The HKUST Card

The HKUST Card is issued to all students, staff and university associates. It will identify you as a member of the University, serves as your library card, and allows you appropriate access to university resources and services electronically.

Built around a new generation of smart card technology, the HKUST Card enhances security and personal safety within the campus, strengthen the use of electronic means in conducting university business and academic. The use of e-Payment, e-AccessControl are among the examples of services that the HKUST Card enables us to do.

What's on the Card

Apart from card operating functions, the HKUST Card comes with the following:

• A PIN (Personal Identification Number) for the Cardholder

  In addition to identification items that are printed on the card (e.g. photo, name, student/staff number), this PIN is used to further establish the identity of the cardholder. It also provides additional protection against misuse (e.g. in the case of lost cards).

  The presentation of the PIN will be required when the cardholder carries out card-related functions of a confidential/restricted nature.

• A "Value Bag
   

  Every HKUST Card comes with a "Value Bag" function that will store data held by the cardholder and to present and/or check the data as needed for the cardholder to gain access to University resources/services.

  The Value Bag is segmented into data areas of different nature. Each data area is further protected by a set of access PINs and keys of its own to ensure its security and confidentiality of the specific data.

  For students, the primary data currently held in the Value Bag relate to his/her study program (e.g. school, department, year, full-time/part-time, etc.). For staff, it will primarily be employment-related information (e.g. department, post, full-time/part-time, etc.)

  Other "Values" are built in the Value Bag to support:

  It is expected that more "Values" will be added to the Value Bag over time.

  Facilities are provided (see the section on Manage your HKUST Card) to enable the cardholder to view his/her data on the card, as well as to update such information when there are changes.

  • a campus "payment token" service
  • a stored value to turn on air conditioning in student hostels
  • recording and presentation of special training/attendance data
  • capturing of information on "loyalty" programmes related to banking services
     

Future Expansion

The technology used for the HKUST card (see the section on Technical Information) will allow the introduction of additional functions/services over time. Additional "Value Bags" can also be added if necessary.