To stimulate senior secondary school students’ interest in research, PolyU organised the fourth "Junior Researcher Mentoring Programme" (JRMP) – a four-month programme for secondary school students to get real experience in scientific research. A record 180 students from 58 local and international secondary schools were selected to participate in this year’s Programme, supported by 70 academics from various disciplines within PolyU.
Supervised by Dr CHU Kar Hang, Henry, Associate Professor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME), three students from Po Leung Kuk Ngan Po Ling College and Maryknoll Fathers’ School conducted the research project “Development of a self-driving robot for use in an indoor environment”. Students described their programme experience as “stimulating.” They shared, “As the use of automation and robotics technologies becomes more prevalent, these technologies are having a greater impact on our daily lives. In this project, we had the opportunity to learn how a self-driving car operates, from computer programming to the utilisation of sensors and lidar systems, and even covering the concept of artificial intelligence. This inspired our interest in engineering, and we are keen to study relevant disciplines at the university.”
Over a four-month period, under the guidance of Dr CHU, students gained practical experience in research design, data collection, analysis, and reporting. Through hands-on learning, they developed the skills necessary for successful research endeavours. The programme also included visits to PolyU’s laboratories and classrooms, providing students with exposure to the university’s academic environment and diverse undergraduate offerings, preparing them for their future studies and careers.
PolyU launched JRMP in 2021 to introduce high school students to diverse research areas and multidisciplinary knowledge, igniting their passion for inquiry. This initiative aims to nurture a new generation of local innovation and technology (I&T) talent, supporting Hong Kong’s development as an international I&T hub. Since its launch, the Programme has attracted 520 students from 108 local and international secondary schools, who completed a total of 144 research projects. Moving forward, JRMP will expand to welcome more secondary schools and students.
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