News

Strengthening Global Research Collaboration with New Partners of Dual PhD Degree Programmes

In July 2023, PolyU signed two partnerships with Tianjin University (TJU) and East China Normal University (ECNU) to offer Dual PhD Degree Programmes starting from the academic year 2023/24. These new partnerships with globally recognised universities marked a milestone in PolyU’s research collaboration. Leveraging the institutions' academic strengths and international competitiveness, the programmes aim to cultivate talent in shared research areas such as Business, Engineering, Humanities and Science. The Dual PhD Degree Programmes foster research collaboration, innovation, and cultural exchange between prestigious academic institutions. In an equally-split study pattern, students will conduct research at both universities and have access to co-supervision and advanced research facilities. Apart from benefiting from the academic and cultural environment at each institution, students will also gain a broader perspective on their research topics and develop transferable skills and knowledge for their future careers. The Programme is powered by partnerships overseas and in Mainland China. Students who successfully graduated will receive two award parchments issued each by PolyU and the partner institution.

International Research Student Gathering – Building Connections and Getting United

It was a momentous occasion for the Graduate School (GS) as we hosted our first gathering for international research students to connect and exchange ideas. The event brought together students from various continents, including countries participating in the One Belt One Road initiative in Asia, Europe, and Africa. The students experienced the diversity of the student body at PolyU and learnt about the strategic development of the international student community by PolyU GS.   The sharing session was led by Professor Cao Jiannong, Dean of Graduate School, who warmly welcomed the students. The students actively participated in fun ice-breaking games to win souvenirs and later shared their insights and ideas on student engagement and outreach with GS representatives in groups. They expressed their interest in becoming ambassadors for PolyU's international research community to offer their help and support.   The GS is thrilled to have hosted such a successful and enjoyable event and is grateful for the students' insightful contributions, which will enrich the overall experience of the student body. Through such initiatives, the GS promotes international student support and a global outreach network.   It is exciting to see a vibrant community of international research students at PolyU, and we eagerly anticipate more engaging events like this in the future!

Research Postgraduate Summer School 2023: Unforgettable Bonds and Inspiring Insights

The Graduate School (GS) is thrilled to wrap up an exceptional and eventful two weeks of the Research Postgraduate (RPg) Summer School from 3 to 14 July 2023. This year, the PhD taster programme tailored for senior undergraduates and master’s students, was held physically on campus for the first time, leaving a lasting impact on the 50 participants. With a diverse range of activities and an emphasis on enhancing research skills, it was a summer filled with knowledge, friendship, and growth. The journey kicked off with ice-breaking exercises and exciting team-building games, allowing participants to quickly get to know one another and forge a tight-knit community that enriched their experience during the course of the programme. To familiarise the attendees with our stunning buildings and the vigorous environment that surrounded them, they were taken on an energetic campus tour. This not only helped them navigate the facilities but also cultivated a sense of belonging and appreciation for the University. At the opening ceremony, the Vice President (Research and Innovation), Professor Christopher Chao, warmly welcomed the participants, while Professor Jiannong Cao, the Dean of GS, along with Professor Louise Cummings, Associate Dean of GS, introduced the framework of research postgraduate education and learning support available at PolyU. Their encouraging words motivated participants to make the most of this RPg Summer School, instilling a notion of pride and achievement. A series of visits to different Departments, Schools, research labs and the Industrial Centre and the Library provided participants with hands-on exposure to cutting-edge facilities and resources that PolyU offers to realise their research ideas. They were able to witness groundbreaking work up close, igniting their passion for exploration and discovery. One of the highlights was the invaluable insights and first-hand experience shared by current research students. They graciously spoke about their vibrant study life, rewarding overseas attachment, learnings from attending the PolyU Research Student Conference (PRSC), and provided application tips for the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS). Their stories shed light on the paths that lie ahead for prospective PhD students, inspiring them to pursue their dreams. Another focal point of the programme was the arrangement of consultation sessions for participants to meet and seek advice from professors in their research areas interested. Participants also grasped this unique opportunity to have individual face-to-face meetings with potential supervisors throughout the event period for more in-depth discussion and the establishment of supervisory relationships. Some outstanding students were further nominated for a preliminary offer of admission to PhD programmes after the consultations. Throughout the programme, various workshops and seminars were conducted to enhance research capabilities and personal enrichment, expanding the participants’ knowledge. These sessions were intellectually stimulating, empowering the attendees to think critically and innovate. With their newfound skills, participants enthusiastically presented their research proposals and demonstrated their potential in research studies at the end of the RPg Summer School. The closing ceremony served as a wonderful conclusion and a moment of shared joy, as participants reflected on their transformative journey together. As we bid farewell to this year's RPg Summer School, we take immense pride in its success. The memories created, the bonds formed, and the skills acquired will undoubtedly shape the future of the participants. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to all who contributed to making the RPg Summer School an extraordinary success!

