Media Releases

PolyU research finds drug-resistant bacteria on hand-drying facilities in public washrooms

Research findings of a project undertaken by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) show that fifty-two bacterial species, some pathogenic to humans, were found on the hand hygiene facilities of public washrooms. One-fifth of the isolated Staphylococcus species demonstrated co-resistance to at least three first-line antibiotics. This suggests that hand-drying facilities in public washrooms can act as reservoirs of drug-resistant bacteria. The research project, led by Dr Lorna SUEN, Associate Professor of the School of Nursing and Dr Gilman SIU, Associate Professor of the Department of Health, Technology and Informatics at PolyU, aimed to examine the provision and cleanliness of the hand-drying facilities in public washrooms. Dr Lorna SUEN said the findings suggest hand hygiene may not always be achievable when using public washrooms. “Washroom users avail themselves of the handwashing and hand-drying facilities provided under the impression that these amenities are hygienic. However, such facilities may be potential sites for the transmission of pathogenic bacteria. Attention should be paid to the potential risks of re-contamination of hands from contaminated washroom facilities and surfaces.” A total of 55 public washrooms, 28 female and 27 male, were examined in 2017 via convenience sampling. These washrooms were classified into three categories. The first included 11 public washrooms in the wet markets, parks and piers. The second category were 36 public washrooms in sports grounds, public libraries and shopping malls etc, while the last one included those in the high-end establishments like five-star hotels or luxurious shopping malls (8 nos.). Location wise, 25 of them are on Hong Kong Island, 14 in Kowloon and 16 in the New Territories. The researchers collected 220 samples with swabs that had been pre-moistened in sterile normal saline from areas around the outlet of paper towel dispensers, the air outlet of air dryers, paper towels and the internal surface of exit doors in the washrooms. They then cultured the samples in duplicate on an enriched medium. The resulting bacterial colonies were enumerated and the respective bacterial species were identified using mass spectrometry. Substantial numbers of bacteria were found to be present on the paper towel dispensers, hand dryers and door handles tested. The majority of bacteria identified are considered as part of the normal human flora and do not commonly cause disease in healthy individuals. However, some species are known to be pathogenic to humans. For example, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, and Staphylococcus saprophyticus are common urinary tract pathogens. Staphylococcus aureus is the most frequent cause of community-associated skin and soft tissue infections. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of the samples showed that over 87% of the Staphylococcus spp. tested were resistant to at least one first-line antibiotic such as penicillin, cefoxitin, erythromycin, co-trimoxazole, clindamycin or gentamicin. Among the samples, 23% exhibited co-resistance to at least three antibiotics, with co-resistance to penicillin, erythromycin and clindamycin being the most common combination. “These bacteria could be a cause of community-acquired infections. People infected with bacteria that are resistant to multiple antibiotics are unlikely to receive effective first-line treatment, resulting in an unfavourable clinical outcome,” said Dr Gilman Siu. It is also interesting to note that all three Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated were recovered from the internal door handles of male washrooms. It is possible that these strains were transferred from the hands of male washroom users due to failure to hand wash or to inadequate handwashing technique, Dr Suen said. Notably, female washrooms researched exhibited better overall cleanliness than male washrooms. Also those in high end venues have a relatively cleaner environmental appearance. Observation of hand washing amenities inside the washrooms was also conducted during the research. Nearly 90% of the rubbish bins were improperly covered / closed, with almost 20% of the bins placed immediately below the hand dryers. Aerosol generation of contaminated air may be exacerbated, posing a health risk, if rubbish bins without covers are placed in close proximity to hand dryers, Dr Suen said. While hand soaps or detergents were frequently available, the dispensers for hand sanitisers and paper towels were occasionally not easily visible to users and were oftentimes incorrectly positioned. More than 45% of the sanitary bins in the female washrooms were frequently uncovered. Given the results from the environmental culturing, contamination of hands and other body areas may occur in washrooms via contact with door handles, hand dryers and paper towel dispensers. The research team suggests cleaning these facilities frequently. Future washroom designs may also consider adopting a no-door design, automatic controlled or hands-free paper towel dispensers or hands-free faucets with motion sensor. “Good hand hygiene practices, which include hand washing with soap and water, and thorough hand drying should be done after going to the toilet for individual protection,” said Dr Suen.   *****END*****

