PolyU appoints Professor Kwok-yin Wong as Vice President (Education)

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) today announced the appointment of Professor Kwok-yin WONG to the post of Vice President (Education) [VP(EDU)] with effect from 1 September 2020.

Professor Wong is currently Interim Vice President (Research and Innovation), Patrick S.C. Poon Endowed Professor in Applied Chemistry and Chair Professor of Chemical Technology at the University. He is also Director of the State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery.

Professor Wong has a proven track record of academic excellence as well as extensive leadership and management experience. He played a pivotal role in implementing the four-year undergraduate curriculum and formulating the outcome-based learning approach when he was the Dean of Faculty of Applied Science and Textiles (FAST); he was also instrumental in launching the BSc(Hons) in Food Safety and Technology programme, which has become a very successful applied science programme. As Associate Vice President (Research Support), he led efforts in developing the learning outcomes and attributes for research postgraduate students and establishing the online project and grant management system. As Interim Vice President (Research and Innovation), Professor Wong has contributed significantly to the establishment of the Graduate School and the PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research.

As VP(EDU), Professor Wong will be responsible for the planning and development of learning and teaching initiatives of the University. He will play a key role in formulating and implementing Planning Exercise Proposals, leading the development and enhancement of academic programmes (including both curriculum and pedagogical aspects), as well as developing and executing institutional policies and plans for academic quality assurance.

President Jin-Guang TENG said, “PolyU aims to provide the best holistic education to nurture our students as socially responsible leaders for the professions and in the community. Against the backdrop of the fourth industrial revolution, we are embarking on the upgrading of our educational offerings to embrace emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and robotics to meet the evolving needs of the society. Professor Wong has rich experience and has demonstrated strong leadership in the area of learning and teaching through his various important roles at the University. He also has an excellent vision for the future development of the educational programmes at the University. I have full confidence that he will lead the University to scale new heights in the area of learning and teaching.”

Professor Wong joined the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology (ABCT) of the then Hong Kong Polytechnic in 1990 as a lecturer after spending three years as a forensic chemist at the Hong Kong Government Laboratory. He has served in different management roles at the University, including as Head of ABCT (2005 - 2009), Dean of FAST (2008 - 2015), Director of the University Research Facility in Life Sciences (2015 - 2020), Associate Vice President (Research Support) (2016 - 2020), and Interim Vice President (Research and Innovation) since March 2020.

Professor Wong received his Doctor of Philosophy degree from The University of Hong Kong and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry of the United Kingdom.

Biography of Professor Kowk-yin Wong, please click this link:

https://www.polyu.edu.hk/ppoffice/president/research.html

*****