Introducing PolyU Research Postgraduate Studies to Tongji Undergraduates

The Graduate School hosted an introductory session on 12 July for second-year undergraduates from Tongji University in computer science and artificial intelligence. The students learned about the full spectrum of PolyU research postgraduate studies, including curriculum features, global exposure, research environment, career support, and scholarship opportunities. Participants gained an invaluable opportunity to visit advanced research labs and institutes on campus and explore the University’s innovative research projects. They experienced PolyU as a leading institution for cutting-edge research studies. Tongji University is one of the universities that collaborate with PolyU on dual PhD degree programmes. Students under the programme benefit from joint supervision by both prestigious institutions and enhance their academic horizons and global perspectives. In the Q&A session, participants expressed a keen interest in PolyU's research student resources and support. This marked the first step towards valuable contributions to their field and lasting societal impacts. A proactive approach was encouraged for participants to identify niche research interests and initiate admission discussions early with potential supervisors.

Outstanding Research Postgraduate Alumni Award 2023 Result Announcement

To recognise the achievements of research postgraduate alumni and promote the excellence of research education at PolyU, the Graduate School (GS) organises the PolyU Graduate School Outstanding Research Postgraduate Alumni Award annually. Recipients of Outstanding Research Postgraduate Alumni Award 2023   Professor LU Weisheng Wilson Professor and Head, Department of Real Estate and Construction, The University of Hong Kong Doctor of Philosophy 2006, Department of Building and Real Estate (BRE) Professor Lu joined PolyU as a PhD student in the Department of Building and Real Estate (BRE) in 2002. His PhD supervisor was Professor Shen Liyin and his research topic was about Chinese construction companies’ competitive strategies. After he obtained his doctoral degree in 2006, Professor Lu joined the University of Reading, UK as a Post-doctoral Fellow. He then returned to Hong Kong and joined the University of Hong Kong (HKU) in 2009. Professor Lu’s research interests focus on two areas: Construction Informatics: Building information modelling, smart construction, big data, and blockchain; and Circular Construction: Management, economics, and public policies. He is the leader of research grants worth HK$60+ million from various prestigious funding regimes. He is the author of two books and more than 200 book chapters and journal papers. He has been ranked as one of the Top 1% Scholar by Clarivate Analytics since 2017. Currently serving as the Head of the Department of Real Estate and Construction at HKU, Professor Lu is also the Director of iLab@hku, which has made significant breakthroughs in modernising the construction industry in Hong Kong and beyond. He has been the Associate Dean (Research) of the Faculty of Architecture at HKU. Dr POON Chi-kin Lawrence Head of Innovative Technology and CEO Advisor of Applied R&D, Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) Doctor of Philosophy 2004, Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) As a leader of innovative technology and advisor of the CEO on the applied R&D in the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI), Dr Poon took the lead in the overall planning and development of ASTRI’s new initiatives in Smart City, Smart Mobility and PropTech R&D. Before joining ASTRI in February 2023, Dr Poon served in the Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) and Automotive Platforms and Application Systems (APAS) R&D Centre for more than 17 years and managed to grow the R&D team from 9 staff to 140+ scientists and researchers over the past 10 years. Under Dr Poon's strong leadership, the Smart City Division of HKPC and APAS were set up to steer the applied research activities and commercialization of R&D results in Hong Kong and Greater Bay Area markets with a focus on Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Smart Mobility, Electric Vehicles, Autonomous Driving, GeronTech and Metaverse. Dr Poon has won numerous international awards in these areas and he owns more than 10 patents covering a wide range of smart city applications. Recipient of Outstanding Research Postgraduate Early Career Alumni Award 2023 Dr WANG Lei Leo "Hundred-Talet Program" Research Fellow, College of Energy Engineering, Zhejiang University Doctor of Philosophy 2018, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Dr Wang is a “Hundred-Talent Program” Research Fellow, Doctoral Supervisor, National Excellent Young Scholar (Overseas), and Humboldt Fellow in the College of Energy Engineering, Zhejiang University. He obtained his PhD degree from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) of PolyU in 2018. Dr Wang's research interests include sustainable waste-to-energy technologies, recycling waste into construction materials, CO2 sequestration and mineral utilization. He has published over 80 SCI journal papers in total (with 48 first author or corresponding author papers), including over 70 papers in the Top 10% journals, 5 Hot Papers and 20 Highly Cited Papers, and co-edited two books (over 5400 citations with an h-index of 47, Scopus). He has been selected as the World’s Top 2% Scientist. He has served as an Associate Editor for Soil Use and Manag., Editorial Board for 4 SCI journals, e.g., J. Hazard. Mater., and Guest Editor for 10 SCI journals, e.g., Bioresour. Technol. Applying research to solve real-world problems is always Dr Wang’s priority. He has developed the carbon-negative climate-smart biochar partition block which was awarded the Silver Medal at the 47th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva. 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.