PolyU stages Entrepreneurship Parade in support of more than 60 projects

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) kicked off the “PolyU Entrepreneurship Parade 2019” 5 November to showcase its support for 64 entrepreneurial projects, which received PolyU funding and training last year. Following today’s opening ceremony, a three-day public exhibition of the entrepreneurial projects will be held from 6-8 November on the PolyU campus. The Parade offers a perfect opportunity for young entrepreneurs to network and engage with their peers, and to pitch their ideas to potential investors or business partners. Details about the Parade can be found here: https://www.polyueparade.hk/. The opening ceremony of the annual flagship event was officiated by Dr David CHUNG, Under Secretary for Innovation and Technology of the Hong Kong SAR Government, and Dr Lawrence LI, Deputy Council Chairman of PolyU. Addressing the opening of the Parade, Dr Lawrence Li said, “PolyU is committed to fostering knowledge transfer and entrepreneurship development. Thanks to the support from the Government and industry, PolyU has become the largest university-based incubator in Hong Kong, with a funding pool of more than HK$10 million annually to provide seed grants to start-ups, social enterprises and innovative student projects. PolyU has also been scaling up its efforts and extending its impact in promoting entrepreneurship in the Greater Bay Area (GBA).”    Dr David Chung praised the PolyU-supported innovative projects for demonstrating the “Do Good Do Well” spirit, and contributing greatly to the community at large. Addressing the opening, he spoke of the Government’s support in promoting entrepreneurship in the tertiary education sector. “In 2014, we launched the Technology Start-up Support Scheme for Universities, which by early this year has supported 188 start-ups established by university teams to venture beyond their campus. The maximum annual funding for each university will also rise from HK$4 million in 2019 to HK$8 million in 2020 to better nurture university start-ups. We have as well supported over 700 PhD students and 4,000 interns to join the scientific research community through the Postdoctoral Hub and Researcher Programme.” The opening attracted about 100 participants from different sectors, and included entrepreneurs, investors and incubators from Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland. Three young entrepreneurs supported by PolyU were invited to share their joy and tears in pursuing their dream. They also generously shared with the audience some tips for success in starting up a new business. Dr Abraham LAM is the Director of MEGA Automation which integrates traditional building management with advanced technology to help corporates cut energy consumption. Ms Eva WONG is a co-founder of WEDO Global — a social enterprise advocating multi-cultural education and nurturing cross-cultural youth leaders. Mr Edwin WONG is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Cloudbreakr — an intelligent influencer platform that connects content creators in different industries for social endorsement and business purposes. A total of 24 entrepreneurial projects which received PolyU funding and training support in 2018 are showcased in the Parade. They represent a wide spectrum of products, services and technologies in fields that include Health Tech, FinTech, Travel, Education and Entertainment, Design and Social Innovation, Advertising and Retail Tech, and Gadgets and Electronics. Among these projects, quite a number have started to sell their products or services in the market. The following are some examples. Eternal Billion (HK) Ltd develops self-help medical devices and services for women preparing for pregnancy. With accurate ovulation period monitoring and AI-enabled fertility prediction, the hand-held test kit can also be used for medication monitoring of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) users. Studio Doozy Ltd designs and develops accessible products for healthy, quality and dignified ageing at home. In addition to catering for the needs of the elderly, its products are also suitable for wheelchair users, people with Parkinson’s disease, stroke or movement problems, as well as for the able-bodied. Current products include an all-inclusive modular toilet, and a semi-automatic shower chair. Blue Pin Consulting (HK) Ltd offers an effective indoor positioning system for different venues, especially exhibition venues, in both Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland. Besides performing indoor positioning, navigation and personalised product matching and promotion, the start-up aims to extend the application of its patented technologies to areas that include AR navigation, and car parking and robot fleet management. Fund-Land Technologies integrates hospitality consumer data and financial supply chain services to provide a bank-like clearing platform for hotels. After having paid an advance payment to the platform, small and medium enterprises can book hotel rooms at preferential rates, while the hotels will receive monthly payment from the platform for rooms booked. It thus greatly reduces hotels’ risk of being bilked and enable them to retain or even grow their customers. The company also launches a pioneering “Enterprise Pay” system, which integrates the payment processing of paying party, financial institutions, hotels, corporate customers and suppliers. Five projects developed by students under the PolyU Student Entrepreneurial Proof-of-Concept Funding Scheme and the PolyU Lean Launchpad Programme are also featured in the exhibition. The Schemes aim to support innovative endeavours at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Since 2011, PolyU has provided funding support to over 270 startups and has nurtured more than 900 young entrepreneurs. The start-ups have secured follow-on funding resources amounting to over HK$380 million. About 70% of the start-ups are still in operation, and many of them are expanding their markets beyond Hong Kong to markets that include the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, South East Asian countries and the United States.   *****

