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ROBOTICS AND
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Message from
the Head

Welcome to the Robotics and Autonomous Systems (ROAS) Thrust!

We are living in an era of unprecedented innovation and transformation, where robotics and autonomous systems are reshaping industries, transportation, healthcare, and every facet of human life. As pioneers in this field, you stand at the forefront of technological advancement while bearing the responsibility to drive societal progress.

Here at ROAS, you will:
• Be guided by leading scholars across disciplines to explore the frontiers of knowledge.
• Gain hands-on experience through cutting-edge experimental platforms, industry collaborations, and a global academic environment that bridges theory and real-world problem-solving.
• Leverage the strategic advantages of the Greater Bay Area, while collaborating with HKUST Clear Water Bay Campus and world-class institutions to expand your international horizons.

In the years ahead, we encourage you to stay curious and dare to go beyond the border. Pursue innovation while always considering the ethical implications of technology.

Together, let us shape the future!

Shugen MA
ROAS Thrust

Introduction of the Head

Shugen MA

PhD in Mechanical Engineering Science Tokyo Institute of Technology, 1991

Professor Shugen Ma (IEEE Fellow, AAIA Fellow, JSME Fellow, Foreign Fellow of the EAJ) received a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering Science from the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Before he joined HKUST (GZ), he was a professor at Ritsumeikan University and a visiting professor at John Hopkins University, Shenyang Institute of Automation of CAS, Tianjin University, and Harbin Institute of Technology, respectively. His research interests include but are not limited to the design and control of environment-adaptive robots, field robotics, and biologically inspired robotics. He has supervised 45 doctoral and 100 postgraduate students to graduation. Prof. Ma is a Professor Emeritus of Ritsumeikan University, a Foreign Fellow of the Engineering Academy of Japan, and the general chair of IROS 2022 (a top robotics conference). He also founded the ROBIO conference in 2004 and served as the general chair of ROBIO 2004, ROBIO 2010, and ROBIO 2016. He has also been featured in the list of the world’s top 2% of scientists published by Stanford University.