The world of science and technology in the new millennium is facing scientific challenges in the areas of Information Technology, Biotechnology, Nanotechnology and Environmental Science. In all these endeavors, materials issues are ubiquitous and the understanding of the underpinning physics is essential. In 1993, the City University of Hong Kong, recognizing the importance of these frontier challenges as well as the need for a synergism between education and research encompassing both physics and materials, formed the Department of Physics and Materials Science - the first of its kind in Hong Kong.

Over a ten-year period the Department has grown to a current size of 24 academic staff, approximately 80 research students and 80 research and technical staff. The Department now offers two undergraduate programmes, BSc (Hons) in Applied Physics and BEng (Hons) in Materials Engineering, with a total of about 330 full-time and 80 part-time students. Moreover, the Department offers a taught Master of Science (MSc) degree in Materials Engineering and Nanotechnology with a total of about 50 students, as well as post-graduate degree programmes for Master of Philosophy (MPhil) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). The Department’s objectives are threefold: 1) to educate students via both undergraduate and postgraduate programmes to meet the demands for skilled professionals in Hong Kong and the Pan Pearl River Delta Region, 2) to conduct innovative, especially applied, research and development leading to the advancement of science and technology, and 3) to render professional services for the professional community in Hong Kong and the Pan Pearl River Delta region.

The academic programmes offered by the Department build upon foundation courses with problem-solving capabilities and advanced skills, thus enabling graduates to adapt effectively to the changing demands. The academic staff of the Department have all earned doctoral degrees from the world’s leading academic institutions. Many acquired an international reputation and substantial working experience in North America, Europe, Australia or China before joining the Department, bringing with them invaluable knowledge and skills for transfer to their students.

In response to the rapid advancement of scientific knowledge and technologies, we maintain a high standard and dynamical research team encompassing both applied and basic research activities. The Department excels in research over a wide range of topics, maintaining sustained collaborations with scientific communities in China, USA, Japan, Australia and Western Europe. Our research activities can be broadly divided into the following areas: applied optics, atmospheric and environmental physics, computational materials science, surface science and engineering, functional coatings, electroceramics, metals and alloys, polymer composites, electronic materials, plasma engineering, biomaterials, optoelectronics instrumentation and measurements, medical radiation physics, nanoscience and technology, organic light emitting devices, shape memory alloys, etc.

In the past five years, our research support totalled to about $130 million from external grants (including matching funds) in addition to $59 million from internal sources. Our academic staff have published approximately 1200 technical papers in internationally refereed journals and delivered approximately 700 invited talks and conference presentations during the same period. Several outstanding research awards and recognitions have been granted to our staff such as the Humboldt Research Award, election to membership of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hsun Lee Lecture Award, National Natural Science Award, Friedrich Wilhem Bessel Research Award, Croucher Foundation Senior Research Fellowship, Japanese Society for Promotion of Science Fellowship, Fellowship of the American Physical Society, ASM International, AVS, IEEE, HKIE and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Our academic staff are professionally active through editorships of more than ten international journals, organization of a number of international conferences or symposia, contributions to committee functions in a number of local and international organizations and societies.

With well-equipped laboratories, sound curriculum programmes and advanced multi-media education facility, the devoted staff of the Department of Physics and Materials Science welcome the new challenges and are ready to bring state-of-the-art education to all students entering our programmes.