The Best of Both Worlds

It is challenging enough to thrive in either mathematics or information engineering, but imagine how much more challenging it would be to excel in both.

The Department of Mathematics in the Faculty of Science and the Department of Information Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering of CUHK have collaborated to offer the Mathematics and Information Engineering (MIEG) programme, the first inter-disciplinary programme in Hong Kong designed to equip students with solid fundamental knowledge in both mathematics and engineering.

Tim Kwok’s first love was engineering, but after several years of university study his interest in mathematics started to grow. He said, ‘In those years, I was quite impressed with the power of mathematics, which can be applied to solve practical problems. I believed that this programme could provide exactly what I needed. On one hand, I could continue to learn how to apply mathematics to accomplish different tasks. On the other, I could have a deeper understanding of why the tools work in a more theoretical sense.’

The main areas in information engineering are communications, multimedia processing, information theory, and computer networks. Each of these areas has had, historically, a deep and significant tie with mathematics. A significant number of researchers working in these areas are highly trained mathematically, and the MIEG programme aims to nurture and train the next generation of researchers. By trying to combine both engineering intuition with rigorous mathematical training, this intensive programme strives to nurture and educate mathematically-trained engineers and researchers for the information world of today and tomorrow, people who will make significant changes in these areas.

Justin Chung, another student of MIEG, said, ‘I feel that in the Big Data era the importance of information engineering will gradually increase. Having taken mathematics as my second major enables me to do research and think more critically. I think by taking both mathematics and information engineering courses, I am not restricted to either. Instead, I can choose which side I like more in the later stages of my development.’

Given its size (less than 20 are admitted each year) and interdisciplinary nature, MIEG can be considered an elite programme. Justin commented, ‘My fellow students are smart and competent. Because the size of the programme, we are close and often see each other in lectures.’

The MIEG programme prepares students for further studies, pursuing independent research and/or careers that require mathematical sophistication (e.g., engineering, finance, data science, etc.). It is ideal for students who want to pursue higher studies in information science and related disciplines such as computer science, electrical engineering and mathematics. It is also ideal for students who enjoy understanding the mathematical foundation and see mathematics in application.

This suits Justin well. He said, ‘I would like to leverage both information engineering and mathematical training in the computational finance industry, perhaps some programming works with more maths in it.’

The years spent in the programme have opened up Tim’s eyes: “I would say studying in this programme has not only changed the way I looked at the discipline but also how I think. The mindsets for mathematics and for engineering are different. When doing mathematical proofs, we have to think logically and make sure every step is right. On the contrary, for engineering problems, sometimes we have to be creative and think out of the box. Immersing in both disciplines, I have learned how to use the two minds. Novel problems may require the two minds to work together. The ‘engineer’s mind’ can lead me to many possible solutions while the ‘mathematician’s mind’ helps me choose the right one.”

He continued, ‘The most impressive experience was from my research. I have been doing research on machine-learning since my Year 3 summer. I realized that doing research is by no mean easy. Unlike taking a course, a good result is not guaranteed no matter how much time is invested in it. However, it does not stop my passion in research. A research can lead to another research. Even if it turns out to be a failure, I can learn from the process.’

Ready to leave the comfort zone of ‘One World, One Mind’ ? Hear what Tim has to say, ‘Think twice before applying for this programme. Mathematics and engineering require quite different sets of skills and qualities. However, it does not mean that you should not give it a try. The skills and qualities could be acquired throughout your studies. The most important thing is that you should be passionate about both mathematics and engineering.’

Published: Summer 2017
Last Updated: Summer 2018