GS Participated in the Education Fair of Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology

On 23 April 2023, PolyU Graduate School (GS) was invited to participate in the education fair hosted by the Guangdong Technion Israel Institute of Technology (GTIIT) in Shantou, Guangdong. Ten universities participated in the education fair. Ms Autumn Lin, Executive Officer, was the delegated representative to promote PolyU’s research postgraduate (RPg) studies to GTIIT students and graduates. PolyU's state-of-the-art research facilities, diverse interdisciplinary research topics, and world-class faculty impressed many participants during the consultation session. Participants also learnt more about PhD programmes and general admission requirements. Future collaborations between PolyU and participating partners were also explored. In addition, the GS also participated in the online career fair hosted by GTIIT earlier on 2 March. An overview of PolyU's RPg education was shared to attract top-quality applicants. PolyU is committed to providing students with world-class research postgraduate studies and focuses on academic excellence, career development, and international research collaboration. Learn more in the PolyU Research Postgraduate Studies Booklet 24/25: https://polyu.hk/pBidA

Distinguished Speaker Series – Design Driven Innovation

On 23 May, the Graduate School hosted an enlightening seminar under the Distinguished Speaker Series featuring Professor Shyhnan Liou from the Taiwan Design Research Institute (TDRI). With the topic of “Design Driven Innovation”, a diverse audience of students, staff, and alumni attended the event to learn from Professor Liou's extensive knowledge of driving social development through design and technology. Professor Liou began the seminar by prompting the question, “Has our society changed for the better?” Presenting vivid visuals and compelling videos, Professor Liou demonstrated the transformative power of design that enhances our daily lives and brings meaning to society. There was a campaign, “Design Movement on Campus”, which transformed campus aesthetics for schools at all levels in Taiwan to meet contemporary trends in education. He also emphasised the importance of balancing technology and humanity during the design process to create a human-centric and sustainable future. Participants engaged in an active dialogue with Professor Liou about design mechanisms and technology development at the end of the session. Many attendees expressed appreciation for the insights and inspiration gained after the event.

PolyU Graduate School Delegates Attended Shenzhen Symposium on Nurturing Research and Innovation Talents

On 18 and 19 May, PolyU Graduate School was invited to participate in the Symposium on Graduate Education and Collaborative Research 2023. The symposium was jointly organised by the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences (SIAT) and the Polytechnic University of Shenzhen. A total of 17 universities from Hong Kong, Macau, and Mainland China participated in the event. Centred around the theme "Integration of Industry and Education, Convergence of Science and Education, and Cultivation of Innovation", more than 200 participants discussed innovative developments in postgraduate education and innovative models for cultivating talents in science and engineering. They also discussed the collaborative cultivation of highly competitive research talents. SIAT became PolyU’s partner in the Collaborative PhD Programme in 2022. At the symposium, Professor Jiannong Cao, Dean of PolyU Graduate School, delivered a keynote entitled "Research Education at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University: Perspectives from the Graduate School." He shared his vision of PolyU's research postgraduate education, including high-quality PhD talent recruitment, holistic curriculum design and learning support, and the facilitation of cutting-edge research facilities. He envisioned that PolyU’s PhD programmes would provide access to interdisciplinary training and overseas research opportunities. Research students thus identify and gather knowledge from different study fields to address complex research problems. To celebrate the long-term collaborative relationship, PolyU and other institutions participated in a tree-planting ceremony. The organisers also arranged for delegates to visit Guangming Science City at SIAT to share the latest research developments. In addition, they visited research facilities and laboratories. PolyU Graduate School emphasises international research collaboration by providing students with ample opportunities to gain diverse perspectives and skillsets. The Graduate School will continue to establish partnerships with prestigious global institutions for the broader benefit of our students and supervisors.

