Introduction
Vision
The Department of Chemistry envisages to build up local and international recognition and reputation as one of the best chemistry departments in the Asia-Pacific region.
Mission
The Department of Chemistry is dedicated to achieving its excellence in professional education, quality research and community service. We strive for making proactive efforts to nurture and develop our students and to transform research output into knowledge and technologies to benefit social and economic advancement of the society, the region and the world.
The Faculty
At present, the Department has 32 faculty members, 2 Visiting Distinguished Professors (a Nobel Laureate in Chemistry (1987)), 2 Emeritus Professors and 2 Honorary Professors.
They are working at forefront of their fields of research, which are internationally well recognized. 8 faculty members are listed as Clarivate Analytics’ Highly Cited Researchers (HCR) in 2023 and 20 are listed among the top 2% of the world’s most highly cited scientists in 2023.
Their backgrounds and areas of expertise are dynamic and diverse: Organometallic & Inorganic Chemistry, Materials & Biomaterials Chemistry, Chemical Biology, Environmental Science/Biology and Computational Chemistry.
The Undergraduate Programmes
The BSc programme in Chemistry (BSCHEM) covers four major aspects of Chemistry, namely analytical chemistry, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry and physical chemistry. In addition to fundamental concepts and theories, its programme curriculum also incorporates advanced/specialized areas including cosmetic chemistry, forensic chemistry, environmental chemistry, medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, polymer chemistry, materials chemistry, computational and theoretical chemistry, testing and certification.
Students who seek studying advanced chemistry disciplines, they can select one of the streams:
- Global Research Enrichment and Technopreneurship (GREAT)
- Cosmetic Chemistry
- Forensic Chemistry
- Comprehensive Chemistry (accredited by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC))
High caliber students who seek studying in an accelerated pace can opt:
- The Undergraduate plus Postgraduate Programme
- The Joint Bachelor’s Degree with the University of Manchester.
Upon completion, students will receive two separate degrees.
The Taught Postgraduate Programme
The MSc programme in Chemistry (MSCHEM) aims to train and equip students with highly marketable research skills and experience in a wide variety of advanced chemistry disciplines to meet local, regional and global demands for R&D specialists in private and government sectors. Research elements are strongly embedded in the programme design. Students will not only acquire the solid fundamental knowledge in chemistry and molecular sciences from taught courses, they will also take part in the research projects, which is closely supervised by an academic staff of the Department.
The Research Postgraduate Programme
The PhD study focuses on cutting-edge research in the Department. It aims to develop intellectual competence through independent, original and innovation research. It emphasizes professional training in research focusing on fundamental, interdisciplinary and applied areas. Students conduct advanced research to meet pressing needs of the community and the world under supervision of academic staff members who are actively involved in conducting research activities.
State-of-the-Art Laboratory Equipment and Facilities
The Department strongly fosters interdisciplinary teaching and research activities, which are well supported by excellent laboratories with advanced equipment and facilities, for example, three NMRs of 300, 400 and 600 MHz are set up for studying molecular structures, interactions, kinetics and dynamics. Besides, the two confocal and compound microscopes are unique in the region as they are specifically fitted with lasers and filters for detecting the emission ranging from the fluorescent to the near infrared spectrum of novel chemicals introduced insides cells and organisms.