Seventy Three Elite Student-Athletes Start University Life at PolyU

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has enrolled 73 elite athletes through its Outstanding Sportsmen Recommendation Scheme (OSRS) this academic year. They are current and former members of Hong Kong Team or Junior Team in 20 sports[1]. It is the first time that an archery athlete has been recruited to PolyU under the Scheme. Among the newly enrolled athletes, six represented Hong Kong in the 2018 Asian Games[2], while two won awards at the two most recent Youth Olympic Games[3]. In addition, one freshmen is the world record holder for rope skipping. To recognize the outstanding sports achievements of the new students, 45 have been awarded entry scholarships. Addressing the Entry Scholarships (Non-Academic) presentation ceremony held on 30 October, Professor Ben YOUNG, Vice President (Student Affairs), stated, "With our over 20 years of experience in nurturing student-athletes, PolyU is very confident that our athletes will be able to excel in both sports and academic achievements. Many of them have helped not only PolyU but Hong Kong to shine in major games, both locally and internationally. They also act as role models in promoting sports culture and all-round development on campus."

PolyU and University of Surrey Sign an Agreement on Joint PhD Programme Framework

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the University of Surrey (Surrey) have forged a partnership to offer Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) programmes that will allow doctoral students from various disciplines to attain a dual PhD from both institutions. The first programme will be launched in the research fields of hospitality and tourism, with further programmes to follow in other disciplines. Under the cotutelle model, the PhD students in both universities will have the privilege of broadening their international exposure and network during their studies. They will also be involved in research projects that are supervised by their home and host universities. This is the first joint PhD programme leading to dual awards between PolyU and a global leading institution in Europe. Citing the example of the first programme in the agreement, the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at PolyU and the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Surrey will provide joint thesis supervision and award of a dual degree to doctoral candidates. The students will spend no less than 18 months at each institution and must fulfill all requirements set by each. However, they only need to complete one doctoral thesis. Upon completion of the programme, they will receive a dual PhD degree with separate award parchments. The signing ceremony, presided over by Professor Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU, and Professor G.Q. Max LU, President and Vice-Chancellor of Surrey, was held at PolyU on 17 October. The ceremony was witnessed by senior management and representatives of both institutions. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Professor Teng stated, “Collaboration between academic institutions is a prevailing global trend in higher education. The sharing of resources and expertise between universities can greatly benefit their educational and research programmes.  This agreement provides an excellent opportunity for our PhD students to participate in world-class research led by internationally leading experts in their fields at both universities.” Professor Lu said, “It is fantastic to see the collaboration between two strong institutions to begin the dual PhD programme in hospitality and tourism management – world-leading disciplines in both universities. I hope other complementary fields will follow suit soon to further enhance our respective reputations globally.” PolyU and Surrey have a longstanding partnership that dates back to 2009. The wide range of collaborative activities includes joint research projects in the field of hospitality and tourism management, as well as more than 60 student exchanges in disciplines including construction and environment, design, engineering, hotel