PolyU Research Student Conference 2023: Research with Impact

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) Graduate School celebrates the resounding success of the PolyU Research Student Conference (PRSC) on 8 and 9 May. This first flagship student conference themed “Research with Impact” is a platform for research students and undergraduate researchers within the University to demonstrate their research achievements and build a collaborative research community. Around 300 research students and undergraduate researchers attended the conference. A celebratory banquet cum award presentation ceremony was held on the first conference day at Hotel Icon. The banquet was attended by senior management representatives from the conference award sponsor, China Petrochemical Corporation (Sinopec). The two-day conference featured an opening ceremony, keynote presentations, student paper presentations and discussions, and networking opportunities. Student research projects’ posters were also exhibited. PRSC served as an excellent opportunity for young researchers to disseminate and present their innovative research findings, interact and connect with peers from diverse disciplines, expand their knowledge, and gain insights into the latest trends and technologies shaping their fields of study. 126 submissions were accepted for oral presentations from more than 330 submissions spanning Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM); the Humanities, Health and Social Sciences, Business and Finance, Design, and Fashion. The breadth of topics denotes the University's dedication to research and innovation by fostering an interdisciplinary and facilitated research environment. At the opening ceremony, PolyU President and conference Honorary Co-Chair, Professor Jin-Guang Teng, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, "The PolyU Research Student Conference is an excellent platform for young researchers to showcase their work, exchange ideas, and build collaborations. We are delighted to witness our students' achievements and the vibrant research community that we cultivated at PolyU." The keynote presentations highlighted global research interests in artificial intelligence and energy sustainability. In the first keynote, ChangJiang Chair Professor Yunhao Liu from Tsinghua University focused on industrial IoT (Internet of Things), illustrating the importance of transiting from the digital follow-up to digital lead-off. In the second keynote, PolyU Associate Vice President (Research and Innovation) and conference General Co-Chair, Professor Zuankai Wang, encouraged students to achieve big things through persistence and an open mind. Getting inspired, six candidates competed for the best paper awards sponsored by Sinopec through presentations and question-and-answer sessions. The awardees were honoured at the award ceremony during the banquet. Completed Research track Best Paper Award Winner: Yezhou Hu and Ye Zhu in Applied Physics (AP) Paper Title: A Co pre-embedding strategy induced highly efficient catalyst for oxygen reduction reaction Award Prize: HK$20,000 Two Best Paper Runners-up i) Winner: Nga-Yin Dik, Paul Wai-Kei Tsang, Ah-Pun Chan and Kwan-Yu Lo in Fashion and Textiles (SFT) Paper Title: Developing a Prediction Model for Virtual Garment Fitting Size with Psychographic Characteristics And 3D Body Measurements ii) Winner: Yiteng Li and Ling Zhu in Logistics and Maritime Studies (LMS) Paper Title: The Technical and Regulatory Aspects of Unmanned Merchant Ships Reconsidered Award Prize: HK$10,000 per winning team Work-in-Progress track Best Paper Award Winner: Xintong Liu and Ling Jin in Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Paper Title: Unexpected discovery of an algal toxin as a major toxicity contributor in Hong Kong marine waters impacting the finless porpoise Award Prize: HK$15,000 Two Best Paper Runners-up i) Winner: Hao Wang and Songye Zhu in CEE Paper Title: Dynamic Behaviour of Latched Tuned Mass Damper ii) Winner: Shuai Zhou and Mengyu Wang in Applied Social Sciences (APSS) Paper Title: Window Dressing or Change Making? Party Building in Chinese Social Work Organisations Award Prize: HK$8,000 per winning team   At the banquet, Vice President (Research and Innovation) and conference Honorary Co-Chair, Professor Christopher Chao, highlighted the significance of research and innovation and the role of the University in it, saying, "With our research expertise and global reach, we are well-positioned to contribute to knowledge advancement and society's betterment, and reinforce the city’s development into an international I&T hub in the Greater Bay Area." Dean of the Graduate School and conference General Co-Chair, Professor Jiannong Cao, shared the missions and visions of the GS, expressing, "PRSC highlights the strong research postgraduate education at PolyU. We sustain a meaningful research impact by nurturing aspiring researchers through creativity, critical thinking, and interdisciplinary collaboration." Special gratitude was extended to generous donors who supported the nurturing of research intellectuals. The Technical Programme and Work-in-Progress Co-Chairs were also awarded certificates of appreciation. Towards the end, PolyU's faculties and schools were commended for their continuous support and the GS for making the conference a success.

GS is Reaching Out to Singapore

Dean of the Graduate School (GS), Professor Jiannong Cao, and some senior executives visited Singapore in mid-April to explore opportunities for research postgraduate education that would benefit the University and its students. A reunion with international research alumni was also arranged. During their visit to the National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore Management University (SMU), A*Star (an agency for Science, Technology and Research) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU Singapore), a number of meetings were held to discuss possible partnerships in PhD education, including joint PhD supervision, student attachment opportunities, and research collaborations. The visit aimed to strengthen ties between top-tier institutions and foster collaboration in research postgraduate education.