Thanks to Supporters

The tradition of town-and-gown collaboration is highlighted in the PolyU Inauguration of Endowed Professorships and Endowed Young Scholars

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) established the Endowed Professorship Scheme in 2012 to honour distinguished scholars for their outstanding academic and research achievements. With extra resources from the Scheme, Endowed Professors will be able to step up their excellent work in research and education. In 2021, to further support promising early-career academics to excel, PolyU introduced the Endowed Young Scholars Scheme. Outstanding academics in the capacity of an Associate Professor or Assistant Professor can be nominated for the position of Endowed Young Scholar. Through the Schemes, philanthropists partner with PolyU to advance research and scholarly activities of a discipline of their choice for the benefit of Hong Kong, the Nation and the world. To express PolyU’s appreciation to the donors and to honour the appointment of the outstanding Endowed Professors and Endowed Young Scholars, The Fourth Inauguration of Endowed Professorships cum The First Inauguration of Endowed Young Scholars was held on Wednesday 31 August 2022, at the Jockey Club Auditorium on the PolyU campus, inaugurating ten new Endowed Professorships, one Endowed Professorship converted from an Endowed Fellowship, six successive Endowed Professorships, two successive Named Professorships and four new Endowed Young Scholar positions. Dr Lam Tai-fai, GBS, JP, Chairman of the University Council, hopes that by partnering with visionary philanthropists, the University can empower its outstanding researchers to pursue game-changing ideas and drive ground-breaking inventions that advance the frontiers of knowledge and technology, thereby bringing positive change to the world. Professor Jin-Guang Teng, PolyU President, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to all benefactors. He encouraged the appointed Endowed Professors and Endowed Young Scholars to take advantage of the greater resources to further advance knowledge and develop innovations that will benefit our society. To date, PolyU has established a total of 37 Endowed Professorships, two Named Professorships and six Endowed Young Scholar positions. We hope that other like-minded philanthropists will witness the powerful impact of the Schemes at this event. Please browse the Scheme website for more information. The Endowed Professorships, Named Professorships and Endowed Young Scholars conferred in the ceremony are:   Endowed Professorships Appointees   Hong Kong Sustaintech Foundation Endowed Professorship in Accounting and Finance  Lu Haitian  Michael Anson Endowed Professorship in Civil Engineering  C. S. Poon  Able Endowed Professorship in Construction Health and Safety  Albert Chan  Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Endowed Professorship in Data Science  Cao Jiannong  Yeung Tsang Wing Yee and Tsang Wing Hing Endowed Professorship in Neuropsychology  David Shum  Peter Hung Endowed Professorship in Pain Management  Amy Fu  Sir Sze-yuen Chung Endowed Professorship in Precision Engineering  Yung Kai-leung  Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Endowed Professorship in Smart Building  Wang Shengwei  Fiona Cheung Endowed Professorship in Spatial Science  Wu Bo  Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Endowed Professorship in Urban Informatics  John Shi  Shun Hing Education and Charity Fund Endowed Professorship in Rehabilitation Sciences  (Converted from Endowed Fellowship)  Margaret Mak    Successive Endowed Professorships and Named Professorships  Appointees  Clarea Au Endowed Professorship in Energy  Raymond Wong  Yeung Kin Man Endowed Professorship in Information Technology Innovation and Management  Lim Kai H.  Alex Wong Siu Wah Gigi Wong Fook Chi Endowed Professorship in Product Design Engineering  Lee Kun-pyo  Cally Kwong Mei Wan Endowed Professorship in Psychosocial Health  Hector Tsang  Yim, Mak, Kwok & Chung Endowed Professorship in Smart Structures  Ni Yiqing  Ko Jan Ming Endowed Professorship in Sustainable Urban Development  Li Xiangdong  Swire Professorship in Design  Lee Kun-pyo  Cheng Yick-chi Chair in Manufacturing Engineering  H.C. Man   Endowed Young Scholars Appointees   Tsui Tack Kong Endowed Young Scholar in Civil Engineering  Zhou Chao  Thetos Foundation Endowed Young Scholar in Social Services  Ada Fung  Limin Endowed Young Scholar in Aerospace Navigation  Hsu Li-ta  Limin Endowed Young Scholar in Medical Laboratory Science  Gilman Siu