and tourism, language studies, logistics and marketing. Professor Kaye CHON, SHTM Dean, Chair Professor and Walter Kwok Foundation Professor in International Hospitality Management, said, “We are very excited to partner with Surrey in training hospitality and tourism researchers who will contribute towards the creation of new knowledge as well as advancement of the industry. In the fast-changing world of hospitality and tourism, the dual Ph.D. programme will provide added value to doctoral students by enhancing their academic quality and broadening their international vision.” Professor Nigel MORGAN, the University of Surrey’s Head of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management said, “This dual PhD programme offers doctoral students a unique opportunity to study at the two of the world’s top hospitality and tourism schools, and to work with some of the field’s most eminent scholars. The mobility which the programme offers across two institutions in Europe and Asia gives students a truly international learning and research experience.” The first intake of students in the PolyU-Surrey pioneer cotutelle programme in Hospitality and Tourism Management is expected in the academic year 2020/21. Detailed admission requirements, course structure, and students’ quota will be announced at a later stage.   *****END*****

PolyU honours two distinguished personalities at the 25th Congregation

Presided over by the PolyU Council Chairman Dr LAM Tai-fai and PolyU President Professor Jing-Guang TENG, the 25th Congregation of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University held today saw the conferment of Honorary Doctorates upon two prominent figures and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees on 326 graduates. The ceremony was held in the Jockey Club Auditorium on the University campus. The two honorary degree recipients this year were (in alphabetical order of last name): Mr Winfried ENGELBRECHT-BRESGES, GBS, JP, Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club; and Professor QIU Yong, President of Tsinghua University (in absentia). (Please refer to the Appendix for the biodata of the recipients.) In extending his congratulations to the honorary doctorates and doctoral graduates, Prof. Teng encouraged the pursuit of life-long learning with a spirit of openness to face and tackle the many issues and challenges in our rapidly changing world. It is PolyU’s core belief that education should instill not only professional competences but also positive values that ensure graduates care about our community. He expressed the hope that the graduates would pursue happiness by helping others in a spirit of empathy and compassion. Prof. Teng stated that while the results of the international university rankings testify to PolyU’s academic excellence, the University will further develop its eminence as an institution that excels in education, research and innovation in areas that push technological frontiers. “PolyU has a firm foundation from which to advance its education and research in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, data science, robotics, additive manufacturing, new materials and biotechnology. We will also develop new interdisciplinary research institutes not only to embrace new technologies, but also to respond to global needs.” “Strength in these areas will help Hong Kong develop into an innovation and technology hub. It will also enable PolyU and Hong Kong to play an important role in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, which holds numerous opportunities through its wide market and wealth of technology transfer openings for the younger generation,” added Prof. Teng. The University confers academic awards on a total of 10,069 students this year, including 326 PhD graduates, 119 professional doctoral graduates, 37 Master of Philosophy degree graduates , 3,954 graduates with taught master's degree, 5,068 graduates with bachelor's degree, 37 with postgraduate diplomas and certificates, and 526 with sub-degree awards.  *****END>*****

PolyU and Red Cross join hands to promote blood donation among university students

