🌱 Cultivating a Greener Future: Library Sustainability Highlights This Fall
This Fall, the HKUST Library became a lively hub for sustainability learning. We brought our campus community together through a curated book display, inspiring discussions on eco-design and food technology, and a hands-on creative workshop.
In total, 120 students and staff joined our three events, and we loved seeing them explore new, practical ways to build, eat, and live greener.
📚 G/F Book Display: Sustainability & Climate Change
We set up a special book display on the Ground Floor and invited you to explore books on climate change, nature protection, and green technology. We hoped it would be a great starting point for our campus conversations.
🏛️ Rebuilding Cities with Nature: From Waste to Nature
Participants: 53 | Satisfaction Rating: ⭐ 4.91 / 5.0
Our first guest speaker was Mr. Otto Ng, Co-founder of LAAB Architects. He explained how buildings and urban spaces can do more than just look environmentally friendly—they can actively help heal our surroundings.
He introduced several brilliant, real-life examples:
- Recycled Bricks: The team collected used plastic bottles from schools, shredded them, and 3D-printed them into lightweight, stackable blocks. These were assembled to create a portable exhibition pavilion in Paris and Hong Kong.
- Preserving History: They rescued old timber from the closed Wan Chai Ferry Pier and turned it into unique tables and chairs for a café at T·PARK, keeping local memories alive.
- Living Rivers: They transformed East Kowloon's concrete Tsui Ping River drainage channel into a scenic corridor that protects the area from flooding and welcomes back birds and fish.
- Rooftop Gardens: At K11 MUSEA, they designed an organic farm and butterfly garden on the roof to bring biodiversity back to the city center.
💬 Feedback from a Participant: "I really liked the part about reusing the old timber originating from the harbor into new furniture... It was really interesting to learn about the impact of sustainable architecture in HK. I personally appreciate the presence of green spaces in urban areas, so LAAB's work was fascinating and inspirational."
☀️ Hands-On Art: Solar Mosaic Night Light Workshop
Participants: 20 | Satisfaction Rating: ⭐ 4.82 / 5.0
To connect renewable energy with daily life, the Library hosted a Solar Mosaic Night Light Workshop. 20 participants took a relaxing break to create artistic lamps using colorful mosaics.
The session demonstrated to everyone that clean, solar power can be easily and elegantly integrated into our homes.
💬 Feedback from a Participant: "Building the mosaic solar lamp yourself—the fact that it is solar powered is so cool... The process is calming and it gives us free time for creativity."
🥛 Science to Table: Tiga Milk & Green Entrepreneurship
Participants: 47 | Satisfaction Rating: ⭐ 4.86 / 5.0
As the world's population grows, finding healthy and sustainable food is a critical challenge. Prof. Marshal Liu (CBE, HKUST) and food entrepreneurs Mr. Edmund Chan and Mr. Markus Cheung (HKUST Alumnus) explained how they created Tiga Milk.
The team highlighted why plant proteins are much better for the earth than animal farming. They used scientific methods to turn tiger nuts—a crop that thrives in dry deserts—into a rich, lactose-free milk. By using natural enzymes, they achieved a sweet, smooth taste with no added sugar. The speakers also offered valuable startup advice and displayed how HKUST students are creating innovative food technology in our labs.
💬 Feedback from a Participant: "It is truly inspiring to see how they created a product that honestly helps the world... I really enjoyed the sharing of how they navigated the challenges in the startup of their company."
🗓️ Up Next: The Stories Behind Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Cases in HK
Date: November 24, 2026 | Time: 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
Speaker: Prof. Kenneth K.M. Leung, Director of the HKUST Sustainability/Net-Zero Office
Prof. Leung will present fascinating, behind-the-scenes stories of major ecological decisions in Hong Kong.
Discover how experts protect our wildlife and ecosystems while executing major infrastructure developments, including the Long Valley Railway Line and the Airport Third Runway. We look forward to seeing you there!
Eunice Wong
Senior Librarian (User Engagement)
lbeunice@ust.hk
