Media Releases

PolyU Journal Nexus holds forum on sustainability and interdisciplinary research and innovation

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Cell Press co-hosted the Nexus Forum 2024 on campus on 9 to 10 May. Themed “Sustainable Exploration of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation”, the forum explores innovative research in applied sciences, engineering, technology, and interdisciplinary fields that address the world’s major challenges. The two-day forum attracted over 150 participants, including an international line-up of keynote speakers from Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, Germany, Japan and mainland China, as well as authors, session chairs, staff members and students. In the opening ceremony, PolyU’s Executive Vice President Dr Miranda LOU, Chair Professor of Building Thermal Science and Director of PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR) Prof Qingyan CHEN, Chair Professor of Energy and Buildings and Editor-in-Chief of Nexus Prof Jerry YAN, and Vice President of Editorial Strategy and Innovation at Cell Press and Editor-in-Chief of Immunity Dr Peter LEE warmly welcomed the audience from around the world. The keynote and panel speakers delved into four main topics, covering interdisciplinary solutions for sustainable futures, innovative materials-based solutions, carbon neutrality and energy system transformation and smart data-based science and technology, that sparked thought-provoking dialogues between the presenters and the audiences on how cross-discipline innovation and research can shape a sustainable future for all. Nexus is Cell Press’s first partner journal in the physical sciences and the first title published in collaboration with a university. Its addition marks Cell Press’s continued growth in open access physical sciences titles, which include Cell Reports Physical Science and Cell Reports Sustainability. To learn more about Nexus, please visit https://www.cell.com/nexus/home .   ***END***  

PolyU presents Lifetime Achievement Award to two distinguished scholars at inaugural Yuen Ren Chao Prize in Language Sciences

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is privileged to announce that Prof. Peter HAGOORT, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, and Prof. William Shiyuan WANG, Chair Professor of Language and Cognitive Sciences of PolyU, are bestowed the Lifetime Achievement Award at the inaugural Yuen Ren Chao Prize in Language Sciences (Chao Prize). The Prize Presentation Ceremony was held on 10 May 2024. The Chao Prize, initiated and hosted by the PolyU Faculty of Humanities, is named after the late Professor Yuen Ren Chao who is widely regarded as the father of modern Chinese language studies. It is an international award that honours scholars and researchers who have made distinguished contributions to language sciences. Addressing the Ceremony, Dr LAM Tai-fai, PolyU Council Chairman, said, “The Faculty of Humanities strives to follow the same interdisciplinary approach of Prof. Chao, by bringing together language, communication, history, culture and technology to advance understanding and foster innovation. PolyU fully supports this award, as it aligns with our motto ‘To learn and to apply, for the benefit of mankind’, by promoting excellence in language sciences research and its practical applications for the betterment of society. More broadly, this Prize represents our commitment to deepening cultural understanding for the benefit of the wider community.” On behalf of the University, Prof. LI Ping, Dean of the PolyU Faculty of Humanities, expressed gratitude to the Chao family for giving PolyU permission to establish the Prize in Prof. Chao name, and also to the Patron of the Prize, Shenzhen iRead Foundation, for its generous donation to support the Prize. Through the Chao Prize, the Faculty is poised to bring together renowned scholars in the field of language sciences from around the world and become a hub in language sciences research.    While the iRead Foundation is dedicated to promoting children’s reading, Ms LI Wen, iRead Foundation Founder and Executive Board Chair, applauded the social value of the Chao Prize. She remarked, “Language serves as a vital tool for children to communicate, exchange ideas and acquire knowledge. By scientifically studying language, we can better understand how language development helps children’s mental and physical growth, as well as the patterns of language acquisition. This, in turn, enables us to provide children with better educational resources for reading and support them in cultivating good reading habits.” Both the Laureates are esteemed scholars of language sciences. Their research findings have brought major breakthroughs and far-reaching impacts to the field. Prof. Peter Hagoort receives the Yuen Ren Chao Prize in Language Sciences (Lifetime Achievement Award) for his distinguished contributions to the interdisciplinary studies in cognitive neuroscience and the understanding of human language processing in the brain. He applied neuroimaging techniques to investigate the language system and its impairments as in aphasia, dyslexia and autism. He is the Founding Director of the Donders Institute, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging and Professor in Cognitive Neuroscience at Radboud University Nijmegen, The Netherlands. He is also an elected member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Academia Europaea, and the US National Academy of Sciences. Prof. Peter Hagoort is awarded the inaugural Chao Prize. In his acceptance speech, Prof. Hagoort said that it is all more rewarding to receive a prize named after an intellectual giant like Prof. Chao, who reminds us that language is not only an object of study, but also the way to create literature and humour, and thereby adding to the joy of life. Prof. William Shiyuan Wang receives the Yuen Ren Chao Prize in Language Sciences (Lifetime Achievement Award) for his distinguished contributions to the interdisciplinary studies in Chinese linguistics, evolutionary linguistics, and the cognitive neuroscience of language and ageing. His early interest in evolutionary theory, both biological and cultural, provided the basis of a theory of lexical diffusion. He was elected Inaugural President of the International Association of Chinese Linguistics when it was formed in Singapore. Other prestigious honours Prof. Wang has received include award from the Guggenheim Foundation, Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters from University of Chicago as well as Fellowship from the Linguistic Society of America.  He is now also Professor Emeritus of the University of California, Berkeley and an elected Academician of Academia Sinica.  Prof. William Shiyuan Wang is awarded the inaugural Chao Prize. In his acceptance speech, Prof. Wang said that the Prize is based on the recognition of the vital and central role language plays in all human affairs, and that with Hong Kong sitting at the corssroads between East and West, PolyU is well situated for scholars to continually interact and collaborate with each other even across continents. For the biography of the two Laureates, please visit the website of the Yuen Ren Chao Prize in Language Sciences.   ***END***  

