News & Events

PolyU launches the largest interdisciplinary research platform in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area to advance the development of an international innovation hub

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has established the PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR) – the largest research platform of its kind in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area to foster interdisciplinary research, partnership with world-renowned scholars, and the transfer of technologies to stakeholders. PAIR focuses on research in frontier areas such as artificial intelligence, carbon neutrality, deep space exploration, smart cities, smart energy, and many more. The Academy will make impactful contributions to the development of Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area into an international innovation and technology hub. Comprising 16 research institutes and centres with over 400 highly qualified PolyU senior researchers from all over the world, the interdisciplinary research platform is the largest among its peers in the Greater Bay Area. It pools top brains with a wealth of investigative and professional experience to conduct PAIR’s cutting-edge interdisciplinary research programmes. The Academy aspires to offer solutions to unprecedented societal challenges arising from climate change, food safety, an ageing population, disease, energy shortages, etc. It will also aim to promote sustainable development and growth. The PAIR research institutes and centres will furthermore address the opportunities brought about by the emerging technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution that will change how people work and live, such as artificial intelligence, data science, the Internet of Things, and robotics. PAIR’s innovative research projects are supported by PolyU’s world-class laboratories and state-of-the-art facilities, including the State Key Laboratories and the Chinese National Engineering Research Centres (Hong Kong Branches). Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU, said the University is committed to developing innovations across disciplines and cultivating impactful solutions to the global challenges of today. He said, “PAIR will also promote and facilitate the establishment of close partnerships with industries and the community, ensuring the real-world significance and impact of its research. Furthermore, the Academy will play an important role in developing and supporting research collaboration activities with counterparts in the Mainland and around the world. PolyU will leverage its leading research and innovation capability and capitalise on the Greater Bay Area’s manufacturing strength to build the region into an international innovation and technology hub.” Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, said the expansion of interdisciplinary research over the past decade has brought about a fundamental change in the basic concepts and practices of a scientific discipline. He added, “New disciplines may also emerge from the extensive research currently being performed by scientists in this interdisciplinary environment. Their research may have a wide-ranging positive impact, expanding knowledge and improving the quality of life.” The Academy is headed by Prof. Qingyan CHEN, Director of PAIR, Global STEM Professor, and Chair Professor of Building Thermal Science in the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering of PolyU. He is Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University, United States, after a distinguished stint of two decades at the prestigious university. He also serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the Building and Environment journal since 2008. Prof. Chen said, “Interdisciplinary research can be one of the most productive and inspiring of human pursuits to produce solutions to the profound issues that society is facing. PAIR researchers are expanding knowledge and solving challenging problems through basic and applied interdisciplinary research, integrating disciplines not only from science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, but also from business, design, social science, humanities, and management.” The official inauguration of PAIR will be held on 16 July 2022 at the Jockey Club Auditorium on campus and is one of the key events at the PolyU InnoTech Open Day.

Jiangsu-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance officially inaugurated to jointly nurture talents and promote innovation and technology development in the three regions

