PolyU honours two distinguished personalities at 30th Congregation

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) held its 30th Congregation today, presided over by PolyU Council Chairman Dr LAM Tai-fai and President Prof. Jin-Guang TENG. At the Congregation, held in the Jockey Club Auditorium on campus, Honorary Doctorates were conferred upon two prominent figures and Doctor of Philosophy degrees were awarded to 237 graduates.

The two honorary degree recipients were (in alphabetical order of last name; please refer to the Appendix for the recipients’ biodata):

• Prof. Bernard L. FERINGA, 2016 Nobel Laureate in Chemistry and Jacobus H. van’t Hoff Distinguished Professor of Molecular Sciences at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands
• Dr Lawrence LI Kwok-chang, JP, Specialist in Ear, Nose and Throat Surgery and PolyU Deputy Council Chairman

Prof. Jin-Guang Teng extended his warmest congratulations to the honorary doctorates and doctoral graduates, highlighting that this is also a very special time for PolyU as it celebrates the 30th anniversary of attaining university status. PolyU is committed to evolving its initiatives and strategic directions in response to the changing needs of society, with the enhanced vision of becoming an innovative world-class university that pursues excellence in education, research and knowledge transfer for the benefit of Hong Kong, the Nation and the world. “We aspire for our graduates to become leaders and drivers of innovation, with research leading to innovations that bring direct societal benefits, and for the spirit of innovation to be embedded in all our endeavours.” said Prof. Teng.

He added, “As our society is being rapidly transformed by the rise of emerging technologies, especially artificial intelligence, we are addressing the growing demand for talent and technological expertise by establishing the Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences in January next year. Additionally, we aspire to set up a second campus in the Northern Metropolis, which will include a medical school to cultivate a new generation of medical professionals and innovators. This aligns with the government’s initiative to position Hong Kong as an international health and medical innovation hub.”

Prof. Teng encouraged the graduates to drive positive change and innovation in their respective fields, “Stay engaged with your alma mater, support one another, and continue to embody the spirit of innovation for excellence that defines PolyU.”

The University is conferring academic awards on a total of 10,819 students this year, including 412 Doctor of Philosophy degree graduates, 196 professional doctoral degree graduates, 40 Master of Philosophy degree graduates, 5,752 taught master’s degree graduates, 4,302 bachelor’s degree graduates, 30 postgraduate diploma recipients, and 87 sub-degree award recipients.

***END***