One of the objectives of the common core program is to foster appreciation of arts and culture. Exposing students to artistic and cultural challenges could bring positive impact on their personal development, and probably on their future career as well.

A wide spectrum of arts courses, activities and hands-on experience will be offered to enrich the artistic and cultural environment on campus. The focus, however, is not on training students as professional performers or arts practitioner, but to emphasize on awakening their artistic mind, developing their artistic sense as well as the ability to explore and to express in various artistic means.

There has been a long history at HKUST of offering courses and workshops on arts and music in the past, through credited courses taught by the School of Humanities and Social Science, or through workshops and activities organized by the Center for the Arts. Since Spring 2009-10, a number of studio arts courses, covering areas like drawing, painting, media art, Cantonese opera, dance, photography, as well as interdisciplinary art. They are generally well received by students and their feedbacks are very positive. The target is to make available a small number of these studio arts courses for offer every semester for the common core program from 2012-13 onwards.