The Jiangsu-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance (JHMUA) jointly established by Nanjing University, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the University of Macau was officially inaugurated at a ceremony held today simultaneously in Nanjing and Hong Kong. The JHMUA aims to leverage the advantages of institutions in Jiangsu Province, Hong Kong and Macau to strengthen exchange and collaboration in areas such as talent cultivation and research in innovation and technology. With the full support of the governments of the three regions, the JHMUA now consists of 33 member institutions, including 21 from Jiangsu Province, nine from Hong Kong and three from Macau. The first term of the JHMUA is chaired by Nanjing University while PolyU, the University of Macau and Nanjing Normal University will act as Vice Chairmen. Mrs Carrie LAM CHENG Yuet-ngor, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, attended the inauguration ceremony of the JHMUA. She said in her speech, “I visited Nanjing two years ago to attend the second Jiangsu-Hong Kong Summit on Interconnected Development and had a discussion with Mr Wu Zhenglong, Secretary of Jiangsu Province, and leaders of the Province on how to further strengthen the collaboration between the two locations. I also witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding between PolyU and the Jiangsu Industrial Technology Research Institute, aiming to propel integrated industrial development. I furthermore had discussions with the management and students of Nanjing University on their campus. That visit provided a good foundation for more collaboration between the two locations on various aspects including higher education and helped contribute to the growth of the Greater Bay Area as well as the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta. Therefore, I am especially excited to congratulate the establishment of the Alliance today.” Professor Jin-Guang Teng, President of PolyU, said he is honoured to be participating in the establishment of the Alliance. He said, “Hong Kong institutions have been forging close ties with those in Jiangsu Province and Macau and collaborating closely with them in academic exchanges, scientific research as well as student development. Following the establishment of the JHMUA, we hope the institutions will have more opportunities to work together for the development of education and scientific research in the three regions.” PolyU has in the past years partnered with more than 30 institutions and organisations in Jiangsu Province to kick start over 100 teaching and research projects. Professor Teng remarked, “The economic and educational development of Jiangsu Province is highly acclaimed in our Nation. In addition, Jiangsu Province has witnessed the rapid development of a number of strategic emerging industries in recent years, such as artificial intelligence, biomedicine, new energy technology and more. Such progress brings about tremendous opportunities in innovation and technology, research and even entrepreneurship for institutions and talents in the three regions.” Benefitting from the staunch support provided by the governments in the three regions, it is expected that the JHMUA will bring the institutions in those regions together, enabling them to complement each other with their respective strengths to facilitate collaboration in research and enhance talent development, with the ultimate goal of “collaborating and sharing achievements together”. Following the inauguration ceremony, a higher education summit was held on the theme of “Regional Integration, Technology Innovation and Universities’ Development New Mission”. Leaders from more than 30 institutions attended the summit that provided much inspiration on the direction of the future development of the respective institutions. Back in November 2019, Chief Executive Mrs Carrie Lam visited Jiangsu Province and initiated the establishment of the “Jiangsu-Hong Kong University Alliance”. In early 2020, the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Education recommended to include institutions from Macau in the Alliance, to increase the strength and resources of the Alliance and enhance the effectiveness of collaboration among the institutions in Jiangsu Province, Hong Kong and Macau. Member institutions of the Jiangsu-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance (JHMUA) - (33 in total) Jiangsu Province (21 members) Nanjing University Southeast University Nanjing Normal University Soochow University Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Hohai University China Pharmaceutical University Jiangnan University China University of Mining and Technology Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology Nanjing Forestry University Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine Yangzhou University Jiangsu University Nantong University Jiangsu Police Institute Nanjing Normal University of Special Education NanJing XiaoZhuang University Communication University of China, Nanjing Jiangsu University of Technology Yancheng Teachers University Hong Kong (9 members) City University of Hong Kong Hong Kong Baptist University Lingnan University The Chinese University of Hong Kong The Education University of Hong Kong The Hong Kong Polytechnic University The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong Metropolitan University Macau (3 members) University of Macau City University of Macau Macau University of Science and Technology

PolyU collaborates with C-MER Eye Care to nurture Hong Kong’s young optometrists in the Greater Bay Area