PolyU Foundation holds an appreciation lunch for its members

On 12 August 2022, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Foundation (PolyU Foundation) held an appreciation lunch to express our gratitude to Foundation members who have offered their support to the University. Guests invited include new and upgraded members in the categories of Honorary Life Chairman, Honorary Life President and Honorary Life Vice President. Dr Sunny Chai, Chairman of the PolyU Foundation, sincerely thanked members for their trust and support in the past years, which has enabled PolyU to actively promote education and development, achieve success and make contribution to the higher education in Hong Kong. Prof. Jin-Guang Teng, PolyU President, expressed his heartfelt appreciation to the members for supporting PolyU in its pursuit of excellence in research, nurturing talents across disciplines and making the world a better place. Prof. Teng also gave members an update on PolyU’s latest developments in education and research. PolyU is ranked 65th and 15th respectively in the latest QS World University Rankings and Times Higher Education Asia University Rankings. As a token of gratitude, a Certificate of Appreciation and a special souvenir were presented to members by Prof. Teng and Dr Chai.

Naming Ceremony of the Cheung Che Man and Kwok Yuen Ho Bamboo Court

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has recently named the Bamboo Court on the PolyU campus after Mr Cheung Che-man and Mrs Cheung Kwok Yuen-ho. A naming ceremony was held on 29 July in appreciation of the generous couple who have kindly offered their support to PolyU. Known for its serenity, abundant sunshine and a welcoming open-air café, the Bamboo Court is a favourite hangout spot for many PolyU teachers, students and visitors. Always endeavouring to give back to society, this selfless couple believes that “Knowledge can change the fate of a person and a nation”. Over the years, they have made contributions in support of various charitable causes, in particular those focusing on nurturing our young people and supporting education. Deeply impressed by PolyU’s achievements, Mr Cheung has not hesitated to offer his support, helping the University to make greater positive impact on the community through its holistic education and advanced research. At the Ceremony, Dr Katherine Ngan, Chairman of PolyU Court, thanked Mr Cheung for his generosity. While sharing Mr Cheung’s belief of “Life affecting life”, she also highlighted the fact that PolyU is the only university in Hong Kong that participates in the Nation’s space exploration missions. PolyU’s research embraces wide-ranging topics from down-to-earth research improving human lives to up-in-space innovations impacting mankind. She believes PolyU will continue to make contributions to the development of Hong Kong, the Nation and the world for the foreseeable future. The naming ceremony was a joyful event celebrating a couple who are an uplifting example of gaining happiness by giving. The kind-hearted Mr Cheung, whom people fondly call Uncle Man, is not only popular among those he has helped in Hong Kong and on the Mainland, but also deeply loved by his family, friends and neighbours.

Appreciation for Hong Kong Sustaintech Foundation’s support to establish Endowed Professorship in Accounting and Finance

Sustainable development is a topic of great importance to society today. Over the years, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has focused on interdisciplinary research in order to provide innovative solutions to societal challenges. Founded by several eco-conscious and tech-savvy corporations, Hong Kong Sustaintech Foundation (the Foundation) recognises the opportunities for promoting sustainable development within the discipline of Accounting and Finance. The Foundation has therefore made a generous donation to establish an Endowed Professorship in Accounting and Finance in order to support PolyU’s ongoing contributions in the area of sustainable development. Prof. Lu Haitian, Professor of the School of Accounting and Finance, has been appointed as the Endowed Professor. To express its sincere gratitude for the Foundation’s generous support, PolyU held an appreciation lunch on 13 July 2022, hosted by PolyU President, Prof. Jin-Guang Teng who expressed his heartfelt appreciation to the Foundation for its trust and support. He remarked that the establishment of the Professorship was a great example of the collaborative efforts made by the University and industry, and that PolyU would further leverage its interdisciplinary research strengths for the advancement of sustainable finance. With the aim of encouraging ground-breaking research related to sustainable technologies and corporate strategies on environment, social and governance (ESG) criteria, the Foundation acknowledges PolyU’s research contributions in sustainable development. Mr Adrian Wang, Chairman of the Foundation, said, “The Foundation is honoured to establish an Endowed Professorship and will work with PolyU to create a win-win situation for industry and the environment.” Prof. Lu’s scholarly achievements span law, finance, accounting and other disciplines. He was one of the founding members of the Center for Economic Sustainability and Entrepreneurial Finance of PolyU Faculty of Business, which has become an international knowledge hub for cutting-edge research in green finance and Fintech. “The Endowed Professorship will advance my pursuit of innovative financial solutions for our society’s most salient sustainability challenges, especially in the ESG field,” said Professor Lu. With the support of donors, the Endowed Professorship Scheme recognises the achievements of distinguished researchers in their specialist disciplines and enables the Endowed Professors to explore and advance cutting-edge research projects for the betterment of mankind. We hope that like-minded philanthropists will also witness the powerful impact of the Endowed Professorship Scheme in the appointment of the professorship. Please browse the Scheme website for more information.

