News

Distinguished Speaker Series – Infinitive Possibilities in the World of Science: New Journey of Energy and Automotive Revolutions

Named the "Father of Asian Electric Vehicles" and honored with the Gold Bauhinia Star Medal by the HKSAR Government this July, the Graduate School was privileged to have invited Professor Chan Ching-chuen, to share his invaluable insights in the distinguished seminar on 8 July. Under Professor Chan's guidance, the audience explored the spirit of science, engineering, and technology, as well as the digital economy's revolutionary process. Professor Chan introduced a new R&D paradigm integrating AI with energy, information, transportation, and humanity. The key lies in big data-guided rational design, automation-enabled synthesis, and autonomy-facilitated inverse manufacturing of materials. To enable successful innovation in Hong Kong, he highlighted uniqueness, subversiveness, and optimality. Innovative talents should have cross-disciplinary expertise, sharp perceptiveness, and the courage to pursue original discovery. Lastly, Professor Chan summarised his seminar with the principles of six 'eyes'  for continuous scientific pursuit: inspiration, imagination, innovation, integration, implementation, and investment.

PolyU Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Final Competition: Showcasing Compact Research Against Time

After an intense semi-final round, eight finalists advanced to the PolyU Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Final Competition on 3 July to pitch their research significance to the wide audience. This year, four winners emerged: the Champion and People’s Choice Winner (Ms Lam Wing-tung, Winnie, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences), the first-runner up (Mr Lai Huang, Cheron, Department of Biomedical Engineering) and two second-runner ups (Ms Chen Zhuoan, Joanna, Department of English and Communication and Ms Wong Chun-ching, Shirley, Department of Food Science and Nutrition). The Champion will represent PolyU to participate in the Asia-Pacific 3MT Competition hosted by the University of Queensland. The final competition commenced with the opening speeches of the Dean of Graduate School, Professor Cao Jiannong and the Vice President (Research and Innovation), Professor Christopher Chao. Unveiling the competition, the eight finalists expressed their charisma and professionally pitched their research using only one static slide within three minutes. “This is a value-adding experience to develop transferable skills for the infinite future, be it in academia, industry or entrepreneurship. Students are encouraged to proactively seize opportunities to strengthen their skillsets through development activities and research collaborations”, highlighting the importance of 3MT by Professor Cao Jiannong. Professor Christopher Chao emphasised the strategic direction of PolyU to “propel research innovation and research excellence. With the highly-demanded skillsets in effective pitching and communications, grasping and communicating the main idea for support is becoming increasingly essential”. The eight finalists came from diverse disciplines of civil and environmental engineering, building and real estate, English and communication, biomedical engineering, rehabilitation sciences, and food science and nutrition. Their research topics are testaments of the niche expertise of PolyU research postgraduate studies. The winners were highly-commended for their displayed concise communications, effective storytelling, influential public speaking and interactive audience engagement. Towards the end, all finalists were appreciated for their focused hard work, perseverance and confidence. Arranged refreshments and networking opportunity wrapped up the PolyU 3MT competition. A special note of gratitude was sent to the judges, namely Mr Vincent Chen from Hong Kong Cable Television Limited, Dr Ho Chu-po from the School of Fashion and Textiles, Professor Li Dechao from the Faculty of Humanities, Dr K.H. Loo from the Faculty of Engineering, Dr Raymond Sze from the Faculty of Science, Dr Dan Wang from the School of Hotel and Tourism Management, Dr Huaxin Wei from the School of Design, Professor Elsie Yan from the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences and Dr Thomas Zhu from the Faculty of Business. Learn more about the winners’ performances: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/3mt/hall-of-fame/2024/

Graduate School Transferable Skills Workshop Series – The Why, When, What and How of Writing an abstract

In the recent Graduate School Transferable Skills Workshop on 14 June, Dr Yuen Yiu, Senior Editor of Cell Press, pinpointed the three ‘W’s and one ‘H’ for crafting effective abstracts. With the approaching abstract submission deadline on 21 June for the PolyU Research Student Conference, GS arranged the preparatory session for all potential participants. Students reviewed the structure of a scientific academic paper and learnt strategies of writing and rewriting for concise, specific, and explicit abstracts. Dr Yiu also demonstrated on-site editing and shared useful tips, emphasising the importance of providing original perspectives, reaching out for reviews, and collaborating to increase research visibility. With practice, researchers can continue honing their abstract writing skills.

