Prof ZHANG Xuming and Dr TSOI Chi Chung won Young Techpreneur Project 2023-2024

It is pleased to announce that Shafayet Yaseen, a student from the Department of Applied Physics (AP) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, has been awarded the prestigious Erasmus Mundus Scholarship. This scholarship, which accepts only up to 100 students worldwide each year with a highly selective acceptance rate of 3-5%, is a testament to Yaseen's academic and leadership excellence. The Erasmus Mundus Scholarship is on par with the selectivity of renowned institutions such as Harvard, Stanford, MIT, and Oxford.

Yaseen's passion, outstanding academic achievements and strategic submissions of two recommendation letters respectively from Prof Artur Erbe of Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf and a distinguished industrialist in Bangladesh played crucial roles in securing this scholarship. Throughout the application process, Yaseen demonstrated exceptional engagement and expertise, impressing the panel during a challenging interview on various complex topics ranging from Quantum Physics and Material Science to Nanotechnology, Chemistry, Thermodynamics, and Solid State Physics.

Furthermore, Yaseen's leadership abilities were highlighted through their roles as the President of the International Student Association (ISA) at PolyU and the Vice President of the Hong Kong PolyU English Debate Club. These positions showcased Yaseen's inspiring and effective leadership qualities, which are highly valued by the Erasmus Mundus program.

The Department of Applied Physics (AP) and PolyU played a significant role in Yaseen's achievement. Under the guidance of Dr Jiong Zhao and Professor Yuen Hong Tsang, Yaseen gained valuable research experience, contributed to multiple papers, and enhanced their data analysis skills. Yaseen's research internship at Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden Rossendorf in Germany, as well as an exchange program at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, further exemplified their academic excellence.

Currently, Yaseen is actively involved in an innovative project under the Undergraduate Research and Innovation Scheme (URIS), focusing on AI and computer vision for commercial painting applications.

The Department of Applied Physics acknowledges Yaseen's significant achievements, and eagerly anticipates the continued impact of his work in the scientific community and beyond.