“PolyU JUPAS Consultation Day 2024” coming soon, offering latest information on programmes and mock admission interviews for the first time

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is holding the “PolyU JUPAS Consultation Day 2024” on 18 May 2024 (Saturday) from 10am to 1pm. Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS) applicants will be able to obtain the latest updates on PolyU programmes during the event, enabling them to re-evaluate and finalise their programme choices by late-July. Registration for the Consultation Day is now open at https://www.polyu.edu.hk/conday. This year, PolyU will, for the first time, introduce mock admission interviews. Professors from different faculties will conduct individual or group mock interviews with participants and provide them with valuable post-interview feedback. About 70 mock interview sessions will be conducted, covering all programmes that will arrange interviews for JUPAS applicants. Places are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Among other engaging activities on the Consultation Day, the Academic Registry will host a thematic seminar on “admissions strategies and interview skills” to introduce the latest admissions arrangements, while PolyU student ambassadors from each faculty and school will share their interview experiences and useful tips for programme selection. Academic units will organise programme information seminars, consultation counters and guided tours to campus facilities, while an AI-powered information kiosk will be in place on campus to deliver admission information, allowing participants to learn about the entrance requirements, score calculation, curricula and features of their preferred disciplines/programmes. At the same time, participants will also have a chance to experience PolyU’s vibrant learning atmosphere. In the 2024/25 academic year, PolyU will further enhance some of its departmental scheme-based admissions programmes to address societal needs. Two new programmes, namely BSc (Hons) Scheme in Food Safety and Technology and BSc (Hons) in Urban Informatics and Smart Cities, will also be launched. Meanwhile, the University will continue to adopt flexible arrangements with regard to the minimum entrance requirements for JUPAS applicants. Applicants who fall slightly short of the general entrance requirements for degree programmes, i.e. “3-3-2-A-3-3” (level 3 in both languages, level 2 in Mathematics, “Attained” in Citizenship and Social Development, together with level 3 in two additional electives) will be given special consideration for admission under specific conditions. More details will be announced later on the Study@PolyU website (https://www.polyu.edu.hk/study). For enquiries about the “PolyU JUPAS Consultation Day 2024”, please email arevents.enquiry@polyu.edu.hk. For information about JUPAS admissions at PolyU, please reach out to the Academic Registry’s AI-powered virtual assistants.   ***END***  

iRead Foundation makes donation to PolyU to support Yuen Ren Chao Prize in Language Sciences and to advance scientific research in the field

