Media Releases

PolyU excels in the Times Higher Education World’s Most International Universities 2023, placing sixth globally

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has attained an encouraging result in the newly released Times Higher Education (THE) World’s Most International Universities 2023, ranking sixth globally. It is the first time for PolyU to be ranked and ranked among the global top 10. PolyU achieved strong results in various assessment areas in the rankings of THE World’s Most International Universities 2023. The performance indicators are based on a university’s proportion of international students, international staff and journal publications involving international co-author as well as its international reputation. Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU, said, “We are pleased with the University’s impressive performance in the rankings of THE World’s Most International Universities 2023, which recognises the University’s internationalization endeavours in nurturing talents and conducting cutting-edge research. PolyU aspires to be an innovative world-class university with a strong sense of social responsibility and will continue to strengthen ties and cooperation with partners around the world, with the goal of playing a more important role in the global higher education landscape.” With a multicultural learning, teaching and research environment, PolyU has over 280 overseas partner institutions spanning 40 countries and regions. There are over 445 academic collaboration agreements with overseas institutions, including student exchange initiatives and research collaboration. Furthermore, to cultivate responsible global citizens, PolyU has incorporated Service-Learning into its undergraduate mandatory curriculum to enrich students’ learning experience. Students have contributed community service to countries like Cambodia, Rwanda and beyond. For more information on the rankings of THE World’s Most International Universities 2023, please visit https://www.timeshighereducation.com/student/best-universities/most-international-universities-world.   *****END*****

PolyU partners with Cybaverse to set up Hong Kong’s first research laboratory on law and Web3

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the Cybaverse Academy Limited (Cybaverse Academy) signed a Memorandum of Establishment to jointly set up the “PolyU and Cybaverse Academy Joint Lab on Law and Web3” (Joint Lab). With the vibrant development of Web3 and blockchain technologies, governments around the world are now acting to provide a facilitating regulatory environment. This Joint Lab will be the first research lab in Hong Kong to focus on the intersection of law and Web3, encompassing the research and development of technological solutions and the exploration of relevant legal and industry standards. PolyU and Cybaverse Academy will collaborate to promote the safety, security and protection of privacy in the areas of Web3 and blockchain. The Joint Lab aims to provide regulators and other stakeholders with essential tools to enhance protection for the investment community and the general public. PolyU is well-recognised for its expertise in blockchain technology by CoinDesk, ranking in the top position in the “Best Universities for Blockchain 2022” list. Leveraging the University’s excellence in blockchain technology education and research, the Research Centre for Blockchain Technology of PolyU, which is the first research centre in Hong Kong to cover research in full-stack blockchain technology, will provide a training programme related to Web3. The Centre also draws expertise from various fields including computer science, finance, logistics and maritime studies, and industrial and systems engineering to carry out interdisciplinary research in blockchain. Witnessed by Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU; Prof. Wing-tak WONG, Deputy President and Provost of PolyU; Mr Johnny MOK SC, Co-founder of Cybaverse Academy; and Dr Winnie TANG, Co-Founder of Cybaverse Academy, the Memorandum of Establishment was signed on 17 January by Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, and Mr Paul LI, Managing Director of Cybaverse Academy. Prof. Allen AU Man-ho, Professor of PolyU’s Department of Computing, will be the Director of the Joint Lab. Dr Daniel LUO Xiapu, Associate Professor of PolyU’s Department of Computing, and Mr Li from Cybaverse will be the Co-Directors of the Joint Lab. Prof. Jin-Guang Teng said, “PolyU is pleased to collaborate with Cybaverse Academy in the Web3 industry. Combining PolyU’s strength in blockchain technology education and research and Cybaverse Academy’s experience in R&D and Web3 development, I believe this synergy of academia and industry will generate a big positive impact in the near future. PolyU’s leading blockchain research is going to be translated into practical use to deliver innovative solutions for the Web3 industry and will benefit the development of Hong Kong into a virtual asset hub.” Mr Paul Li said, “We are excited to partner with PolyU to explore the frontiers of law and Web3. By combining world-class research capabilities and industrial experience, the Joint Lab will provide a solid foundation for a better Web3 ecosystem.”   *****END*****

