Thanks to Supporters

PolyU and SINOPEC Sign Collaborative Agreement on “Cleaner Energy Better Life” Outstanding Student Award Scheme

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation (Sinopec) have signed a collaborative agreement to establish the SINOPEC “Cleaner Energy Better Life” Outstanding Student Award Scheme. This award scheme provides scholarships to support PolyU's efforts in nurturing a diverse pool of talents for society. It also seeks to recognise and encourage undergraduates with outstanding academic achievements, as well as doctoral, master's, and students of the College of Undergraduate Researchers and Innovators who have demonstrated excellence at the PolyU Research Student Conference, while fostering their research capability and innovative spirit. This marks the second consecutive year that Sinopec has offered scholarships to PolyU. In addition to continuing their support for the Excellent Graduation Thesis Award Scheme established last year, this donation will extend the scope to cover multiple faculties and departments. It is expected that more than 60 students will benefit. The agreement signing ceremony took place in PolyU on 22 November 2023. The agreement was signed by Dr Miranda Lou, Executive Vice President of PolyU, and Mr Zhijun Ye, Deputy Chief Representative of Hong Kong Representative Office at Sinopec, in the presence of Mr Zhenying Jiang, Chief Representative of Hong Kong Representative Office at Sinopec, Dr Laura Lo, Associate Vice-President (Institutional Advancement) and Ir Prof. Albert Chan, Dean of Students of PolyU. Dr Lou expressed gratitude for Sinopec’s strong support, “Sinopec’s support and donation to PolyU represent their recognition of PolyU’s teaching and research efforts. We look forward to further our cooperation and the establishment of a long-term strategic partnership between the two parties." Mr Jiang also stated, "Clean energy and better life" is the solemn commitment and relentless pursuit of Sinopec. We are willing to join hands with the teachers and students of PolyU to make unremitting efforts for a green and low-carbon lifestyle, and to safeguard the clear sky and blue sea of Hong Kong. We aim to contribute to cultivating outstanding young people with exceptional abilities and patriots who love Hong Kong and the country.”

Naming Ceremony of Dr Joseph Lee Classroom

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has recently named one classroom on the PolyU campus after Dr Joseph Lee, President of Wofoo Foundation Limited. A naming ceremony was held on 20 October in appreciation of Dr Lee’s generous support to the University’s education and research development. A seasoned entrepreneur, Dr Lee made significant contributions in the fields of social services, manufacturing, and trade. He founded Wofoo Plastics Limited in 1980, laying the foundation for his successful career. Since the early 90s, Dr Lee has increasingly devoted his time and efforts to serving society. Dr Lee pledged himself to foster a caring, inclusive, and respectful society and further the Wofoo vision of “Harmony brings a family prosperity. Cohesion makes a nation wealthy.” Dr Lee's vision aligns with PolyU's educational philosophy, which is to provide students with a quality whole-person education and nurture them to become professionals and leaders with a sense of nationalism, internationalism, and social responsibility. At the ceremony, PolyU President Prof Jin-Guang Teng thanked Dr Lee for his generosity and ongoing support to PolyU. He said, “We are honoured to name the classroom "Dr Joseph Lee Classroom", not only to thank Dr Lee for his guidance and support but also to further recognise his passion and dedication to education, as well as to carry forward his spirit of fraternity and commitment, so that PolyU students will be able to learn from his good example.” Dr Lee also supported a number of studies on nurturing Hong Kong's young people in the past. They included two large-scale research projects led by our Associate Vice-President (Undergraduate Programme) Prof Daniel Shek, one focused on Moral and Character Education in Hong Kong in 2016 and the other one explored Whole Person Development and Well-being of Young People in Hong Kong in 2021. Whether it is education, research, or knowledge transfer, Dr Lee is walking side by side with PolyU in building a better society. Dr Lee said, “Wofoo and PolyU share a common vision to educate for a better society. I am very happy to work with my long-time friend, Prof. Daniel Shek, especially in the areas of promoting Service-Learning and the Wofoo Leaders Network initiative”. The naming ceremony was a joyful occasion celebrating Dr Lee’s uplifting example of gaining happiness by giving. To see some happy moments at the ceremony, please click here.