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) in support of the Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (BTS) recently launched a 10-day long blood donation campaign on campus as part of the University’s Social Responsibility Month. A brand-new 16-tonne blood donation vehicle made its debut at PolyU last Thursday and is now parked on the podium level of the campus until 25 October. At the launch ceremony, the Under Secretary for Food and Health, Dr Chui Tak-yi, the Chief Executive and Medical Director of the BTS, Dr C K Lee, and the Executive Vice President of PolyU, Dr Miranda Lou urged the PolyU community to continue its noble tradition in blood donation. Dr Chui recognised PolyU’s sustainable efforts in driving blood donation. He said, “PolyU has been a role model for promoting blood donation for years”.  Dr Lee expressed his gratitude to PolyU and said, “PolyU has had a long-standing partnership with Red Cross BTS that could be traced back three decades to 1983. PolyU was also the first university to set up an on-campus blood donor centre in 2014. We are very pleased to have PolyU’s tremendous effort in promoting blood donation to the young generation.” In addition to donating blood, PolyU students are very enthusiastic in support of the Red Cross BTS. For instance, some students studying on the PolyU nursing programme have chosen to do their primary health care practicum at the on-campus blood donor centre. Students from the School of Design also took part in designing souvenirs for Red Cross BTS. Dr Lou stated in her speech, “PolyU is the first tertiary institution in Hong Kong to receive the Special Merit Award (non-commercial category) from the BTS in recognition of PolyU's support for stable blood supply. Through our joint efforts, over 44,000 people have donated blood on our campus. We are glad that our efforts could support Red Cross BTS and promote blood donation in different ways.” To appeal to more students and teaching colleagues to join this meaningful cause, the University invited students from different countries, including Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Rwanda and those from the Chinese mainland, to use their mother languages to spread the message of “One blood donation saves three lives”. Free blood pressure checks and Haemoglobin tests are also offered during the campaign to engage more PolyU members to give blood. Over the last few days, the campaign has attracted hundreds of students to give blood, representing a six-fold increase of blood donors in average per day compared with the daily figure in the campus blood donor centre. PolyU is honoured to be the first stop for the new blood donation vehicle, the vehicle will later visit other universities in Hong Kong to promote the culture of blood giving. A daily turnout of 1,100 donors is required Territory-wide to ensure sufficient supplies of safe blood are available for clinical transfusions in all hospitals.   *****END*****

Three research papers published in Nature series journals

Department of Applied Physics of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) contributed three research papers that were recently published in the Nature series journals, which are among the most authoritative and recognised scientific journals in the world that publish high-quality research in all fields of science and technology. Optoelectronic resistive random-access memory (ORRAM) for neuromorphic vision sensors – “Nature Nanotechnology” Dr. CHAI Yang, Associate Professor, Department of Applied Physics, and his team developed an optoelectronic device that mimics the functions of human retina in image sensing, memorization, and pre-processing, with image recognition rate and efficiency exceeding existing artificial visual systems. Experimental findings demonstrate the innovation’s great potential in enhancing neuromorphic visual system by simplifying the circuitry, efficiently processing overwhelming amount of dynamic visual information, and greatly reducing power consumption. It thus offers promising contribution towards the development of applications in edge computing and Internet of Things. Continuous artificial synthesis of glucose precursor using enzyme-immobilised microfluidic reactors – “Nature Communications” Dr. ZHANG Xuming, Associate Professor, Department of Applied Physics, and his team discovered technology to replicate the opto-fluidic system of leave vein to create micro-reactors for conducting the first phase reaction of CO2 fixation in natural photosynthesis. Experimental findings indicate that the micro-reactors requires only very small amount of RuBisCO (the enzyme involved in the first major step of photosynthesis) for continuous synthesis of glucose (the basic food material). The innovation contributes to artificial photosynthesis developments and will help relieve food crisis and produce biofuel. Enhanced sieving from exfoliated MoS2 membranes via covalent funcationalisation – “Nature Materials” Dr. Nicolas ONOFRIO, Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Physics, and his team developed a nanolaminate membrane based on covalently functionalised molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) nanosheets. Nanolaminate membranes made of two-dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene oxide are promising candidates for molecular sieving via size-limited diffusion in the two-dimensional capillaries, but high hydrophilicity makes these membranes unstable in water. The covalent functionalisation of exfoliated nanosheets can solve this problem by efficiently control the interlayer spacing to enhance the sieving performance of nanolaminate membranes. They demonstrate remarkable performance towards water purification and desalination, with high rejection of micropollutants and sodium chloride (NaCl) (over 90% and 87% respectively), compared to the current state of the art. The novel strategy paves the way for the preparation of membranes with tuneable sieving behaviour. The control of the surface chemistry of exfoliated 2D materials allows further exploration of the nanofluidic phenomena inside nanolaminate membranes at fundamental and practical levels for water purification or osmotic energy. Prof. Daniel LAU, Head of the Department of Applied Physics, takes pride in the contributions of the three researchers and said, “the Department will continue to devote its efforts in the pursuit of excellence in teaching and research”. “PolyU has been undertaking cutting-edge research that delivers real impact to the academia and to the world. We are committed to nurturing our academics and researchers to collaborate locally and internationally in fundamental and translational research, and encouraging them to contribute their research findings in prestigious and world-renowned journals,” said Prof. Alex WAI, Vice President (Research Development), PolyU. Note: Please refer to the appendix for details of the three papers: [URL]   ******END******