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has received generous funding from the Shenzhen iRead Foundation (iRead Foundation) to support the Yuen Ren Chao Prize in Language Sciences (the Chao Prize) and to advance the development of language sciences.  Following the donation, PolyU and iRead Foundation will also explore opportunities to foster their academic and public engagement collaborations. Launched by the PolyU Faculty of Humanities last year, the Chao Prize comprises two awards, namely the Lifetime Achievement Award and Early Career Contribution Award. The awards are presented biennially, starting from 2024, to senior and junior scholars who have made distinguished contributions to research and education in language sciences. iRead Foundation is committed to enhancing the development of the reading ability and quality in children. Recognising the aspiration of and the social value brought about by the Chao Prize, the Foundation has made a donation of US$800,000 to fund the cash prizes given to the Prize recipients for five consecutive prize cycles starting from the inaugural one in 2024. With this generous support, the Lifetime Achievement Award recipients will be awarded US$100,000, while the Early Career Contribution Award recipients will be awarded US$50,000. Ms LI Wen, iRead Foundation Founder and Executive Board Chair, hopes to advance scientific research on children’s reading and language development through the donation. She said, “Language is a significant tool for children to communicate and acquire knowledge. We believe the development of language sciences is crucial to the enhancement of children’s reading and writing. Through language research, we are able to gain a deeper understanding of how language development impacts children’s mental and physical growth, as well as their learning patterns. With this understanding, we can develop better reading resources for children and help them develop positive lifelong reading habit.” Prof. LI Ping, Dean of the PolyU Faculty of Humanities, sincerely thanked iRead Foundation for their generous donation which enables the University to increase the amounts awarded while also adding visibility to the Prize. He said, “PolyU truly appreciates the efforts of the Foundation to promote children’s reading and language abilities. We look forward to collaborating with them in fostering research and exchanges in the fields of language studies and reading development.” Through the Chao Prize, the Faculty is poised to bring together renowned scholars in the field of language sciences around the world, making itself a hub of language sciences research. The awardees of the inaugural Yuen Ren Chao Prize in Language Sciences have been announced and the Prize Presentation Ceremony, hosted by the PolyU Faculty of Humanities, will be held this month. For more information, please visit https://www.polyu.edu.hk/fh/chao-prize/?sc_lang=en.   ***END***

PolyU researchers create 2D all-organic perovskites and demonstrate potential use in 2D electronics