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) signed a five-year memorandum of understanding today with C-MER Eye Care Holdings Limited to advance optometry development and eye and vision health in Hong Kong and Mainland China. About 60 students of PolyU’s world-leading School of Optometry will receive up to three weeks of clinical training in C-MER hospitals, clinics and optical centres in Hong Kong and other Greater Bay Area (GBA) cities every year; while researchers and specialists from the School and C-MER will collaborate on scientific studies about myopia management and ageing eyes – the main eye health challenges shared by Hong Kong and the Nation. The signing ceremony was held on PolyU’s campus, where Professor David SHUM, Dean of Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of PolyU, and Dr Dennis LAM, President and CEO of C-MER Eye Care Holdings Limited, signed the document regarding the collaboration. The signing was witnessed by Professor Wing-tak WONG, Deputy President and Provost of PolyU; Professor Chi-ho TO, Chair Professor of Experimental Optometry and Head of School of Optometry of PolyU; and the senior management of C-MER Eye Care. Professor Wong said, “C-MER Eye Care is an outstanding institution, both in terms of its massive teams of professional ophthalmologists and optometrists, as well as its well-established eyecare clinics across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Beijing and Shanghai. PolyU is delighted to further strengthen its strategic collaboration with C-MER in advancing the research and talent development of optometry, particularly in terms of accelerating the field’s development in the Greater Bay Area.” Dr Lam said, “Through our C-MER eye hospital and clinic network in the GBA, we are very pleased to provide the PolyU students not only with clinical trainings, but also opportunities to know more about GBA. Such first-hand experience about the GBA and the human network established will be very beneficial to those who choose to develop their careers in future in the GBA.” The School of Optometry has been proactively collaborating with local ophthalmologists and counterparts around the world to provide students with hands-on experience, equipping them with the skills they need for their future careers. Professor To said, “The support from C-MER will enhance the School’s optometric education, helping to take the local optometric profession to the next level.” He added that clinical training cooperation with C-MER clinics in Hong Kong has started since August, benefiting 38 final year optometry students so far. The clinical training offered by C-MER in the GBA covers attachment programs to ophthalmologists on diagnosing and treating eye diseases, including medication and surgical treatment. Trainees will benefit from the rapid development of the optometry profession in the Mainland. The collaboration also brings together the complementary strengths of the School’s world-leading research capability (with its research impact ranking first in Asia according to Clinical and Experimental Optometry), and C-MER’s vast network of some twenty ophthalmic clinics and hospitals in the GBA, Beijing, Shanghai, etc., making it the only Hong Kong medical service provider that has sizeable operations in the Mainland. PolyU’s School of Optometry The School of Optometry of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University is the only institution in Hong Kong that offers a bachelor’s honours degree programme in optometry leading to a professional qualification as an optometrist in Hong Kong. Optometrists are primary healthcare professionals who promote ocular health and vision through diagnosis and provision of suitable treatment options. The School’s undergraduate degree programme is regarded as one of the best globally. As a top-ranking optometry department in the world for research excellence, the School strives to undertake research-based teaching of the highest academic standards and to contribute to the promotion and delivery of high-quality vision and eye care in Hong Kong and elsewhere. C-MER Eye Care Holdings Limited C-MER Eye Care Holdings Limited is the largest HK medical service provider in the Mainland China. It is also one of the largest eye care groups in HK and the only group that has a sizable operation in the Mainland. Apart from ophthalmology, C-MER is now expanding their service scopes to dentistry and other specialities. Their goal is to facilitate the integration of HK’s medical service through their growing network in the Mainland, so as to become a good platform which provides affordable and high quality medical services to people in the GBA and beyond.

PolyU pledges to support sports development with R&D in sports sciences and academic programmes for athletes, as National Team Olympians visit the campus

Six National Team Olympians who participated in the Tokyo 2020 Games visited The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) today and appeared in a meet-and-greet session with students, alumni, staff and members of the public. The Olympic gold medallists included MA Long, the first five-time gold medallist in table tennis; rower CUI Xiaotong; weightlifter LU Xiaojun; swimming coach WANG Aimin; fencer SUN Yiwen; and SU Bingtian, an Asian record holder and the first Chinese sprinter who has qualified for a men’s 100-metre final in the Olympic Games. Dr LAM Tai-fai, Council Chairman of PolyU, extended his warm welcome to the delegation. He said he was proud of the exertion and achievements of both Mainland and Hong Kong athletes at the Tokyo Games. He further said that the athletes are role models who have promoted a sense of belonging to the country among Hong Kong’s youth. Dr Lam also encouraged the National Team athletes to study at PolyU. “I invite elite athletes and gold medallists of the National Team to consider studying at PolyU after their retirement. We would fully support all of your expenses,” he said. Dr Lam added, “Hong Kong is honoured to host the 15th National Games in 2025 together with Guangdong province and Macau. By leveraging our leadership in sports sciences and sports physiotherapy, PolyU will strengthen its teaching and learning as well as R&D in these areas, and nurture more outstanding athletes so as to further contribute to sports development.” PolyU launched the Outstanding Sportsmen Recommendation Scheme in 1998 and since then, the University has admitted more than 1,000 elite athletes to various full-time programmes. PolyU has also partnered with the Hong Kong Sports Institute since 2017, providing flexible tertiary study for the city’s elite athletes. Speaking at the National Olympians event, Mr Caspar TSUI, Secretary for Home Affairs, said, “PolyU has been very supportive to athletes in pursuit of their dreams. By enabling elite athletes to receive tertiary education while they are still committed to full-time training, PolyU helps athletes tremendously in developing their full potential and paving their future career options.” At the meet-and-greet session, the Olympians shared their inspiring journeys of exertion, willpower and tenacity as well as their patriotism with an audience of about 800 people. For instance, Su Bingtian shared his admiration of the spirit embodied by Hong Kong’s retired Paralympic track gold medallist So Wa-wai. He also invited PolyU students to visit and study at his alma mater, Jinan University in Guangzhou. The Olympians’ meet-and-greet was co-organized by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), General Administration of Sport of China, and the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR. Ms YANG Ning, Deputy Director of the General Administration of Sport of China; Mr ZHANG Zhihua, Director of the Department of Youth Affairs of the Liaison Office; Professor Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU; and Dr Katherine NGAN NG Yu-ying, University Court Chairman of PolyU, also attended the event.