理大就香港專上學院於十月八日發生之事件的回應

理大就香港專上學院於十月八日發生之事件的回應 (Only Chinese version)

Rescheduling of the PolyU Education Info Day

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) announces that the Education Info Day to be held tomorrow (5 October) will be rescheduled. Further updates will soon be uploaded to PolyU website.

PolyU Education Info Day offers prospective students first-hand information on application tactics

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) will hold its Education Info Day on 5 October 2019 (Saturday) on its campus, from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm, to provide students with the most updated information of its full-time undergraduate and higher diploma programmes. A series of seminars, facility visits, sharing and consultation sessions will be arranged on the day to help the prospective students plan ahead for their further studies. Further elaboration on PolyU’s revised mechanism in converting points for results at Level 5**, 5* and 5 of DSE subjects starting from the 2020/21 admission exercise will also be provided for those interested. PolyU attained a remarkable admissions profile for the 2019/20 academic year. Among the undergraduates admitted, 253 scored at least 5** in one subject, with both Chinese and English at level 3 or above, in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (DSE) Examination. For students admitted by PolyU via the Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS) this year, the average score for the Best five DSE subjects is 23.1. Two top achievers, who scored 34, are now studying Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Physiotherapy. (For details of the average DSE score of PolyU’s 2019/20 admittees, please visit: http://www51.polyu.edu.hk/eprospectus/ug/jupas/programme-requirements or www.polyu.edu.hk/study) In 2019/20, among the 44 full-time public-funded undergraduate programmes of PolyU, “Hotel Management” was the most popular one, being chosen by 641 JUPAS applicants as their first choice. “Scheme in Design” and “Nursing” placed second and third, attracting 604 and 467 applicants respectively. More than 91% of PolyU admittees this year placed the University’s programmes as their Band A choices. PolyU Education Info Day to be held on 5 October, highlights of the PolyU Education Info Day include:- two JUPAS admissions talks for Secondary Six students; two admissions talks for non-JUPAS applicants; around 100 information seminars organised by various academic faculties, schools and departments; a number of guided visits to research centres, laboratories, studios, workshops and hostels; showcase of PolyU’s award-winning research projects at the House of Innovation; and Entry Scholarship Presentation Ceremony 2019/20 for newly admitted student-athletes, sharing of student-athletes admitted by PolyU’s Outstanding Sportsmen Recommendation Scheme, performances by PolyU Sports Teams, sports games. For details, please visit: www.polyu.edu.hk/infoday. PolyU’s academic staff and student ambassadors will station onsite to provide advices on admissions and programme details for prospective applicants. The student ambassadors will also share their campus life experiences with participants.   End