Distinguished Speaker Series – The Agony and Ecstasy of Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship

On 13 June, Professor Otto Lin led a seminar on the knowledge translation process from lab to market. From invention in research, innovation to entrepreneurship, he highlighted the success factors and use value of each phase in the wealth creation process. Professor Lin emphasised the university's role in fostering a conducive corporate ecosystem and entrepreneurial culture. In the knowledge economy, universities converge research, mentorship, and knowledge transfer, educating students in critical thinking, leadership, and social responsibility. To develop a supportive corporate culture, understanding and persuasion is perceived important. Professor Lin further proposed insights to facilitate outcome-based knowledge transfer, highlighting examples of entrepreneurial pioneers in innovation and technology. In the end, he also reinforced the importance of collaborative synergy among government, industry, education, and research.

New Partnership for the Dual PhD Degree Programmes

PolyU has established a new partnership for its Dual PhD Degree Programmes, adding Central South University (CSU) as a collaborating institution. A university-level agreement was signed during the delegation visit from CSU on 13 June 2024. The signing ceremony was officiated by Professor Wing-tak Wong, Deputy President and Provost of PolyU, and Professor Li Jing Sheng, Vice Party Secretary of CSU. Professor Jin-Guang Teng, President of PolyU and Professor Yi Hong, Party Secretary of CSU were in attendance to witness the proceedings. Previously, frequent exchanges and cooperation in the areas of nursing and rail transit have been established between PolyU and CSU. The new partnership on Dual PhD programmes is expected to drive talent development and scientific research between the two universities.

Research Student Gathering – Experiencing the Attachment Programme

Graduate School Transferable Skills Workshop Series – Training Workshop for Three Minute Thesis Competition

With the upcoming PolyU Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition in June, the Graduate School organised a training workshop on 30 April to equip research students with techniques and strategies to master for a successful 3MT presentation. During the workshop, Professor Baochun Li from the University of Toronto delivered his presentation titled "The Art of Technical Presentations in the Era of Generative AI Models" and shared insightful elements for formulating an effective presentation. Professor Li emphasised the importance of structured and logical storytelling, as well as knowing and engaging the audience by simplifying the content and adjusting the delivery pace for improved memory recall. Participants were also reminded to use slides as a visual aid to display clarity. Towards the end, students at the workshop remained interested in acquiring more techniques in the Q&A session. We extend our gratitude to Professor Li for sharing his useful tips and send our best wishes to all the research students as they prepare for the 3MT competition.

Research Postgraduate Supervisor Induction

Acknowledging the significant impact of quality supervision on the student learning experience, the Graduate School arranged a hybrid-mode induction for research postgraduate supervisors on 19 April. The primary focus of the induction was to provide guidance and support to supervisors who are new to their roles or possess limited expertise, ensuring that they acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively fulfil their responsibilities. Two experienced supervisors, Professor Reynold Cheng, Associate Dean (Student Enrichment) of Faculty of Engineering at the University of Hong Kong and Professor Han Xiaorong, Head of Department of Chinese History and Culture (CHC) at PolyU, were invited to share invaluable insights and best practices in supervision. Their sharing aimed to enhance the understanding of supervision fundamentals, address potential challenges and highlight the support required for different types of candidatures. The event commenced with a warm welcome note and opening remarks by Professor Cao Jiannong, Dean of Graduate School, and Professor Christopher Chao, Vice President (Research and Innovation), respectively. Later, Professor Cao featured an overview of the research postgraduate study cycle and expectations of an effective supervision role with explanations and guiding tips. Supervisors are pivotal in shaping the next generation of scholars and innovators. The Graduate School is committed to fostering engagement and inspiring excellence in supervision practices.

Research Student Gathering – Research Student Attachment Programme and International Collaborative Research Fellowship

URIS Students Clinched the Championship in Engineering Pitch Competition

The winning team of six students participating in the Undergraduate Research and Innovation Scheme (URIS) clinched the championship in the 2023-24 Pitch Competition on Grand Challenge Engineering Topics for University Students. The competition was organised by the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences (HKAES) and supported by the Innovation and Technology Fund of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. Entering the next phase, the team will represent Hong Kong and Mainland China at the 6th Global Grand Challenges Summit (GGCS) in the United States. Their research project, titled “Eco-Flight: AI-Enhanced Aircraft Ground Optimisation Software to Reduce Carbon Emissions in the Aviation Industry”, proposed an innovative solution that utilises predictive data to reduce carbon emissions from aircraft ground operations and enhance efficiency. Their software is foreseen to lower airports’ operating cost by 23% and save airlines’ fuel consumption by 14%. The projected revenue of the software upon its establishment is beyond HK$15 million annually. The team expressed gratitude to their advisors across various disciplines, including a strong team of Resident Fellows from the College of Undergraduate Researchers and Innovators Residential College (CURI RC), for their invaluable mentoring and guidance throughout the process.