PolyU research discovers nanoscale ferroelectric new materials exhibiting potential for making computer memory with low cost and low energy consumption

Materials with switchable electrical properties are in demand for memory applications – like thumb drives. New research from a team led by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) achieves a sought-after type of electrical behaviour in nano-sized materials. Electronics manufacturers are expected to show a keen interest, as the valuable ferroelectric characteristics can be reproduced at large scales with unprecedented ease. A one-atom-thick layer of any substance – most famously graphene, made of atomically thin carbon – can have dramatically different properties from the bulk material. Stacking such layers on top of each other may give rise to new properties which do not exist in their individual layer. The PolyU research team, led by Prof. Daniel LAU, Chair Professor of Nanomaterials and Head of Department of Applied Physics of PolyU, studied two-layer stacks of molybdenum disulphide and tungsten disulphide (MoS2 and WS2). Excitingly, these materials showed not just piezoelectric but also ferroelectric effects. Ferroelectric materials have an intrinsic electrical polarisation that can be switched by simply applying a current. The ability to “toggle” between two states gives them wide-ranging applications in sensors, capacitors and data storage. The electronics industry is particularly interested in developing ultra-thin devices, based on ferroelectrics that retain their properties even when produced at the nanometre scale. This has proven a major hurdle until now. In contrast to single-molecule layers of pure MoS2 or WS2, the nano-scale stacking of both compounds gave rise to a strong ferroelectric response. The team produced different versions of the bilayers by tuning the stacking angle – similar to how one clockface might be overlain on another, with the two 12-o’-clocks either aligned or displaced. Both types of stacked bilayers displayed remarkably strong piezoelectricity as well as ferroelectricity. To verify the switchable polarisation of MoS2/WS2, the researchers pulled off an impressive feat of “domain writing”. Within a triangular slice of the thin material, they established a square-in-a-square pattern that could be seen under an atomic microscope. The smaller inner square, approximately one micron across, was clearly distinct from the larger outer square due to the opposite voltages of the two poled areas. This is not the first report of exotic electrical behaviour in hetero-structured bilayers, in which the two layers are made of different chemicals. Usually, though, piezo- and ferroelectricity depend on subtle geometric details of such materials. This can make them difficult to manufacture consistently and at industrial scale. In particular, conventional hetero-bilayers tend to have moiré patterns (named after a type of fine fabric), due to the stacking of two layers with similar but not quite identical crystal structures. The moiré effect is fascinating, but the researchers ruled it out as an explanation of the piezo- and ferroelectricity of MoS2/WS2. Despite the slight difference between the inter-atom distances in the two layers, they accommodated one another to produce perfectly aligned stacking, without the tiny twists or discrepancies required for moiré interference. The PolyU team’s process involved simply “baking” MoS2 and WS2 together and letting the layers stack spontaneously. Indeed, the perfect stacking of two layers with identical crystal structures but different atom types is key to the electrical properties. According to physics, ferroelectricity can only arise in such materials if they have a certain symmetry, or rather lack of it. Compared with two identical layers, a stack of MoS2 on WS2 has no centre of symmetry (formally, inversion centre) and also lacks several other symmetric transformations. This symmetry-breaking allows the material to show ferro- and piezoelectricity when one layer slides slightly relative to the other. Prof. Daniel Lau said, “High-tech industries, such as the computer memory sector, will benefit from this new class of nano-scale ferroelectrics. When manufacture is scaled up, the low cost, low energy demand and faithful reproducibility of these atomically thin bilayers promises to advance the frontier of modern electronics.” The PolyU research was in collaboration with researchers from the Renmin University of China, University of Cambridge, and Nanjing University. The study was published on Science.   *****END*****

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University establishes the Research Centre for Chinese History and Culture and signs MoU with the Institute of Humanities, Tsinghua University

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) held the Opening Ceremony of the Research Centre for Chinese History and Culture (the Research Centre) today and signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Institute of Humanities of Tsinghua University.