Appreciation for Thetos Foundation’s support to establish Endowed Young Scholar position in Social Services

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is committed to embracing the opportunities and challenges posed by an ageing society through interdisciplinary research, education, and practice. Thetos Foundation, a strong supporter of organisations that serve the community, has recently pledged a generous donation to establish the Thetos Foundation Endowed Young Scholar position in Social Services, in order to support PolyU’s continuous endeavours in social services research. Dr Ada Fung, Assistant Professor of the Department of Applied Social Sciences, has been appointed as the Endowed Young Scholar. To express its sincere gratitude for Thetos Foundation’s generous support, PolyU held an appreciation lunch on 4 July 2022. The host of the lunch, PolyU’s President Prof. Jin-Guang Teng, said, “The establishment of the Young Scholar position illustrates the community's recognition of PolyU's research achievements. PolyU will continue to harness its substantial research competence to bring even greater benefits to society.” Hong Kong Solicitor Mr Charles To, Chairman of Thetos Foundation, is glad that PolyU shares the same vision as the Foundation to support a new generation of aspiring young scholars. He is looking forward to witnessing the positive impact that Dr Fung will generate through her research. Dr Fung is a renowned scholar dedicated to the early detection and prevention of dementia. She feels honoured to be appointed as the Endowed Young Scholar. Currently, she is conducting research on the neural mechanism of loneliness among older people in order to formulate personalised interventions that prevent cognitive implications due to loneliness. The PolyU Endowed Young Scholars Scheme aims to partner with our donors to identify young scholars with great potential in order to ensure their innovative research can be realised. The annual funding provided by the Scheme not only supports the research and scholarly activities of the appointee, but also serves as seed funding for the pursuit of preliminary stage research projects, helping to elevate the impact of research on society. Through the establishment of the Thetos Foundation Endowed Young Scholar position in Social Services, the University looks forward to joining hands with like-minded philanthropists to transform research excellence into societal impact for community development. Please browse the Scheme website for more information.

Appreciation for Dr Wong Tit-shing’s support to establish Endowed Young Scholar position in Smart Robotics

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is committed to meeting societal needs through the provision of excellent education and conducting impactful research. The University has been working closely with industry over the years to strengthen collaboration between innovative research teams and key industry players for the benefit of society. Chairman and Founder of Jetta Company Limited Ir Dr Wong Tit-shing is a renowned leader in the toy industry and a PolyU Outstanding Alumnus. He has always been a strong supporter of PolyU and recently provided a generous donation to establish the Wong Tit Shing Endowed Young Scholar position in Smart Robotics. Ir Dr Zheng Pai, Assistant Professor of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, has been appointed as the Endowed Young Scholar. In an appreciation lunch hosted by PolyU’s President Prof. Jin-Guang Teng on 22 June 2022, Prof. Teng expressed his sincere gratitude on behalf of PolyU for Dr Wong’s unwavering support. “PolyU will fully leverage its academic strengths to bring about significant new research breakthroughs in Smart Robotics research,” Prof. Teng added.  As a graduate of the Hong Kong Technical College (HKTC), a predecessor of PolyU, Dr Wong also donated the precious school logo pins of HKTC to PolyU during the luncheon. President Teng expressed his appreciation for the donation, and will arrange for this memorable collection to be exhibited in the University History Museum. With remarkable achievements in Smart Robotics, Dr Zheng is currently the Lab-in-Charge of the Digitalized Service Laboratory and Leader of the PolyU Research Group “AI for Industrial Digital Servitization”. He is very grateful for Dr Wong’s trust and support. He and his team are inspired to contribute to achieving symbiotic and proactive human-robot collaboration in order to advance smart manufacturing. The PolyU Endowed Young Scholars Scheme aims to partner with our donors to identify young scholars with great potential in order to ensure their innovative research can be realised. The annual funding provided by the Scheme not only supports the research and scholarly activities of the appointee, but also serves as seed funding for the pursuit of preliminary stage research projects, helping to elevate the impact of research on society. The University looks forward to joining hands with like-minded philanthropists to strengthen links between academia and industry, fostering greater collaboration and the exchange of knowledge to generate positive societal impact. Please browse the Scheme website for more information.