PolyU signs MoU with three strategic partners in support of “GBA PolyVentures 2025”

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) today signed memoranda of understanding (MoU) with three strategic partners to further propel the “GBA PolyVentures 2025” blueprint laid down by the University to leverage PolyU’s experience in innovation and entrepreneurship education to provide the necessary support for nurturing deep tech ventures and accelerating their growth. The collaboration also aims to translate research excellence into societal impact to contribute to the development of innovation and technology in the Greater Bay Area (GBA). The MoU were signed between PolyU and its strategic partners, namely Everbright Limited, StartupHK Fund and Hai Robotics. In his welcoming remarks at the signing ceremony, Dr Lawrence Li Kwok-chang, PolyU’s Deputy Council Chairman, said, “The signing of the MoU between PolyU and its strategic partners echoes with the needs of our Nation and leverages the strengths of PolyU and other parties in working together for the development of innovation and technology in the GBA. Hai Robotics, one of our strategic partners today, was nurtured under PolyU’s entrepreneurship ecosystem and has recently become a unicorn.” Hai Robotics is a start-up that provides autonomous case-handling robotic systems. It was founded in 2016 by 2012 graduate Mr Richie Chen and 2014 graduate Mr Bing Fang of PolyU’s Department of Electronic and Information Engineering. The start-up witnessed rapid growth by making use of the manufacturing advantages of the GBA and benefitting from the enormous opportunities of the Mainland China market. Hai Robotics announced last week that it has completed two rounds of financing garnering US$200 million in total, and its valuation has exceeded US$1 billion. The Secretary for Innovation and Technology of the HKSAR Government, Mr Alfred Sit, commended the GBA PolyVentures 2025. He said that the National 14th Five-year Plan indicates clear support for Hong Kong’s development into an international I&T hub and integration into the overall development of the country. The deepening collaboration with the Mainland, active participation in the development of the GBA and the integration into the nation’s development are pivotal to the future innovation and technology development in Hong Kong. The HKSAR Government has all along attached great importance to university-industry-research collaboration. It is hoped that the synergies generated can enhance the innovation power in Hong Kong, drive the innovation and technology development in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and contribute to national innovation and achieve high-quality technological self-reliance. PolyU’s President, Professor Jin-Guang Teng, said, “In order to further promote the development of research and entrepreneurship in the GBA and to nurture future research talents to address the market needs, PolyU continues to collaborate closely with industry partners through ‘GBA PolyVentures 2025’, providing comprehensive support for start-ups in different stages from education and incubation, to accelerating and strengthening their development. The goal is to distil more than 300 seed stage innovation start-ups into at least 20 deep tech ventures each year and to nurture 25 impactful scale-ups in the GBA in the next few years through collaboration with strategic partners and various supporting initiatives.” According to the MoU, PolyU and Hai Robotics will explore establishing a joint innovation centre to promote PolyU’s education in innovation and entrepreneurship, nurture talents in “New Engineering”, and conduct applied research in robotics-related topics. PolyU and Everbright Limited will invest resources to help start-ups develop through collaboration between technology and industry, provide support to promising research projects, and roll out an internship programme for nurturing innovation talents. PolyU and StartupHK Fund will co-invest in PolyU’s start-ups and help them enter the GBA market as well as launch initiatives to strengthen entrepreneurship education. PolyU is also committed to providing high-quality education that keeps pace with the times and meets societal needs. The University will implement departmental scheme-based admissions from the 2022/23 academic year onwards, introducing two new elements of “Artificial Intelligence and Data Analysis” and “Innovation and Entrepreneurship”. In addition, PolyU established the College of Undergraduate Researchers and Innovators and Residential College to encourage undergraduate students to conduct scientific research under the guidance of PolyU’s professors. These initiatives are all designed to inspire students’ scientific curiosity and enhance their innovation capabilities. PolyU places high importance on nurturing technology ventures. PolyU recently signed an MoU with the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) to kick off pre-incubation at university through the PolyU Micro Fund Scheme 2.0, which provides six months of entrepreneurship training to help entrepreneurial projects enter HKSTP’s start-up incubation programme directly. In addition, PolyU has launched two key programmes that leverage on the unique advantages of the technology and innovation ecosystem in the GBA. The first is PolyU’s GBA Startup Postdoc Programme targeted at PhD graduates who are determined to start their own businesses. Under dual academic and industrial mentorship, participants can simultaneously continue with their research and start their own business for commercialisation of their research outputs. Since the launch of the programme over a year ago, six PhD students have won nine awards in total. Six start-ups have been established to receive post-incubation support; some of them have even received angel investment. PolyU will extend the programme to both Shenzhen and Hong Kong to attract more technology and innovation talents to develop in the GBA. The second key programme is the GBA Maker Programme for hardware start-ups. PolyU makes full use of its unique advantages and facilities in manufacturing engineering, such as PolyU’s Industrial Centre, to combine Hong Kong's edge in innovation technology and the manufacturing capabilities of the GBA to nurture top-notch hardware start-ups. Through “GBA PolyVentures 2025”, PolyU aims to systematically accelerate the growth of start-ups through education and incubation and ultimately contribute to the development of innovation and technology in the GBA by deepening the collaboration with strategic partners and leveraging their resources, experience and network, with the support of PolyU’s new “Entrepreneurship Investment Fund”.