Five PolyU projects awarded Research Impact Fund to deliver innovations for a sustainable community

Five research projects led by scholars at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have been awarded the Research Impact Fund (RIF) 2022/23 by the Research Grants Council, with a total grant value of HK$27.55 million. PolyU also topped local universities in terms of the number of funded projects. The RIF encourages academics to harness the potential of their research to deliver benefits to the wider community, spurring impactful and translational research projects. It also promotes collaboration between academia and government departments, the business sector, industry and research institutes. The RIF grants successful projects with funding of up to HK$10 million per project for a three to five-year period. In total, 13 projects were supported by the RIF in the 2022/23 exercise. Sustainability is an essential focus for translational research. The five PolyU awarded projects deliver impactful solutions to address the needs for a sustainable community. They cover research areas spanning from medical innovation, smart buildings and construction, green technology, and materials science to advanced manufacturing. In particular, the PolyU study on deconstruction and reuse technologies for steel and composite structures has been awarded HK$9.75 million for a five-year duration, which is the highest funded amount under the RIF 2022/23. Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, said, “These funding achievements are highly encouraging, affirming PolyU’s research excellence in a wide range of scientific, engineering and human health areas, in which the University delivers impactful solutions for sustainable development. The awarded research teams demonstrate PolyU’s strengths in converting academic research into real-world applications, which is crucial for supporting the innovation and technology ecosystem in Hong Kong.” Appendix: PolyU-led projects awarded Research Impact Fund 2022/23 *****END*****

PolyU to hold Online Info Day for Taught Postgraduate Programmes on 7 January

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is committed to nurturing professional talents by providing a wide range of high-quality postgraduate programmes to meet the ever-changing needs of industry and society. In the academic year of 2023/24, PolyU will offer more than 80 taught postgraduate programmes, including the nine newly launched Master’s degree programmes listed below. All taught postgraduate programmes are now open for applications: Master of Finance (Corporate Finance); MSc in ESG and Sustainability; MSc in Global Business and Decision Analysis; MSc in Intelligent Construction; MSc in Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Computing; MSc in Metaverse Technology *; MSc in Sustainable Technology for Carbon Neutrality; MSc in Microelectronics Technology and Materials; and MA in Global Fashion Management       * The offer of the programme is subject to approval The online PolyU Info Day for Taught Postgraduate Programmes (Info Day) will be held on 7 January 2023 (Saturday) from 1pm to 6pm, providing first-hand admission/programme information and consultations to prospective students regarding their studies. A wide range of programme seminars will be organised by the nine Faculties/Schools of PolyU: Faculty of Business; Faculty of Construction and Environment; Faculty of Engineering; Faculty of Health and Social Sciences; Faculty of Humanities; Faculty of Science; School of Design; School of Fashion and Textiles; and School of Hotel and Tourism Management For more details about the Info Day, please visit: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/tpginfoday . Info Day enquiries: (852) 2333 0600 / arevents.enquiry@polyu.edu.hk For programme details and application procedures, please visit: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/study As applications received will be considered on a rolling basis, applicants are advised to submit their applications as early as possible. *****END*****

PolyU and The Fire Services Department collaborate on research for indoor positioning technology