PolyU Wong Man and Tang Kit Wah Global Student Hub naming ceremony

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has recently renamed the Global Student Hub on campus the “Wong Man and Tang Kit Wah Global Student Hub” and held the Naming Ceremony on 11 October to honour Mr King WONG and his family’s recognition for and generous support to PolyU’s education and research development. Dr LAM Tai-fai, PolyU Council Chairman, accompanied by Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, PolyU President, Dr Sunny CHAI, PolyU Foundation Chairman, and Dr Miranda LOU, PolyU Executive Vice President, presented mementos to Mr King Wong and Mr Tommy WONG. Together with the University senior management and members of the Wong’s family, they officiated at the plaque unveiling ceremony for the “Wong Man and Tang Kit Wah Global Student Hub”. Friends of the late Mr Wong Man and Ms Tang Kit-wah also attended the ceremony to witness this important moment. Holding multiple professional qualifications including those of barrister, accountant and engineer, Mr King Wong has been a part-time lecturer at the Faculty of Construction and Environment since 2015 and was appointed an Adjunct Professor in 2023. His younger brother Mr Tommy Wong is also a seasoned educator who has taught and guided many students over the years. Mr King Wong stated that naming the Global Student Hub after his late parents not only commemorated their contributions to society and the family, but also allowed him and his family to support the advancement of higher education in Hong Kong. Mr King Wong and his five siblings grew up under the influence and teachings of their parents, and they strongly believe growing up in a loving and inclusive environment with good teachers and friends is beneficial for the all-round development of youngsters. He shared an anecdote from his childhood, recounting how his primary school teacher initiated a fundraising effort to help a student whose home had been burnt down in a fire. This act of compassion sowed the seeds of love and empathy in his heart, as well as inspiring him to pursue a career as an engineer. He was very pleased to see that PolyU attaches great importance to whole-person education and being the first university in Hong Kong to include Service-Learning as a compulsory subject in the undergraduate curriculum and establishing the Research Centre for Chinese History and Culture to give students greater opportunities to learn about Chinese culture and wisdom. Prof. Jin-Guang Teng sincerely thanked Mr Wong for his generosity and longstanding support to PolyU. He said, “We are honoured to receive donation from Mr Wong and his family in support of PolyU’s education and research development. The donation has provided PolyU with extra resources for cultivating outstanding talents, which help enhance Hong Kong’s competitiveness and make other valuable contributions to society.” Covering an area of more than 420 square meters and accommodating over 200 people, the “Wong Man and Tang Kit Wah Global Student Hub” became operational at the end of 2020. It is a popular hangout spot for the PolyU community and venue for various cultural and social activities led by students or the University.

PolyU Foundation holds appreciation reception to honour members

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) Foundation held an appreciation reception on 6 October 2023 to show appreciation to its members for their long-standing support to the University. Among the guests invited were new and upgraded members in the PolyU Foundation membership categories of Honorary Life Member, Life Member and Senior Member. Dr Sunny Chai, Chairman of the PolyU Foundation, took the opportunity to express his heartfelt thanks to the members for their generosity and long-standing support, which have continuously driven us forward. Prof. Jin-Guang Teng, PolyU President, warmly welcomed the guests and shared with them PolyU’s latest developments in education and research. He acknowledged members for their ardent support to the University, which has enabled PolyU to make significant contributions to society. As a token of thanks, a Certificate of Appreciation was presented to the members by Prof. Teng and Dr Chai. Following the appreciation reception, the members also paid a visit to the Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations and School of Design, where they learned more about PolyU’s accomplishment and ongoing progress.

PolyU and Accel Group establish Metaverse+ Joint Laboratory to promote the development and innovation of smart cities related fields

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Accel Group Holdings Limited (Accel Group) have established the “PolyU-Accel Group Metaverse+ Joint Laboratory” (Joint Lab). The Joint Lab aims to foster the research and application of metaverse technology in various sectors, accelerate the ongoing development of Hong Kong as a green and smart city, strengthen industry-academia-research collaboration and cultivate professional talents. The Accel Group plans to donate HK$10 million to PolyU in the next five years to support the project development and operation of the Joint Lab. The kick-off ceremony was held today on the PolyU campus, officiated by Ms Lillian CHEONG, Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry; Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU; Mr KO Lai-hung, Chairman and CEO of Accel Group; Ms Iris Ping-fan WONG, Hong Kong delegate to the National People’s Congress; Mr CHAN Han-pan, LegCo Member; Dr Miranda LOU, Executive Vice President of PolyU; Prof. LI Qing, Chair Professor of Data Science and Head of the Department of Computing of PolyU; together with other guests. Prof. Jin-Guang Teng said, “To better equip students for societal needs, PolyU has taken the lead in launching new Master’s degree programmes in areas including blockchain technology, metaverse technology, and artificial intelligence and big data computing. ‘Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics’ (AIDA) and ‘Innovation and Entrepreneurship’ (IE) have also been incorporated into the undergraduate curriculum. PolyU is committed to becoming an innovative world-class university and its contributions to blockchain technology and Web3 development have been widely recognised. The University topped the ‘Best Universities for Blockchain 2022’ list by CoinDesk, and our scholars recently won the international ZPRIZE award to recognise the breakthroughs achieved by the team in zero-knowledge crypto technology in Web3.” Dr KO Lai-hung said, “The establishment of the Joint Lab with PolyU will benefit the diversification of our business development and as such is a milestone in the Group’s process of technological innovation. We will cooperate with academia by integrating our extensive industry experience and leveraging our financial resources into research in order to propel the construction of a more competitive and sustainable Hong Kong with the utilisation of metaverse technology. Our Group will also seize the enormous business opportunities brought by the metaverse and actively apply innovative outcomes in our business so as to increase our competitive advantage and support our long-term development.”  The Joint Lab will conduct diversified research, including into the metaverse’s role in enterprise cooperation, industrial applications, green and smart city initiatives, energy management, and sustainable supply chain systems. It is expected that the establishment of the Joint Lab will improve production efficiency and quality while at the same time reducing risk and cost, accelerating the ongoing development of Hong Kong as a green and smart city, and cultivating professional talents. Weaving together the knowledge and research capability of academia with the experience and resources of industry, this collaboration between PolyU and Accel Group will further strengthen cross-disciplinary cooperation and explore the potential and value of metaverse technology in industrial applications and environmental protection.  