Perovskites are among the most researched topics in materials science. Recently, a research team led by Prof. LOH Kian Ping, Chair Professor of Materials Physics and Chemistry and Global STEM Professor of the Department of Applied Physics of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), Dr Kathy LENG, Assistant Professor of the same department, together with Dr Hwa Seob CHOI, Postdoctoral Research Fellow and the first author of the research paper, has solved an age-old challenge to synthesise all-organic two-dimensional perovskites, extending the field into the exciting realm of 2D materials. This breakthrough opens up a new field of 2D all-organic perovskites, which holds promise for both fundamental science and potential applications. This research titled “Molecularly thin, two-dimensional all-organic perovskites” was recently published in the prestigious journal Science. Perovskites are named after their structural resemblance to the mineral calcium titanate perovskite, and are well known for their fascinating properties that can be applied in wide-ranging fields such as solar cells, lighting and catalysis. With a fundamental chemical formula of ABX3, perovskites possess the ability to be finely tuned by adjusting the A and B cations as well as the X anion, paving the way for the development of high-performance materials. While perovskite was first discovered as an inorganic compound, Prof. Loh’s team has focused their attention on the emerging class of all-organic perovskites. In this new family, A, B, and X constituents are organic molecules rather than individual atoms like metals or oxygen. The design principles for creating three-dimensional (3D) perovskites using organic components have only recently been established. Significantly, all-organic perovskites offer distinct advantages over their all-inorganic counterparts, as they are solution-processible and flexible, enabling cost-effective fabrication. Moreover, by manipulating the chemical composition of the crystal, valuable electromagnetic properties such as dielectric properties, which finds applications in electronics and capacitors, can be precisely engineered. Traditionally, researchers face challenges in the synthesis of all-organic 3D perovskites due to the restricted selection of organic molecules that can fit with the crystal structure. Recognising this limitation, Prof. Loh and his team proposed an innovative approach: synthesising all-organic perovskites in the form of 2D layers instead of 3D crystals. This strategy aimed to overcome the constraints imposed by bulky molecules and facilitate the incorporation of a broader range of organic ions. The anticipated outcome was the emergence of novel and extraordinary properties in these materials. Validating their prediction, the team developed a new general class of layered organic perovskites. Following the convention for naming perovskites, they called it the “Choi-Loh-v phase” (CL-v) after Dr Choi and Prof. Loh. These perovskites comprise molecularly thin layers held together by forces that hold graphite layers together, the so-called van der Waals forces – hence the “v” in CL-v. Compared with the previously studied hybrid 2D perovskites, the CL-v phase is stabilised by the addition of another B cation into the unit cell and has the general formula A2B2X4. Using solution-phase chemistry, the research team prepared a CL-v material known as CMD-N-P2, in which the A, B and X sites are occupied by CMD (a chlorinated cyclic organic molecule), ammonium and PF6− ions, respectively. The expected crystal structure was confirmed by high-resolution electron microscopy carried out at cryogenic temperature. These molecularly thin 2D organic perovskites are fundamentally different from traditional 3D minerals, they are single crystalline in two dimensions and can be exfoliated as hexagonal flakes just a few nanometres thick – 20,000 times thinner than a human hair. The solution-processibility of 2D organic perovskites presents exciting opportunities for their application in 2D electronics. The Poly U team conducted measurements on the dielectric constants of the CL-v phase, yielding values ranging from 4.8 to 5.5. These values surpass those of commonly used materials such as silicon dioxide and hexagonal boron nitride. This discovery establishes a promising avenue for incorporating CL-v phase as a dielectric layer in 2D electronic devices, as these devices often necessitate 2D dielectric layers with high dielectric constants, which are typically scarce. Team member Dr Leng successfully addressed the challenge of integrating 2D organic perovskites with 2D electronics. In their approach, the CL-v phase was employed as the top gate dielectric layer, while the channel material consisted of atomically thin Molybdenum Sulfide. By utilising the CL-v phase, the transistor achieved superior control over the current flow between the source and drain terminals, surpassing the capabilities of conventional silicon oxide dielectric layers. Prof. Loh’s research not only establishes an entirely new class of all-organic perovskites but also demonstrates how they can be solution-processed in conjunction with advanced fabrication technique to enhance the performance of 2D electronic devices. These developments open up new possibilities for the creation of more efficient and versatile electronic systems.   ***END***  

PolyU collaborates with Shanghai Westwell Technology to establish joint innovation laboratory

