PolyU joins forces with Yan Chai Hospital Board to cultivate allied healthcare professionals, providing placement opportunities for new Master’s Degree Programme in Dietetics

With an aging population, the demand for nutritional professionals in Hong Kong is steadily increasing. In the 2025/26 academic year, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) will offer a new Master of Science in Dietetics* programme to train a new generation of dietitians for various sectors, including healthcare, the food industry and public health.

PolyU and Yan Chai Hospital Board (Yan Chai) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today to provide placement opportunities at Yan Chai's affiliated social service units, with the aim of jointly advancing local dietetics education. The collaboration marks the first dietetics placement being conducted in nursing homes and care and attention homes in Hong Kong, setting a new benchmark in local dietetics education.

The signing was witnessed by Prof. Kwok-yin WONG, Vice President (Education) of PolyU, and Dr CHOI KO Yin-kei, Maggie, member of the Yan Chai Hospital Board. Prof. CHEN Sheng, Head of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition (FSN) of PolyU, and Dr CHEUNG Man-ka, Marcella, Chairman of the Yan Chai Hospital Board, signed the MOU on behalf of both parties.

Prof. Kwok-yin Wong stated, “PolyU is committed to providing students with the best holistic education and to upholding a strong sense of social responsibility. FSN is dedicated to proposing innovative ideas in food science and nutrition for societal benefit. Over the years, Yan Chai has been providing social services for the elderly in Hong Kong, including medical care and dietary support, ensuring appropriate assistance for the elderly. This collaboration represents a new milestone in PolyU’s development of allied healthcare professionals, expanding training to include dietetics through placements at Yan Chai’s affiliated social service units, promoting community dietetics service and strengthening the local primary healthcare system.”

Dr Cheung Man-ka, Marcella, stated, “We intend that through placements at Yan Chai's affiliated units, PolyU students will be able to apply the dietetics theories learned in the classroom to real-world settings. Through interactions with service users, students will gain insight into their actual needs. We hope that students will also develop independent thinking, problem-solving and communication skills during their placements, laying a solid foundation for their future careers as professional dietitians.”

Through the collaboration, students in MSc in Dietetics programme will have the opportunity to undertake placements at three units under Yan Chai. Placement activities will include providing nutrition counseling to clients, participation in the daily operations of the facilities, designing diversified nutritional menus and organising health promotion activities. In the future, both parties will collaborate to provide valuable placement opportunities for students aspiring to become dietitians, contributing more significantly to the health and well-being of the elderly.

*This programme is subject to approval.

***END***