HKSTP and PolyU Sign MoU to Advance GBA Entrepreneurship and Nurture Next Generation I&T Talent and Innovators

Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) today signed a strategic memorandum of understanding (MoU) to form a joint GBA-focused entrepreneurship programme, which aims to nurture young R&D talent into Hong Kong’s next generation of leading tech entrepreneurs and innovators. Under this partnership, PolyU and HKSTP will work closely to facilitate entrepreneurship education in the university and offer full-strength support to students and graduates to accelerate their growth at the startup ideation and incubation stages. The joint pre-incubation programme will integrate HKSTP’s ideation and pre-incubation framework with PolyU’s expertise in entrepreneurship education and knowledge transfer. This partnership will adopt HKSTP’s unique franchise model approach to apply its pre-incubation methodology to enable multiple partner programmes designed specifically to develop successful entrepreneurs. The HKSTP-PolyU programme is the first of such partnerships and combines co-nurturing of innovative ideas and with entrepreneurial training, coaching and mentorship to maximise the conversion of research into viable commercial success. PolyU also launched the GBA Maker Express programme – a combination of the PolyU Maker Fund scheme with the HKSTP iDM-Square hardware acceleration platform to help Hong Kong hardware innovators turn their creative ideas into market-ready products. This will spur Hong Kong’s reindustrialisation mission and accelerate local hardware startups in their product development from ideas to production, while leveraging the manufacturing capabilities of Shenzhen and other GBA cities. HKSTP will also collaborate closely with PolyU to deepen and grow the support for PhD graduates in PolyU’s GBA Startup PostDoc programme to pursue entrepreneurship while continuing translational research. This will also facilitate research commercialisation through startups who are sponsored or supported by corporates. Albert Wong, CEO at HKSTP said: “HKSTP’s partnership with PolyU is a signal of our commitment to turning Hong Kong’s world-class academic and R&D talent into future generations of pioneering entrepreneurs and innovators to fuel a new era of economic growth. With our proven ideation framework for startups, we will work closely with our partners to provide the critical guidance to unlock greatness from our young talent and accelerate the process of realising research potential into real business game-changers.” “PolyU is strongly committed to supporting entrepreneurship and knowledge transfer in order to maximise the impact of our research on Hong Kong, the Nation and the world. From next year onwards, we will embed the elements of “Innovation and Entrepreneurship” into all undergraduate programmes. We also have established various schemes, including funding, to support academic- and student-led start-ups that aim to commercialise PolyU’s technologies for the benefit of society. By integrating PolyU’s entrepreneurship initiatives with HKSTP’s vibrant innovation and technology ecosystem, the collaboration of the two parties will greatly empower young talent in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area to translate their research ideas into pioneering real-world solutions that deliver positive societal impact,” said Professor Jin-Guang Teng, President of PolyU. HKSTP is embarking on a broad sweeping strategy of deep partnerships with sector leaders to specifically target early-stage entrepreneurs and leverage the strengths of a combined network of industry and academic partners. PolyU has been supporting Innovation & Technology (I&T) talents in the GBA through various funding schemes such as PolyU Micro Fund Schemes since 2011 and the PolyU Maker Fund Programme launched in 2021, which is tailor-made for Hong Kong’s young makers and hardware developers to realise their ideas through the support of the Youth Development Fund (YDF). PolyU has also established a number of other programmes including the Lean Launchpad Programme, the Experiential Learning for Innovation and Technology Entrepreneurship programme and lab-to-market validation programme for nurturing I&T talents during incubation.

