PolyU Junior Researcher Mentoring Programme 2024 held to inspire interest in research among high school students

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) places great emphasis on holistic education of young people and on providing them with enriching and diverse learning opportunities, aiming to nurture talents who can drive innovation in the society. To foster high school student interest in research, PolyU organised the fourth “Junior Researcher Mentoring Programme” (JRMP), enabling participants to engage in diverse research projects under the guidance of PolyU academics. 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 faculties, schools and departments at PolyU.

Mentees from JRMP 2024 participated in 30 projects, covering topics related to various fields, including applied social sciences, design, fashion and textiles, hotel and tourism, language, nursing, rehabilitation sciences, as well as various engineering specialisations such as aeronautical engineering, biomedical engineering and building engineering. Over a four-month period, under the guidance of PolyU academic mentors, 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.

Prof. Ben YOUNG, PolyU Vice President (Student and Global Affairs), said, “PolyU is committed to leveraging our top-notch academics to support the development of young research talents in Hong Kong. The JRMP is designed to expose secondary school students to research experiences, with the guidance of our esteemed academic staff. Some of them will even have the opportunity to present their research findings at international conferences and make a real impact. Our mentees from last year’s programme submitted their project to the American Association for Applied Linguistics Conference 2024, and presented their research at the conference in the Houston, Texas. It shows that this Programme has sparked a passion for research in students, and I look forward to welcoming them to PolyU, as our students, or even better, as future researchers, to drive impactful innovations for our future.”

Prof. Ben Young (6th from left) joined the sharing session by the JRMP mentors and mentees. 

Supervised by Dr Henry CHU, Associate Professor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, 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.”

Under the guidance of Prof. YICK Kit Lun, Professor of the School of Fashion and Textiles (SFT) and Dr SHI Qiuqiong, Research Assistant Professor of the SFT, three students from St Paul’s Convent School and Hong Kong Baptist University Affiliated School Wong Kam Fai Secondary and Primary School learnt how to design sports bras in their research project “Activewear design in the digital age”. They said, “We are all interested in fashion design. This project covered practical design knowledge and introduced us to relevant technological trends. Most impressively, we had the opportunity to use the advanced 4D body scanner and motion capture system with ourselves as models. With these firsthand experiences, we gained a profound insight into the impact of technology on fashion design.”

Two students from the YMCA of Hong Kong Christian College and Maryknoll Fathers’ School completed the research project “Exploring the attitudes and behaviours of elderly patrons towards self-service technologies in restaurants: A case study of elderly restaurant customers in Hong Kong” under the guidance of Dr Ada LO, Associate Professor of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management. They said, “Our mentor’s guidance was invaluable throughout the project. We gained a comprehensive understanding of research methodologies by actively participating in various stages of the research process, including conducting a thorough literature review, in-depth interviews and data analysis. Our generation is accustomed to self-service technologies, so it is hard for us to imagine the challenges they bring to the elderly. After this experience, we have gained a deeper understanding of issues like social inclusion and how the hospitality and tourism industry can positively impact community well-being. We hope our findings can serve as a reference for the industry in enhancing the elderly’s experience using these technologies.”

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. Applications will open early next year, with the Programme scheduled to run from April to August.

For this year’s programme website, photos and videos, please visit:

https://www.polyu.edu.hk/geo/prospective-students/undergraduate/local/junior-researcher-mentoring-programme/

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