The Shanghai Municipal People’s Government held the “Invest in Shanghai • Share the Future” promotion campaign in Hong Kong on 26 April. Witnessed by Mr GONG Zheng, Mayor of Shanghai and Mr John LEE Ka-chiu, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Shanghai Westwell Technology Co. Ltd (Shanghai Westwell Technology) signed an agreement for research collaboration in artificial intelligence and autonomous vehicle technology. The two parties will together build a joint innovation laboratory to explore the frontiers and application practices in these fields. At the event, 18 enterprises and institutions from Hong Kong and Shanghai signed eight key cooperation agreements, involving cooperation in fields such as financial services, energy investment, and industry-academia-research collaboration, including the establishment of the PolyU and Shanghai Westwell Technology joint innovation laboratory. Leveraging the joint laboratory platform, the collaboration between the two parties will promote the sharing and integration of resources. It will also foster technological breakthroughs and industrial applications in areas of common focus such as advanced navigation and positioning systems, spatial perception technologies, new auxiliary technologies and unmanned driving control technologies. The partnership will also deepen research cooperation between industry and academia, fostering the cultivation of high-quality scientific research and engineering talents. Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, said “Deep integration of industry, academia and research has become key to technological innovation and development. Therefore, the collaboration between PolyU and Shanghai Westwell Technology carries great significance. The two parties will fully leverage their respective advantages at the forefront of artificial intelligence and move forward in collaborative innovation, talent cultivation and other areas, providing new impetus for the development of artificial intelligence technologies.” Mr TAN Limin, Founder and Chairman of Shanghai Westwell Technology, said, “As a technology company deeply engaged in the application of artificial intelligence, Shanghai Westwell Technology is honoured to collaborate with The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. We look forward to climbing the peaks of sci-tech innovation together with PolyU and applying artificial intelligence technologies to enhance human well-being and build a better world.” Looking ahead, PolyU will join hands with Shanghai Westwell Technology to build an innovative alliance with deep integration of industry, academia and research. They will promote close cooperation and exchanges in artificial intelligence and autonomous driving to propel research breakthroughs and knowledge transfer, accelerating the development of new quality productive forces. ***END***  

PolyU signs a collaborative agreement with Guangdong University of Technology to nurture talents in entrepreneurship and innovation

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Guangdong University of Technology (GDUT) have reached an agreement to jointly cultivate innovative and entrepreneurial talents. Together, they have launched the “Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Immersive Experience Project” which promotes talent exchange and the implementation of entrepreneurial cooperation projects through a credit system, creating a high-quality talent ecosystem for innovation and technology. The collaboration agreement signing ceremony was held at the Innovation Valley of GUDT, a national innovation and entrepreneurship education practice base. The Ceremony was witnessed by Dr LAM Tai-fai, Council Chairman of PolyU; Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation); Mr Kelvin WONG, Director of the Knowledge Transfer and Entrepreneurship Office; Prof. HU Qintai, Secretary of the Party Committee of GDUT; Prof. WANG Zhenyou, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice President; and Mr ZHANG Xueli, Member of the Standing Committee of the Party Committee and Vice school-level cadre. The Agreement was signed by Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU and Prof. QIU Xueqing, President of GDUT. Dr Lam Tai-fai stated, “We believe the cooperation between the two parties can effectively leverage the strengths of both schools and contribute to the further development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area into a world-class bay area. PolyU has established a complete entrepreneurial training ecosystem and the subject ‘Innovation and Entrepreneurship’ has become a compulsory course for undergraduate students. After the launch of this cooperative project, the two schools will pursue comprehensive cooperation, including establishing a service consultation hub for innovation and entrepreneurship talents in both institutions, co-organising international exchange activities, promoting implementation of entrepreneurial cooperation projects for students from both schools and jointly cultivating high-quality innovative and entrepreneurial talents in various fields.” Prof. Hu Qintai expressed the view that, “Cross-border cooperation in talent cultivation is important for both universities to anchor the strategic positioning of ‘one point, two locations’ in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, to serve and integrate into the development of the Greater Bay Area, and to promote the high-quality development of both schools. GDUT will work with PolyU to jointly create a new benchmark for the integrated development of a modernised bay area with Chinese characteristics, cultivate top innovative talents, help the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area become a world-class talent hub, promote student exchanges between the two institutions, and provide opportunities for young people in Guangdong and Hong Kong to contribute to the dawning of the era.” PolyU and GDUT will embark on comprehensive cooperation, utilising the innovative and entrepreneurial teaching resources, professional talents and social networks of both universities to achieve effective resource sharing. With the strong support of our country and its close connection to the world, the two schools will promote collaborative development for the training of innovative and entrepreneurial talents, while also encouraging students from both schools to conceive and start entrepreneurial projects and then incubate them to take root in Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao.   ***END***  