Leading Chinese aerospace scientists speak on BeiDou and Chang'e programmes at PolyU public lectures

Two distinguished astronautical scientists overseeing China’s BeiDou navigation satellite system and the Chang’e-4 mission to the moon’s far side spoke today at the public lectures of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) – part of their visiting programme in Hong Kong to reach out to young people and inspire them to pursue scientific exploration. ZHANG He, executive director of the Chang’e-4 lunar probe project, talked about the significance of the mission – in which PolyU was involved – in terms of understanding the mysterious “dark side” of the moon and how it laid the foundation for future exploration of the lunar south pole. “Before we landed on the far side of the moon, there were online rumours about an alien base being located there. But since Chang’e-4’s landing until now, we have found nothing except regolith, rocks and impact craters. It is a desolate place and definitely has no alien base there,” Zhang told the audience at the Jockey Club Auditorium and viewers tuned into the live streaming on social media. On the moon soil samples collected last year via PolyU’s “Surface Sampling and Packing System” in the subsequent Chang’e-5 mission, Zhang said China is committed to contributing to international space exploration, and has already opened loan applications for the samples to researchers around the world. Zhang encouraged young people to contribute to the Nation’s astronautical endeavours in various roles, no matter what disciplines they studied. “Even if you are an arts student, you can join our administrative operations and contribute to our astronautical endeavours,” she said. Meanwhile, XIE Jun, chief designer of the third generation BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS-3), discussed how China developed its own navigation satellite system and completed its constellation of thirty-five satellites after over two decades of effort. The system is now serving a wide range of applications including transportation and agriculture. Xie told Hong Kong students that the Nation’s astronautical projects need talents from all academic disciplines. “Specifically for the BeiDou programme, we are particularly in need of talents with chemistry or physics backgrounds to help solve engineering challenges like the development of atomic clocks and homegrown parts,” he said. PolyU teachers and students led by PolyU’s President, Professor Jin-Guang TENG, also had an exchange salon session in the afternoon with Xie, Zhang and the Tianwen-1 Mars probe’s chief designer SUN Zezhou, together with young astronautical scientists from the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation. Other PolyU researchers who attended included Professor YUNG Kai-leung, Director of the University Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations and Chair Professor & Associate Head of Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering; Professor WU Bo, Associate Head of Department of Land Surveying and Geo-informatics; and Professor FU Xiaowen, Associate Dean (External Engagement) of Faculty of Engineering.

PolyU welcomes distinguished scientists of China’s space programmes and hosts their first public lecture series in Hong Kong