PolyU Foundation has launched a new initiative – PolyU Foundation Luncheon Series

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Foundation has launched a new initiative – PolyU Foundation Luncheon Series to promote insightful exchanges between PolyU and our supporters. Three luncheon seminars have already been organised and have received enthusiastic responses from members and friends of the PolyU community. Each seminar in the series focuses on a captivating topic that is closely related to our daily lives. Renowned PolyU experts are invited to share their insights and knowledge with the participants. We kicked start the inaugural luncheon on 20 March 2023 to explore the topic of Youth Development. Dr Grace Ngai, Head of the Service-Learning and Leadership Office, introduced PolyU’s award-winning Service-Learning (SL) programme, which aims to foster students’ sense of social responsibility. She together with a group of PolyU students, shared their life-changing experience in SL, providing inspiration to all attendees. The second luncheon, held on 12 May 2023, delved into the topic of Food Science and Nutrition. Dr Wong Ka-hing, Director of Research Institute for Future Food, and Prof. Wong Man-sau, Director of Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation, elaborated on their interdisciplinary research efforts to address the critical challenges of food sustainability and human health. Their impressive presentations engaged participants in thought-provoking discussions. The third seminar, held on 30 June 2023, focused on Sports Science and Technology. Ir Prof. Ming Zhang, Director of the Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology, demonstrated with real-life examples the scientific and engineering solutions created by his team to make sports more interesting, more rewarding and safe for everyone. Participants were amazed by the newly developed technologies. More different types of events will be organised in the coming months. All friends are welcome to join us.

PolyU and CUHK jointly develop revolutionary drug for multiple metabolic diseases with support from charity foundation, the Government and the University

Prof. Thomas LEUNG Yun-chung, Professor of the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology and Lo Ka Chung Charitable Foundation Professor in Pharmaceutical Sciences of PolyU, and Prof. Alisa SHUM Sau-wun, Associate Professor, School of Biomedical Sciences of the Faculty of Medicine of The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), have jointly made a groundbreaking drug discovery in treating multiple metabolic diseases related to obesity and insulin resistance like diabetes and fatty liver disease. The joint research project is supported by the Lo Ka Chung Charitable Foundation Limited, the Health and Medical Research Fund of the Health Bureau and the State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery of PolyU. The inter-institutional collaboration between PolyU and CUHK has sparked innovative ideas and possibilities for researching this new and one-of-a-kind drug. It has also maximised the coordination between research experts and the use of equipment and facilities in different specialised areas. The new drug, ABarginase, opens a new path for safe, long-lasting cures to multiple obesity related diseases simultaneously through an ingenious treatment mechanism. ABarginase shows promise for the effective treatment of multiple metabolic diseases including prediabetes, type 2 diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The fabrication process of ABarginase is inexpensive and highly efficient, making it affordable and widely adoptable for clinical applications. In preclinical studies, diet-induced obese mice were injected with ABarginase once a week. Researchers found that within eight weeks of treatment, the mice’s body weight, fat mass, fatty liver and characteristic features of diabetes such as high blood glucose, insulin resistance and glucose intolerance were entirely reversed. The research team is now scaling up the production for manufacturing ABarginase in preparation for conducting clinical trials. Prof. Leung appreciated the Lo Ka Chung Charitable Foundation for supporting his research through the Endowed Professorship Scheme. “Thanks to the Foundation, I have been able to pursue my research on the rational design of cancer drugs by protein engineering and chemical biology with sustainable funding support. Subsequently, I have also discovered a possible solution to invent a new drug that could potentially treat obesity-related cancers and other ailments. Upon sharing this exciting news with the Foundation, they generously provided additional funding to further our research in this new direction”.  In an affirmation of its potential benefit to patients and positive impact on global health, as well as a testament to the research excellence of inter-university collaboration, ABarginase recently won one of the two prestigious Grand Prizes awarded to Hong Kong in this year’s International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva – the International Federation of Inventors’ Associations (IFIA) Best Invention Award.