PolyU confers University Fellowships on three distinguished personalities

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has conferred the title of University Fellow on three outstanding individuals in recognition of their significant contributions to the University and community. Presided over by Dr LAM Tai-fai, PolyU Council Chairman, the Conferment Ceremony was held at the Jockey Club Auditorium on campus today. The recipients were warmly greeted by Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, PolyU President, and other members of the senior University management team. In his speech, Dr Lam Tai-fai remarked, “The three distinguished individuals have contributed tremendously to PolyU’s development. They are also excellent role models and a source of inspiration to our students and our younger generation at large. I am confident that, as Fellows of PolyU, they will participate even more in supporting the University’s education, research developments, and in helping PolyU connect with different sectors of the community.” Prof. Jin-Guang Teng welcomed the new Fellows to the PolyU family and said, “PolyU is positioning itself as an innovative world-class university that pursues excellence in education, research, and knowledge transfer for the benefit of Hong Kong, the Nation, and the world. This year marks our 30th anniversary since acquiring university status. I look forward to close collaborations between the University and our Fellows as we take PolyU to new heights of excellence.” The fellowship recipients are (in alphabetical order of last name; please refer to the Appendix for the recipients’ biodata): Ms Cecilia HO Chung-chee,  President of Lee Hysan Foundation Mr Benedict SIN Nga-yan, Director and General Manager of Myer Jewelry Manufacturer Limited Mr Peter SIT Kien-ping, Senior Partner of Sit, Fung, Kwong & Shum Since its introduction in 2000, PolyU has conferred University Fellowship on a total of 131 distinguished persons.   ***END***  

PolyU forms global partnership with ZEISS Vision Care to expand impact and accelerate market penetration of patented myopia control technology

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is partnering with ZEISS Vision Care, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of eyeglass lenses and ophthalmic instruments, to expand the global impact and speed up the market penetration of PolyU’s proprietary myopia control lens technologies through global partnership involving IP licensing and joint research and development. The licensing agreement signing ceremony was held at ZEISS Vision Care’s headquarters in Aalen, Germany, and attended by distinguished representatives from both parties including Prof. Chea-su KEE, Head of the PolyU School of Optometry; Dr Benjamin VIERING, Chief Technology Officer and Chief Operating Officer, ZEISS Vision Care; Mr Kelvin WONG, Director of Knowledge Transfer and Entrepreneurship of PolyU and Mr Timo KRATZER, Head of Lens Product Development at ZEISS Vision Care. Inventors of the myopia control technologies from the PolyU School of Optometry, including Dr Dennis TSE, Associate Professor; Prof. Chi-ho TO, Visiting Chair Professor and Prof. Carly LAM, Adjunct Professor, were also present at this important event. Under the terms of the agreement, ZEISS will adopt PolyU’s patented myopia control technology in its specialised optical products. Furthermore, this partnership paves the way for a long-term collaboration in research and development between PolyU and ZEISS, focusing on myopia control and other ophthalmic technologies. The close relationship between PolyU and ZEISS started some years ago when both partners began to explore collaboration on research and education. Following the signing ceremony, the PolyU delegation toured ZEISS Vision Care’s state-of-the-art laboratories and production facilities, and held constructive discussions with ZEISS representatives on future joint research and development. Mr Kelvin Wong expressed enthusiasm about the partnership and said, “This collaboration with a global industry leader like ZEISS Vision Care not only accelerates the market presence of our innovations but also amplifies the impact of our research and endeavours in commercialisation. PolyU innovations in the areas of myopia control and other ophthalmic issues are poised to make unprecedented societal impact.” The partnership between PolyU and ZEISS Vision Care is expected to create further innovative solutions that will enhance vision preservation and improvement for people around the world. Dr Benjamin Viering added, “PolyU and ZEISS have been working closely together for many years. Further research into the understanding and treatment of myopia is of paramount importance and requires intensive cooperation between academia and industry. We are therefore very pleased to deepen our cooperation to combat progressive myopia for the benefit of children around the world.” PolyU has been at the forefront of addressing myopia, an eye disorder that affects one-third of the global population, with a novel non-invasive solution to control the development of myopia in children. In particular, researchers from the School of Optometry have developed advanced myopia control technologies, which have been incorporated in specialised contact lenses and spectacle lenses. Since their launch in 2018, these innovative products have reached millions of people worldwide, positively impacting the lives of children with myopia and establishing PolyU as the market leader in myopia control technology.     ***END***