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) today extended its warmest welcome to the visit of a delegation of distinguished Chinese astronautical scientists who spearhead China’s key space programmes from manned missions to lunar and Mars explorations. PolyU was also honoured to host the delegation’s first public lecture during their visit to Hong Kong at the Jockey Club Auditorium, featuring Professor QI Faren, the first chief designer of the Shenzhou spacecrafts, who talked about China’s space programme and the spirit and virtues embodied by its astronautical researchers. The stellar delegation included preeminent Chinese Academy of Engineering academicians Qi Faren and LONG Lehao, chief designer of the Long March series rockets. They were accompanied by HU Hao, chief designer of the Lunar Exploration Project Phase III; XIE Jun, chief designer of the third generation BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS-3); SUN Zezhou, Tianwen-1 Mars probe’s chief designer; and ZHANG He, executive director of the Chang’e-4 lunar probe project. Dr LAM Tai-fai, Chairman of Council, PolyU and Professor Jin-Guang TENG, President, PolyU; Mr Alfred SIT Wing-hang, Secretary for Innovation and Technology of the Hong Kong SAR Government; and Professor JIANG Jianxiang, Director-General of the Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong SAR, met and exchanged with the delegation on Wednesday morning. They were joined by PolyU’s Professor YUNG Kai-leung, Director of the University Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations and Chair Professor & Associate Head, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering; and Professor WU Bo, Associate Head of Department of Land Surveying and Geo-informatics ¬– both of whom have extensively participated in the Nation’s lunar and Mars exploration missions. Dr Lam offered his warmest welcome and gratitude on behalf of PolyU to the distinguished scientists’ visit. He said: “We are most grateful to the delegation’s visit to PolyU, which gives our students as well as Hong Kong’s youth firsthand understanding of our country’s astronautical development. The delegation will inspire the youth’s enthusiasm towards the Nation’s scientific research endeavours. PolyU is committed to contributing to the development of the Nation and Hong Kong through nurturing young talents and pursuing research excellence in cutting-edge technologies,” Lam added. Professor Jiang said Hong Kong citizens, especially the younger generation, will appreciate the noble dedication of these space scientists to the Nation’s rejuvenation. “Their visit and lectures will greatly promote the spirit and virtues of the country’s astronautical community, as well as encourage Hong Kong students to follow their scientific aspirations and have confidence in being self-reliant when pursuing technological innovation.” Mr Sit expressed his gratitude to the Nation for attaching importance and care to Hong Kong. The delegation brought with them a portion of the lunar soil samples collected from the country's moon exploration mission last year. The first public exhibition of the soil sample in Hong Kong allows Hong Kong citizens to share the outstanding achievements of the country's developments in aerospace and enhances their sense of belonging to the Nation. “It is a great honour that The Hong Kong Polytechnic University has been invited to participate in the Nation’s aerospace missions over the years. This demonstrates Hong Kong’s important role in the country’s innovation and technology development (I&T), and proves that Hong Kong can undertake more substantial I&T missions and make greater contributions to the Nation,” he added. ZHAO Xiaojin, Senior Vice President of the China Academy of Space Technology who led the delegation, said Hong Kong compatriots have supported and contributed to China’s astronautical achievements – and PolyU’s researchers and other Hong Kong scientists’ relentless research efforts and close collaboration have been indispensable. “Hong Kong scientists’ participation in key national astronautical projects have demonstrated their edge in areas like education, basic research and international impact. Hong Kong has proven to be a highly effective partner in astronautical project collaboration.” Professor Teng said: “The Nation’s proud astronautical achievements have not only underscored the country’s national strength and promoted the pride of the Chinese people, but also greatly advanced humankind’s development in this area of space exploration. Likewise, PolyU’s participation in national space programmes helps in promoting the Hong Kong public to identify themselves as part of the country and enhances their national pride, in addition to providing huge opportunities for the University’s researchers. PolyU will strengthen its support to our science researchers as they strive to participate in the country’s astronautical and related areas’ research and development, with the aspiration to contribute to the Nation’s advancement.” The leading scientists will deliver a series of lectures in universities and secondary schools during their visit to inspire Hong Kong’s youth and encourage them to pursue their science and aerospace dreams, so that they can contribute to the Nation’s scientific and technological advancement. Professor Qi commenced the lecture series on Wednesday with his enlightening talk about the country’s past, present, and future astronautical developments. He presented to young audiences at the auditorium and through live video streaming, explaining how the spirit and virtues of Chinese scientists have guided the building of China’s space programme in over six decades. The scientists worked from scratch and their efforts led China to becoming a major aerospace country capable of sending people to space and utilising it, as well as defending China’s interests in space. That spirit would continue to be the force behind the efforts to make China a space power. “PolyU is the only Hong Kong institution involved in China’s astronautical projects with wide ranging and in-depth collaboration, and has made significant contributions to our country’s lunar and Mars explorations. We welcome PolyU’s researchers to participate even more – both in terms of scope and depth – in China’s space projects, and to contribute to the Nation’s endeavours to become a space power.” Qi encouraged Hong Kong’s young talents to work in the Mainland’s astronautical institutions. He also welcomed them to participate directly or indirectly in Hong Kong-based research projects that serve national space programmes’ needs, citing examples of the young researchers working in Professor Yung and Professor Wu’s teams at PolyU. He said the Chinese space station, once completed, will accept research proposals from Hong Kong and international researchers. On patriotism, the 88-year-old academician shared his belief on how to practice it with the audience. “In peacetime we can all practice patriotism; it is not a demanding call – all it requires is for us to do our best in our own jobs. If every fellow countryman does their best, then our Nation will be strong. I think Professor Yung and Professor Wu’s teams are examples: they are devoted to their careers, passionate about astronautical research, and they love their country. They have also made contributions. Therefore, they are patriotic.” The delegation will deliver two more lectures at PolyU on Thursday (24 June), featuring Mr Xie Jun and Ms Zhang He, who will share with young people how they realised their dreams to build a world-class navigation satellite system and to explore the moon. PolyU is also privileged to participate in the related science exhibition to be commenced on Saturday (26 June) at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, which will showcase the roles PolyU played in China’s lunar and Mars explorations, as well as the University’s contributions in other advanced science and technological areas.

