottle. It took Hugo three months of research and coding to complete his design, but he feels it was worth all his time and effort.
Hugo’s public examination results were disappointing and he was at a loss about his future before enrolling at the OUHK, which he now realizes was a major turning point in his life. He is grateful for the OUHK’s learning environment, its industry links and the positive guidance and encouragement from his teachers. The University is now exploring the commercial potential of his design with a pharmaceutical company. He hopes that this will benefit the elderly and chronically ill, as well as the society at large.
Soon after completing his studies, Hugo joined an automation technology company as an assistant engineer. He is responsible for the design and development of automation devices. The target is to minimize human labor and increase the quality of products. He is developing products which are used in various sections, including healthcare, manufacturing and consumer electronics.
| Course Code | Title | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| COMP S321F | Advanced Database and Data Warehousing | 5 | |
| COMP S333F | Advanced Programming and AI Algorithms | 5 | |
| COMP S351F | Software Project Management | 5 | |
| COMP S362F | Concurrent and Network Programming | 5 | |
| COMP S363F | Distributed Systems and Parallel Computing | 5 | |
| COMP S382F | Data Mining and Analytics | 5 | |
| COMP S390F | Creative Programming for Games | 5 | |
| COMP S492F | Machine Learning | 5 | |
| ELEC S305F | Computer Networking | 5 | |
| ELEC S348F | IOT Security | 5 | |
| ELEC S371F | Digital Forensics | 5 | |
| ELEC S431F | Blockchain Technologies | 5 | |
| ELEC S425F | Computer and Network Security | 5 |
| Course Code | Title | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELEC S201F | Basic Electronics | 5 | |
| IT S290F | Human Computer Interaction & User Experience Design | 5 | |
| STAT S251F | Statistical Data Analysis | 5 |
| Course Code | Title | Credits | |
|---|---|---|---|
| COMPS333F | Advanced Programming and AI Algorithms | 5 | |
| COMPS362F | Concurrent and Network Programming | 5 | |
| COMPS363F | Distributed Systems and Parallel Computing | 5 | |
| COMPS380F | Web Applications: Design and Development | 5 | |
| COMPS381F | Server-side Technologies and Cloud Computing | 5 | |
| COMPS382F | Data Mining and Analytics | 5 | |
| COMPS390F | Creative Programming for Games | 5 | |
| COMPS413F | Application Design and Development for Mobile Devices | 5 | |
| COMPS492F | Machine Learning | 5 | |
| ELECS305F | Computer Networking | 5 | |
| ELECS363F | Advanced Computer Design | 5 | |
| ELECS425F | Computer and Network Security | 5 |