PolyU Foundation Appreciation Lunch

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Foundation (PolyU Foundation) held an appreciation lunch on 28 April 2023 to express our profound gratitude to members who have offered their support to the University. The event welcomed new and upgraded members in the categories of Honorary Life Chairman, Honorary Life President and Honorary Life Vice President. During the luncheon, Dr Sunny Chai, Chairman of the PolyU Foundation, expressed his utmost appreciation to members for their contributions over the years, which have propelled PolyU to scale new heights in research and education. PolyU President Prof. Jin-Guang Teng, after thanking members for their support, gave a presentation on the latest developments of PolyU in education and research, which included PolyU’s ranking as the sixth Most International Universities in the 2023 Times Higher Education World rankings. As a token of gratitude, members were presented with a Certificate of Appreciation and a special souvenir by Prof. Teng and Dr Chai. Please follow this photo link to revisit the luncheon: https://oia.pixieset.com/polyufoundation_appreciationlunch/

Appreciation Reception for Scholarship and Bursary Donors 2022/23

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) held an appreciation reception on 14 April 2023 at the Global Student Hub on campus to thank donors who have set up scholarships and/ or bursaries for students in the academic year 2022/23. During the year, we are grateful to have received from over 270 donors a total of HK$43 million in the forms of scholarships /bursaries, financial assistance and subsidies for student activities, benefiting over 2,200 PolyU students. The event allowed the students to express their gratitude to donors in person. PolyU President Prof. Jing-Guang Teng and Chairman of PolyU Foundation Dr Sunny Chai, expressed their deepest appreciation to all donors for their continued support and guidance as PolyU works to create a favourable environment for educating the young generation. They also presented certificates of appreciation to donors who have supported the University’s scholarship/bursary scheme for over 15 years. Two talented scholarship awardees performed violin and yangqin recitals to express their heartfelt gratitude to the donors, which spiced up the event. Representatives from two donors, Croucher Foundation and Hong Kong Woollen and Synthetic Knitting Manufacturers’ Association, that have been supporting the University’s scholarship/ bursary scheme for over four decades, shared their beliefs and aspirations to support education and PolyU. Reception photo link: https://oia.pixieset.com/appreciationreceptionforscholarshipandbursarydonors/ Programme Booklet:

Business leader supports PolyU to advance development of humanities and technology

The Endowed Professorship Scheme recognises the achievements of world-renowned researchers in their specialised discipline, and enables the Endowed Professors to explore and advance cutting-edge research projects for the betterment of mankind. Sin Wai Kin Foundation made a generous donation to PolyU for the inauguration of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Sin Wai Kin Chinese Humanities Development Fund, with a mission to promote learning, academic exchange and research related to Chinese culture, language, history and philosophy. In the same vein, Sin Wai Kin Foundation Endowed Professorship in Humanities and Technology was established to drive advanced research and education in humanities and technologies. Professor Li Ping, Dean of Faculty of Humanities and Chair Professor of Neurolinguistics and Bilingual Studies, is appointed as Sin Wai Kin Foundation Professor in Humanities and Technology. Dr David Sin Wai Kin is a pioneering business leader whose achievements have been well-recognised across multiple sectors, including but not limited to property development, hotel business, jewellery manufacturing, banking and financial services. Dr Sin, who lost the opportunity to further his studies at a young age due to the Second World War, has been a fervent supporter of higher education in Hong Kong and the Mainland, especially in preserving traditional Chinese culture and promoting Chinese literature and humanities. Sin Wai Kin Foundation was founded by Dr Sin, not only to support students and organisations in need, but to also drive academic progress in humanities among tertiary institutes. An internationally renowned scholar, Professor Li Ping’s research focuses on the neurocognitive and computational bases of language acquisition, bilingualism, and reading comprehension in both children and adults. He uses digital technologies and cognitive neuroscience methods to study neuroplasticity and individual differences in learning, so as to understand the relationships among languages, cultures, technology, and the brain. This professorship has given PolyU a strong impetus to make further contributions to the research and education in humanities and technology.  We hope that like-minded philanthropists will witness the powerful impact of the Endowed Professorship Scheme in the appointment of the aforesaid professorship. Please browse the Scheme website or contact Office of Institutional Advancement for more information.