Appreciation for Fiona Cheung’s support to establish Endowed Professorship in Spatial Science

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is honoured to be the only Hong Kong tertiary institution involved in China’s space exploration projects, contributing to the development of the Nation’s space programme. Ms Fiona Cheung, Chairman of Forest Zone Limited, who has been a keen supporter of PolyU, has provided a generous donation to establish the Fiona Cheung Endowed Professorship in Spatial Science, in order to support PolyU’s continuous contributions to China’s space exploration projects. Prof. Wu Bo, Associate Head of the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics, has been appointed as the Endowed Professor. To express its sincere gratitude for Ms Cheung’s generous support, PolyU held an appreciation lunch on 14 June 2022, hosted by PolyU’s President Prof. Jin-Guang Teng. Prof. Teng extended his heartfelt appreciation to Ms Cheung for her staunch support to the University. With this professorship, PolyU will further strengthen its research endeavours to make greater contributions to the advancement of space technology and science. Prof. Wu developed innovative 3D topographic mapping and intelligent geomorphological analysis techniques which contributed to landing site mapping and selection for China’s Chang’e-3, Chang’e-4, and Chang’e-5 lunar missions, as well as the Tianwen-1 mission to Mars. Expressing his gratitude for Ms Cheung’s support, Prof. Wu stated that this professorship is a great encouragement to the staff and students of the Faculty, driving them to strive for excellence in education and research. Ms Cheung, a member of the Governing Committee of the PolyU Foundation and a University Fellow, has been providing invaluable advice to support the fundraising and outreach efforts of the University. Ms Cheung believes the Endowed Professorship can encourage young scholars to follow the footsteps of Prof. Wu, devoting their careers to research and innovation. With the support of donors, the Endowed Professorship Scheme recognises the achievements of world-renowned researchers in their specialised disciplines and enables the Endowed Professors to explore and advance cutting-edge research projects for the betterment of mankind. 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 for more information.

PolyU Establishes Endowed Professorship and Endowed Young Scholar in Textiles Technologies

PolyU recently set up an Endowed Professorship in Textiles Technologies and an Endowed Young Scholar in Advanced Textiles Technologies. The endowments will enable the Institute of Textiles and Clothing (ITC) to advance research in areas not limited to functional textiles, fashion and intelligent wearable technology. PolyU has been a forerunner in research and education for the textiles industry with ITC being recognised as the world leader at the intersection of fashion design, technology and business. Professor Fan Jintu, Head and Chair Professor of Fiber Science and Apparel Engineering of ITC, is appointed as the Lee Family Professor in Textiles Technologies. Professor Fan is a world-class expert in functional textiles and fashion with prominent international standing. His exceptional contributions to clothing thermal comfort, theories of heat and mass transfer in fibrous materials, personal thermal management and fashion aesthetics have tremendous impacts on the industry. His prolific research outputs include the world’s first sweating fabric, transient heat and mass transfer model in fibrous material via radiation and phase change, biomimetic textiles, and Volume-Height Index that objectively determines bodily attractiveness. Dr Shou Dahua, Assistant Professor of ITC, and Assistant Director of PolyU DRRC Novel Material Science and Technology Innovation Centre, is appointed as the Limin Young Scholar in Advanced Textiles Technologies. Dr Shou bases his research on cutting-edge multi-physics mechanisms in hierarchical fibrous porous media, and his interests cover personal thermal and moisture management, smart wearable technologies, soft robotics, and green energy. With a view to reinvent intelligent textiles and clothing as human’s second skin, he strives to enhance their performance in human-environment and human-computer interfaces, imbuing them with self-adaptive properties amid extreme and dynamically changing environments. Ultimately, his goal is to provide healthy, comfortable, efficient and sustainable apparels for all. We sincerely thank Dr Harry Lee, Chairman of TAL Apparel Limited, for his generous donation to establish the impactful Endowed Professorship and Endowed Young Scholar, and for his fervent support to and wholehearted trust in ITC over the years. We hope like-minded philanthropists who share our belief in “partnership for impact” will find inspiration from these appointments. Please contact Alumni Affairs and Development Office or browse the Scheme website for more information.