PolyU collaborates with Axis Therapeutics to establish joint laboratory for immunotherapy

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has entered into a formal collaboration with Axis Therapeutics (Axis) to foster cancer immunotherapy research and development, with the aim of improving cancer treatment for patients in Hong Kong. This collaboration will facilitate clinical trials of new T-cell receptor therapy using the newly established clinical Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) facility at PolyU, which is compliant with the GMP Guide for the Advanced Therapy Products (ATPs), and the development of at least 30 new targeting agents against novel T-cell targets in cancer immunotherapy. An agreement signing ceremony for the establishment of the PolyU-Axis Therapeutics Joint Laboratory for Immunotherapy was held on 18 April. Witnessed by Prof. Wing-tak WONG, PolyU’s Deputy President and Provost; Mr Yonghui WANG, Chairman/President of Xiangxue Pharmaceutical Co Ltd (XPH) and President of Axis; Mr Kejian ZHANG, Chairman of the Strategic Development Committee of XLifeSc; and Dr Johnson Yiu Nam LAU, co-founder of Axis and Adjunct Professor of the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology of PolyU, the agreement was signed by Prof. Larry Ming Cheung CHOW, Head of the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology; and Dr Lun ZENG, CEO of Axis and CEO of XLifeSc. Prof. Wing-tak Wong said that this collaboration would strengthen PolyU’s ongoing efforts in conducting cutting-edge research in life science, especially in the area of translational medicine in cell therapy for treating various diseases including cancers, making contribution to the development of the Greater Bay Area into an innovation hub for cell therapy. Over the years, PolyU researchers have been engaged in the development of three new drugs that have obtained the status of Investigational New Drug (IND) approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clinical trials, all involved in cancer drug treatment. Both small molecules like flavonoids and biologics (arginase enzymes) have been developed at PolyU by the State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery and the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology. Immunotherapy and cell therapy are two of the most important discoveries for treating cancer of the past decade. The 2018 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to the discovery of the importance in cancer treatment of T-lymphocyte proteins CTLA-4 and PD-1. This opened a new area of “immune checkpoint therapy” whereby the cancer patient’s own immune system can be reactivated to kill the cancer cells. Another type of immunotherapy is the “adoptive cell therapy” where cancer patient’s own T-cells are collected, genetically modified to give them new function to kill cancers and then expanded in large numbers before being administered back to patients. One example of this therapy is T-cell receptor-engineered T cells (TCR-T), where XPH and its subsidiaries XLifeSc and Axis are the global leaders in this field. Mr Yonghui Wang emphasised that XPH had been committed to the cell therapy programme since 2012. In 2018, Axis entered into an MOU with PolyU to bring cell therapy to cancer patients in Hong Kong. Axis/XLifeSc focuses on utilising the T-cell adoptive immunotherapy technology (TAEST technology) to treat cancers and has engaged in the research into and development of a new generation of anti-tumor TCR-T with a high specificity and affinity for a wide range of malignant solid tumors. Importantly, Axis already has two products with IND approvals in China for soft tissue sarcoma and primary liver cancer. The collaboration with PolyU will further enable Axis to conduct clinical trials in Hong Kong and benefits patients in the city. Moving forward, Axis will collaborate with PolyU in the development of up to 30 further targeting biologics, which could be adapted into novel cell therapy of the future. With the funding support from the University Grants Committee, PolyU established a new clinical cGMP facility on campus which is compliant with the Pharmaceutical Inspection Convention and Pharmaceutical Inspection Co-operation Scheme (PIC/S)’s GMP Guide for the clinical research and development in the ATPs. This cGMP facility will use an isolator for aseptic handling of human stem cells or immune cells for regenerative medicine or immunotherapy clinical trials. It will be also equipped with a training production facility to provide professional training. PolyU researchers will work closely with Axis to unveil new tumour targeting biologics, including TCR-like antibodies, and to explore and develop them for cancer treatment based on cell therapy approach.   ***END***