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Graduate School Transferable Skills Workshop Series – MINDFUL Communication Grows GOOD Relationship with your Supervisor or Co-worker

Building good relationships should not cause headaches, even in a challenging dynamic. On 22 August, Ms Sharon To, a counsellor from the Student Affairs Office (SAO), conducted a workshop on mindfulness and communicatio, focusing on four essential keys: awareness of presence, calm strength, empathetic listening, and mindful speech. Cultivating calmness and empathy to foster interactive understanding, Ms To guided students to experience body meditation with mindful breathing alongside a singing bowl. Through the practice of these mindful communication techniques, individuals can strengthen their connections and promote inner peace, and enhance relationships with supervisors and co-workers ultimately.

Outstanding Research Postgraduate Alumni Award 2024 Result Announcement

The Graduate School organises the PolyU Graduate School Outstanding Research Postgraduate Alumni Award to recognise the achievements of research postgraduate alumni and promote the excellence of research education at PolyU. Recipients of Outstanding Research Postgraduate Alumni Award 2024   Professor LI Bing Vice President, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen Doctor of Philosophy 2001, Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) Professor Li Bing started his research journey at PolyU as a PhD student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) in 1999. After obtaining his doctoral degree, Professor Li joined Maxbright Engineering Limited as Engineering Director. Later on, he pursued his academic career at the Shenzhen Graduate School of Harbin Institute of Technology in 2004 and was promoted to full professor in two years. Professor Li currently serves as the Vice President at Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen. With research interests focused on the design and control of robotics, aerospace mechanisms, and mechatronic systems, Professor Li is a recipient of National High-level Expert with Special Government Allowance of the State Council, and Shenzhen Pengcheng Scholar. Recently, he served as general chair, programme chair, organising chair, and award chair of more than ten international academic conferences. He also delivered plenary speeches, keynote speeches, and invited talks at major international conferences. He was ranked as one of the World's Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University in 2022. Professor Li has undertaken over 30 national and local key projects such as the National Key Research and Development Programme, the key project of the National Natural Foundation Joint Fund, the research and development programme of key areas of Guangdong Province, etc. He has published more than 160 refereed journal papers and 5 conference papers that won the best paper awards, as well as held 85 authorised invention patents in China. Professor Li has received significant recognition for his research accomplishments, being awarded the second prize in the National Technology Invention Award and four science and technology awards at the provincial and municipal levels while several research techniques have been successfully transferred into products. Recipient of Outstanding Research Postgraduate Young Alumni Award 2024 Professor LI Jun Professor, Curtin University Doctor of Philosophy (2012), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Professor Li Jun is currently a tenured professor and Australian Research Council (ARC) Future Fellow in the School of Civil and Mechanical Engineering at Curtin University, Australia. His research interests mainly include the development and application of emerging computer vision, artificial intelligence and data analytics techniques for structural health monitoring of civil engineering structures. His research outcomes have been applied to operational condition monitoring of a Curtin engineering pavilion building, Matagarup Bridge and Stirling Bridge in Western Australia. Professor Li is a chief investigator for ten research projects. He has published more than 215 technical publications, including over 155 journal papers, attracting over 5000 citations in Google Scholar with an H-index of 41. Professor Li was also a recipient of ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (2013) and received several research awards, such as Nishino Prize (2019), Best Review Paper and Best Paper Award of Engineering Structures (2023) and Curtin Mid-Career Research Award (2023). He is currently a Fellow of Engineers Australia, Associate Editor of “Structural Health Monitoring” and “Journal of Civil Structural Health Monitoring”, Academic Editor of “Structural Control and Health Monitoring”, and Co-chair of the Early Career Researchers Committee of the International Society for Structural Health Monitoring of Intelligent Infrastructure (ISHMII). He was invited to give over 20 keynote and invited presentations at international conferences. Dr SHOU Dahua Limin Endowed Young Scholar in Advanced Textiles Technologies and Associate Professor, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Doctor of Philosophy (2013), School of Fashion and Textiles (SFT) Dr Shou Dahua is Limin Endowed Young Scholar in Advanced Textiles Technologies and an associate professor at the School of Fashion and Textiles of PolyU. He earned his PhD from PolyU in 2013 and subsequently worked as a postdoctoral fellow at The University of Sydney and Cornell University. Dr Shou is also the founding Programme Leader of the MSc in Intelligent Wearable Technology at PolyU. Dr Shou’s research interests include personal thermal and moisture management, advanced textiles, intelligent wearables, and soft robotics. He has published nearly 100 papers in renowned academic journals and holds three U.S. patents and over ten Chinese patents. He is also the leader of over 20 research grants from various competitive funds such as GRF/ECS, ITF, GTF, and ECF. Dr Shou received the Distinguished Achievement Award from The Fiber Society in 2023, a prestigious honour awarded to only one recipient worldwide annually. He was listed among the Top 2% of Scientists Worldwide in both 2022 and 2023. Additionally, he won the Gold Medal at the 49th Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions in 2024, and received the TechConnect Global Innovation Awards twice, in 2021 and 2022. Beyond his research achievements, Dr Shou serves as an associate editor and editorial board member for seven SCI journals (Q1/Q2). He will also chair The Fiber Society Spring 2025 Conference at PolyU. Professor YANG Yang Professor, Temple University Master of Philosophy (2010), School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) Professor Yang Yang is a professor in the School of Sport, Tourism, and Hospitality Management at Temple University. He also serves as the executive director of the U.S.-Asia Center for Tourism and Hospitality Research. Professor Yang earned an MPhil in Hotel and Tourism Management from PolyU in 2010 and a PhD from the University of Florida in 2013. Professor Yang’s primary research interests include tourism demand analysis, regional tourism growth, and hotel financial and real estate analysis. He has published over 100 research articles in SSCI-indexed journals. Professor Yang has been listed in the Stanford-Elsevier Ranking of Top 2% Most-Cited Researchers for the past three years. Additionally, he was named a Fellow of the International Association for China Tourism Studies and an Emerging Scholar of Distinction by the International Academy for the Study of Tourism. Professor Yang has served as an Associate Editor for the Annals of Tourism Research, a Corresponding Editor for the International Journal of Hospitality Management, and an editorial board member for several major tourism and hospitality journals. Moreover, Professor Yang has gained substantial industrial experience from various consulting projects. Once again, let us extend our congratulations to these distinguished alumni who have embodied the transformative potential of research education. They represent the pinnacle of research excellence, and we applaud their outstanding contributions and celebrate their continued success as they inspire future generations of researchers to push the boundaries of knowledge and make a lasting impact on society.

PolyU International Research Summer School 2024: Welcoming Global Talents

What an extraordinary summer! Around 60 international talents from 15 different countries and regions completed a two-week PhD taster programme from 1 to 13 July. Through dynamic activities, workshops, seminars and tours, they built well-rounded research skillsets while exploring multicultural Hong Kong and attractive research study opportunities and support at PolyU. They also gained academic consultations from departments and schools to address enquiries about pursuing a PhD degree and future career. Watch the event highlight video: https://youtu.be/CFe2etDMzmw?si=Kb4s2sLVdSCVxAiA

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.