The Faculty of Construction and Environment proudly debuts PolyU’s first faculty-based education and research Fund

On 26 March 2022, the Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE) launched the FCE Education and Research Fund (FCE Fund) in an online ceremony. The FCE Fund is the first faculty-based platform at PolyU with the aim to solicit concerted and sustainable support of its alumni and the community for the advancement of education and research development of the Faculty. Prof. Li Xiangdong, the Faculty Dean said, “FCE, as a world-leading faculty in civil and structural engineering as well as architecture and built environment disciplines, is determined to create innovative solutions for sustainable urban development, building smart cities and improving people’s lives”. So far, over HK$10 million has already been raised from alumni, industry stakeholders, partners and friends. The FCE Fund will be used to support strategic initiatives and holistic development of the Faculty, accelerating the emergence of new knowledge and innovative ideas, grooming talents, and realising research projects with high societal impact. “To multiply the donation for greater impacts, PolyU will match $1 for every $2 donation to the FCE Fund”, Prof. Li said. Ir Yau Kwok-fai, a graduate in civil engineering, appealed to fellow alumni to make a donation to support the FCE Fund. “Studying at FCE is a dream to many young students. A lot of alumni are very successful in their career and have fond feelings for their alma mater. The FCE fund provides a meaningful platform for us to support research and education development, it is also a connection point for alumni of different generations.” Please DONATE NOW to support the FCE Fund or visit the Fund homepage for more details.

Private family foundation found Endowed Young Scholars Scheme instrumental in serving society

Thetos Foundation, a Christian faith-based private family foundation, is dedicated to support talents or organisations that are genuinely engaged in serving the community. They have therefore prioritised their support to scholars whose research are related to social services as they believe those research disciplines usually lack funding support. They found PolyU’s Endowed Young Scholars Scheme a good choice worthy of their support. “It is the Foundation and the Scheme’s shared vision to support a new generation of aspiring young scholars who cannot fully develop their potentials due to lack of funding support,” said Chairman of the Foundation, Hong Kong Solicitor Mr Charles To. “We are looking forward to having further opportunities of this kind to give back to society”. Fully understanding Thetos Foundation’s objective of setting up the endowed fund, a rigorous selection process was carried out at PolyU, Dr Ada Fung was appointed as the Thetos Foundation Young Scholar in Social Services. Dr Ada Fung, Assistant Professor, Department of Applied Social Sciences, is a renowned scholar specialised in the early detection and prevention of dementia. From her experience in large-scale epidemiological studies, she successfully established an association between late-life anxiety and cognitive decline, particularly in episodic memory, as she developed novel interventions to alleviate symptoms and slow down or even prevent dementia progression. “I am deeply honoured to be appointed as Thetos Foundation Young Scholar in Social Services. The Endowed Young Scholars Scheme will offer great support to my work in formulating personalised interventions that would prevent cognitive implications due to loneliness. I will continue to delve into my field for the benefit of society,” said Dr Fung. We welcome like-minded philanthropies to join hands with PolyU to create powerful impact through the Endowed Young Scholars Scheme. Please contact AADO or browse the Scheme website for more information.