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the Fire Services Department (FSD) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today to put forward a study on the use of innovation and technology (I&T) to track the location of firemen at indoor fire scenes in order to further enhance the safety of frontline personnel. PolyU and the FSD will collaborate in studying the use of indoor positioning technology to track and locate fire personnel at fire scenes inside buildings and protect them against danger. With PolyU's experience in cutting-edge engineering research and the advanced simulation training facilities in the Fire and Ambulance Services Academy, the collaboration will achieve an optimum synergy effect and provide better protection of fire personnel’s lives. Witnessed by Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU, and Mr Andy YEUNG, Director of Fire Services, the MoU was signed by Prof. Keith K.C. CHAN, Head of Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering of PolyU, and Mr KWOK Pak-chiu, Assistant Director (Corporate Strategy) of the FSD. Professor Jin-Guang Teng said, “Firefighters have always served and protected Hong Kong citizens with dedication and care, and PolyU is pleased to participate in this meaningful study by leveraging our research and innovation capabilities to strengthen the safety of fire personnel. PolyU’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering has a strong foundation in the area of precision engineering research, with its researchers having participated in the Nation’s space exploration missions of the Moon and Mars. The collaboration to develop an indoor fire scene tracking system will combine PolyU’s advanced positioning and precision engineering technologies with FSD’s professional facilities and support. I am confident that the study will help provide more timely protection to fire personnel.” Professor Teng added that PolyU will continue to harness its multi-disciplinary research strengths to support FSD’s work. For instance, PolyU’s Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering is conducting a “smart firefighting” research that adopts AI to monitor buildings fire hazards. Mr Andy Yeung said, “The FSD has long been supportive to the HKSAR Government in promoting the development and application of I&T. Over the years, the FSD has proactively introduced and applied I&T in enhancing its firefighting, rescue and emergency ambulance services for better protection of the lives and property of citizens as well as the safety of frontline fire personnel.” He said that the FSD has deployed robots for firefighting tasks and also applied artificial intelligence-assisted drones during mountain rescue operations to help search for missing persons. Both devices have been proven to be effective in greatly enhancing operational efficiency and safety. He added that the FSD would also share its accomplishments on I&T research with the fire and rescue departments of the Mainland cities of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area by conducting regular technical exchanges. *****END*****

PolyU holds 2023 New Year’s Day flag-raising ceremony

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) today held a flag-raising ceremony on campus to welcome the New Year. PolyU’s Council Chairman Dr LAM Tai-fai, President Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, Deputy Council Chairman Dr Lawrence LI Kwok-chang, President Emeritus Prof. POON Chung-kwong, Honorary Court Chairman Dr Roy CHUNG Chi-ping, together with Council members, University Fellows, distinguished guests, staff, students and alumni attended the ceremony, wishing the Nation and Hong Kong prosperity and stability. The ceremony was performed by the newly established PolyU Student Flag-Raising Team.

PolyU welcomes Hong Kong Innovation and Technology Development Blueprint directions and key strategies; Leading Hong Kong to realise its vision as an international I&T centre

