We extend our warmest wishes to you and your loved ones in the new Year of the Rabbit! We hope that, like PolyU, everyone has a strong start to the year. As its latest achievement, PolyU has ranked 6th globally among Times Higher Education’s Most International Universities. The performance indicators for this ranking are based on a university’s proportions of international students, international staff and journal publications involving international co-authors, as well as its international reputation.

PolyU celebrates diversity on campus and offers a range of activities and support measures, including post-entry scholarships to recognise academic and non-academic achievements, career and placement support and intercultural development programmes.

Final call: Application for September 2023/24 Entry

If you or your peers are still considering applying to PolyU for entry in September 2023, we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible! Applications are still open, subject to the availability of places for individual programmes. You will be considered for both admission and entry scholarships by taking only three steps: create an account (Here); submit all required information; and settle the application fee online. Feel free to book an appointment with our recruitment advisors, who can guide you through the application process via Zoom or by phone.

Best wishes,
Global Engagement Office

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has attained an encouraging result in the newly released Times Higher Education (THE) World’s Most International Universities 2023, ranking sixth globally. It is the first time for PolyU to be ranked and ranked among the global top 10.

PolyU achieved strong results in various assessment areas in the rankings of THE World’s Most International Universities 2023. The performance indicators are based on a university’s proportion of international students, international staff and journal publications involving international co-author as well as its international reputation.

Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU, said, “We are pleased with the University’s impressive performance in the rankings of THE World’s Most International Universities 2023, which recognises the University’s internationalisation endeavours in nurturing talents and conducting cutting-edge research. PolyU aspires to be an innovative world-class university with a strong sense of social responsibility and will continue to strengthen ties and cooperation with partners around the world, with the goal of playing a more important role in the global higher education landscape.”

With a multicultural learning, teaching and research environment, PolyU has over 280 overseas partner institutions spanning 40 countries and regions. There are over 445 academic collaboration agreements with overseas institutions, including student exchange initiatives and research collaboration. Furthermore, to cultivate responsible global citizens, PolyU has incorporated Service-Learning into its undergraduate mandatory curriculum to enrich students’ learning experience. Students have contributed community service to countries like Cambodia, Rwanda and beyond.

For more information on the rankings of THE World’s Most International Universities 2023, please visit https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/best-universities/most-international-universities-world.

New research from a team led by Prof. Daniel Lau, Chair Professor of Nanomaterials and Head of the Department of Applied Physics at PolyU, has achieved a sought-after type of switchable electrical behaviour in nano-sized materials. Computer memory and other electronics manufacturers are expected to show a keen interest in this discovery.

Ferroelectric materials have an intrinsic electrical polarisation that can be switched by simply applying a current. The ability to “toggle” between two states gives them wide-ranging applications in sensors, capacitors and data storage. The electronics industry is particularly interested in developing ultra-thin devices, based on ferroelectrics that retain their properties even when produced at the nanometre scale. This has proven a major hurdle until now.

A one-atom-thick layer of any substance – most famously graphene, made of atomically thin carbon – can have dramatically different properties from the bulk material. Stacking such layers on top of each other may give rise to new properties which do not exist in their individual layer.

The PolyU research team studied two-layer stacks of molybdenum disulphide and tungsten disulphide (MoS2 and WS2). Excitingly, these materials showed not just piezoelectric but also ferroelectric effects.

The PolyU research was conducted in collaboration with researchers from the Renmin University of China, the University of Cambridge, and Nanjing University. The study was published in Science.

PolyU and the Cybaverse Academy Limited (Cybaverse Academy) signed a Memorandum of Establishment to jointly set up the “PolyU and Cybaverse Academy Joint Lab on Law and Web3” (Joint Lab).

With the vibrant development of Web3 and blockchain technologies, governments around the world are now acting to provide a facilitating regulatory environment. This Joint Lab will be the first research lab in Hong Kong to focus on the intersection of law and Web3, encompassing the research and development of technological solutions and the exploration of relevant legal and industry standards.

PolyU and Cybaverse Academy will collaborate to promote the safety, security and protection of privacy in the areas of Web3 and blockchain. The Joint Lab aims to provide regulators and other stakeholders with essential tools to enhance protection for the investment community and the general public.

PolyU is well-recognised for its expertise in blockchain technology by CoinDesk, ranking in the top position in the “Best Universities for Blockchain 2022” list. Leveraging the University’s excellence in blockchain technology education and research, the Research Centre for Blockchain Technology of PolyU, which is the first research centre in Hong Kong to cover research in full-stack blockchain technology, will provide a training programme related to Web3. The Centre also draws expertise from various fields including computer science, finance, logistics and maritime studies, and industrial and systems engineering to carry out interdisciplinary research in blockchain.

Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU, said, “PolyU is pleased to collaborate with Cybaverse Academy in the Web3 industry. Combining PolyU’s strength in blockchain technology education and research and Cybaverse Academy’s experience in R&D and Web3 development, I believe this synergy of academia and industry will generate a big positive impact in the near future. PolyU’s leading blockchain research is going to be translated into practical use to deliver innovative solutions for the Web3 industry and will benefit the development of Hong Kong into a virtual asset hub.”

To promote Chinese culture and strengthen national education, PolyU established the Research Centre for Chinese History and Culture this month, aiming to enhance the pride of local youth and their identification with and sense of belonging to the Nation.

The Research Centre’s opening ceremony on 17 January was officiated by Mr Kevin Yeung Yun-hung, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Mr Zhang Guoyi, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Publicity, Cultural and Sports Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government. They also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the Research Centre and the Institute of Humanities of Tsinghua University.

“The establishment of the Research Centre by PolyU will facilitate the promotion of Chinese history and cultural education on campus as well as in Hong Kong, helping our young people to learn and understand our country’s history,” said Mr Yeung. “I am confident that both institutions will leverage their academic excellence and unleash a new chapter through this collaboration.”

The research centre will focus on the study of the modern history of China and its social and cultural fabric, as well as the promotion of Chinese history and cultural education.

Student name: Kelly Zheng

Country/Region: St. Kitts and Nevis

Programme: BSc (Hons) in Hotel Management

1. How did you find out about PolyU? Why did you choose this university?

I found out about PolyU when I was researching nearby university options. At the time, I was living in Guangdong, China. When I conducted a simple Google search for “top universities in Asia”, PolyU appeared in the top results and had a high ranking. I chose PolyU because it has a very good reputation is close to China, and serves as a gate to the global community.

2. How do you find the programme / academics / fellow students / environment / facilities here?

I am very happy with the structure of my programme in the field of hospitality. It covers all the basics, and there is an opportunity to study in depth the areas that I am interested in. It is also very easy to build connections because the School of Hotel and Tourism Management holds an annual career fair that brings together many multinational corporations and industry professionals. PolyU’s subjects for the General University Requirements (GUR) and Service-Learning are well implemented in the programme, and this has encouraged me to explore different academic fields. The students I have met are both international and intellectual. I make friends with them easily, and I have an enjoyable school life. In addition, facilities are modern and commendable.

3. Any plan after completing your study?

After completing my undergraduate degree, I plan to develop my career in Hong Kong for a few years, if possible, to obtain residency. I chose Hong Kong because it has a lot of opportunities for networking internationally, given its great location, and for strong economic growth in the coming years, which will be beneficial to my future.

Read more student stories and talk to PolyU Cultural Ambassadors.

View the PolyU Experience series