International Research Enrichment Students' Society, HKUSTSU was reconstitiued from Molecular Biomedical Sciences Students' Society, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Students' Union (MBMSSS, HKUSTSU) in 2014. Before its reconstitution, it mainly served the students from the program of Molecular Biomedical Sciences (MBMS), which was founded on 2007/2008 academic year. It was built with a special emphasis on molecular experimental research training. It aimed to nurture a new breed of biological science students with a broad basis of knowledge, solid quantitative skill, and the ability to appreciate various molecular cellular processes in biological systems and to conduct research on specific questions with biomedical relevance using an integrative approach.
In line with the establishment of MBMS Program, MBMSSS, HKUSTSU was officially established on the 13th February 2009, after nearly a whole year of diligence and preparation by the Founding President Mr. Leung Chun Yam, Tony, and his comrades. Since its establishment, it mainly served MBMS students and provided a lot of activities for them.
However, to accommodate changes of curriculum from HKALE to HKDSE, HKUST modified the programs and courses. As the changes were carried out, the Molecular Biomedical Sciences program stopped taking in new students since 2013 and it was ended in 2015, after the graduation of the last batch of students.
By coincidence, the IRE program was founded in 2013. In order to transform the society, the executive committee members of MBMSSS, HKUSTSU, Session 2013-2014 actively reached out to the first batch of IRE freshmen and offered a lot of help to them, which made the IRE freshmen decide to inherit the society.
In 25 November 2013, after the 5th Extraordinary General Meeting of MBMSSS, HKUSTSU, Session 2013 – 2014, the new Society name – International Research Enrichment Students' Society, HKUSTSU and the new constitution of the Society were adopted. In 2 January 2013, the name transition of the society was successfully approved by Affiliated Societies Committee, the Council, HKUSTSU during their meeting, with the effort of session 2013-2014 and the help of Professor King Lau CHOW. Since then, the IRESS, HKUSTSU worked to serve MBMS and IRE students.