PolyU, XJTU, State Grid and HK Electric continue collaboration on the “Belt and Road Advanced Professional Development Programme in Power and Energy” to nurture senior talent for the energy industry

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU); Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU); State Grid Corporation of China (State Grid) and The Hongkong Electric Company, Limited (HK Electric) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding to extend their joint collaboration in running the “Belt and Road Advanced Professional Development Programme in Power and Energy” (The Programme) for another three years. The Programme aims to nurture senior management talent in power and energy-related fields through diversified, cross-regional, systematic and innovative training schemes to meet the rising demand for talent in the Belt and Road countries and regions, thereby promoting the sustainable development of infrastructure and facilitating economic growth in these countries and regions in line with the Belt and Road strategies of the Nation. This cross-regional and multi-cultural university-industry collaboration programme is the first-of-its-kind in both Mainland China and Hong Kong. The Silk Road International School of Engineering (SRISE) was set up jointly by PolyU and XJTU in 2017, and later partnered with State Grid and HK Electric to organise the first university-industry collaboration programme of this type, with a view to nurturing senior talent for the power and energy industry. The Programme has attracted more than 200 industry professionals from Belt and Road countries/regions, and has generated nearly 5,300 contact hours through talks, seminars and field trips, achieving remarkable results in promoting knowledge exchange among the participants. PolyU, XJTU, State Grid and HK Electric are joining forces again this year by contributing their knowledge, research findings and practical experience in the field of energy, with a view to enhancing technical cooperation and exchange across Belt and Road countries/regions. The renewed collaboration which is set for three more years will focus on short-term training and exchange initiatives. Training programmes will be run by SRISE focusing on two major themes, namely the “Key Technologies of Energy Interconnection” and “Electricity Supply in International Cities”. Various seminars, field trips to energy facilities in the Mainland and Hong Kong as well as sharing sessions will be organised to facilitate learning on cutting-edge energy knowledge and understanding of the latest research findings in the field, as well as promoting sharing and exchange of practical experiences among industry players. The signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding was held online in Hong Kong and Mainland China simultaneously. Professor Jin-Guang TENG, PolyU’s President, attended and witnessed the ceremony. He said, “PolyU’s motto is ‘To learn and to apply, for the benefit of mankind’. It is our mission to support the advancement of society and the economy through teaching and scientific research. PolyU will hence continue to collaborate with other parties in education, research and knowledge transfer to contribute to the development of countries and regions along the Belt and Road.” Professor Xiaohong GUANG, member of Chinese Academy of Science, Dean of the School of Electronic and Information Engineering of XJTU, said, “Over the past three years, we have successfully held three editions of the ‘Belt and Road Advanced Professional Development Programme in Power and Energy’ with the joint efforts of four parties. The tremendous social impact of the programme has not only enhanced mutual understanding and technology sharing, but also deepened the cooperation between industry players, academics and researchers. A training team has also been groomed through this programme. We hope that the renewal of the cooperation agreement will enrich our collaboration further, helping us to make this training programme well-recognised in the industry.” Mr LIU Yunhou, President of the State Grid of China Technology College, also remarked, “With the earnest collaboration between four parties, the ‘Belt and Road Advanced Professional Development Programme in Power and Energy’ has become a university-industry alliance, and a role model for Mainland- Hong Kong collaboration in serving Belt and Road initiatives. I sincerely hope that the four parties will focus on the ‘dual carbon’ goals (note: China aims to have CO2 emissions peak before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality before 2060, as pledged by President Xi at the general debate of the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2020), and keep up with the latest developments of power and energy, to launch more well-recognised seminars in a systematic manner. I look forward to the flourishing of our collaboration that brings about greater vitality for the energy sector.” Managing Director of HK Electric, Mr WAN Chi-tin, welcomed the extension of collaboration. He said, “Despite the impact of the pandemic, HK Electric has set a new supply reliability record last year, achieving an impeccable rating of over 99.9999% and unplanned power interruption of less than 0.5 minute on average per customer. To combat climate change, three new gas-fired generating units are expected to come on stream by 2023, while an offshore liquefied natural gas terminal will also be in operation by 2022. By increasing the use of natural gas for power generation, from currently around 50% of total output to around 70% by 2023, we hope to reduce carbon emissions by 40% as compared to the 2005 level. We are happy to share our strategies and carbon reduction experience with our peers from the Belt and Road countries/regions.” The first training programme of 2021 is planned to be conducted online in the fourth quarter of this year. More seminars for senior executives in the power and energy sector as well as exchange sessions for researchers and academics will also be held in the future.

Dr Tan Tie-niu, Deputy Director of the Central Government’s Liaison Office in Hong Kong visits PolyU

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