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) welcomes the Hong Kong Innovation and Technology (I&T) Development Blueprint promulgated today by the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau. The Blueprint sets out four broad development directions and eight major strategies with recommendations on policies and support measures in order to enlarge the local I&T talent pool, enhance Hong Kong’s I&T ecosystem, promote the development of Hong Kong into a smart city and proactively integrate Hong Kong into the overall development of the Nation. PolyU has long been committed to nurturing I&T talents, fostering research and development (R&D) and transforming research outcomes into real-world solutions. The Blueprint will further leverage the leadership position of Hong Kong institutions in upstream R&D and form a complete I&T ecosystem together with the midstream and downstream sectors. Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU, said, “The Hong Kong I&T Development Blueprint sets out to consolidate Hong Kong’s R&D strengths and reinforce the capacity of universities to conduct breakthrough research. It also recommends a series of measures to strengthen support to universities’ basic research activities and facilities, as well as their efforts to transform and realise R&D outcomes, thereby bringing new impetus to the city’s I&T development. The Blueprint further introduces policies and measures critical for Hong Kong’s future development, including the increase of R&D expenditure, and the provision of land and research space for Hong Kong’s I&T sector at the ‘new international I&T city’ in the Northern Metropolis. As a global top-100 university, PolyU has been committed to fostering world-class research and innovation for the benefit of society and the Nation. The University welcomes and supports the directions and measures in the Blueprint. PolyU will also proactively promote an I&T culture in the city and contribute to the enhancement of the overall I&T atmosphere in the community.” Talent is the key to promoting I&T development. The Blueprint sets out strategies to enrich I&T talent resources and develop an international talent hub. Aligning with the Blueprint's strategies, PolyU will continue to refresh its I&T curriculum by introducing departmental scheme-based admissions, and adding two elements, namely Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics (AIDA) and Innovation and Entrepreneurship (IE), to the curriculum starting this academic year. Ranked the No.1 University in the “Best Universities for Blockchain 2022” list by CoinDesk, PolyU will launch the first BBA (Hons) in Digital Finance and Investment in the next academic year to enhance Hong Kong’s competitiveness in nurturing fintech talents. PolyU welcomes the Blueprint strategy on nurturing and attracting I&T talent, especially the allowance and accommodation support for young scholars. The University believes that this move will help to retain local university talents. Furthermore, through the Global STEM Professorship Scheme, PolyU will attract top-notch international scholars to come to Hong Kong to participate in teaching and research work. PolyU has so far taken up 25% of successful nominations to attract international talents through this scheme. The National 14th Five-Year Plan fully supports Hong Kong's role as a bridge connecting the Mainland and the world. The Blueprint proposes a series of measures to deepen I&T cooperation with the Mainland and to proactively integrate Hong Kong into the overall development of the country. PolyU has been supporting key national development goals through partnerships with the Mainland universities, research institutions, governments at various levels and enterprises in the Mainland in areas such as aviation and aerospace, biomedical technology, advanced manufacturing, new materials, artificial intelligence, communications networks and new energy, as well as fostering talent development and I&T collaboration. As the only Hong Kong institution involved in China’s space projects, PolyU will also continue to actively participate in interdisciplinary research projects in the Mainland and overseas through the InnoHK Research Clusters, State Key Laboratories and other research institutions to extend its global I&T collaboration network. PolyU is committed to fostering knowledge transfer and supporting university academics in innovation and entrepreneurship. The University welcomes the “Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme” launched by the Hong Kong SAR government to help the R&D teams of local universities to commercialise their research outcomes into solutions. PolyU has nurtured more than 450 start-up enterprises, including the establishment of 230+ social/design/business innovation start-ups, the facilitation of 220+ technology start-ups, and the cultivation of four unicorns. To further drive innovation in industry development and transform PolyU’s research outcomes into real-world solutions, PolyU will encourage scholars to conduct exchange and collaborate with different provinces in the Mainland, and establish translational research institutions or centres to leverage PolyU’s research and translational capabilities for addressing local industry needs for transformation and innovation. The PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR), probably the largest research platform of its kind in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area, will make impactful contributions to the development of new industrialisation and the digital economy in Hong Kong through interdisciplinary research and the development of applications in cutting-edge areas including artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing, carbon neutrality, deep-space exploration, gerontechnology, smart cities and smart energy. Looking forward, through its new I&T think tank, the Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology (PReCIT), PolyU will contribute interdisciplinary policy research in the areas of carbon-neutral cities, the Greater Bay Area’s I&T development, and the Belt and Road Initiative development in Southeast Asia, to dovetail with the National 14th Five-Year Plan in supporting Hong Kong to develop into an international I&T centre.   ***END***

Two PolyU Scholars awarded inaugural BOCHK Science and Technology Innovation Prize

Two scholars from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have been awarded the inaugural BOCHK Science and Technology Innovation Prize (STIP), for their outstanding contributions in the fields of “Advanced Manufacturing” and “Life and Health”. Each will receive a HK$2million cash prize. Prof. WANG Zuankai, Associate Vice President (Research and Innovation) and Chair Professor of Nature-Inspired Engineering in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, is recognised in the “Advanced Manufacturing” field for his multidisciplinary research and breakthrough achievements at the interface of advanced manufacturing, surface science, fluid mechanism, thermal energy, materials science and physics. He has published over 200 papers in Nature, Science, Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences and other journals. Prof. Wang’s reseach has answered three century-old scientific questions—what the shortest contact time between solid and liquid is, how to steer directional liquid flow and how to overcome the Leidenfrost effect first discovered in 1756. He has also made an important contribution to exploring nature-inspired surfaces for a wide range of applications such as water energy harvesting, thermal cooling, fluid transport and flexible electronics. Prof. ZHENG Yongping, Henry G. Leong Professor in Biomedical Engineering, Chair Professor of Biomedical Engineering, and Director of Research Institute for Smart Ageing, is recognized in the “Life and Health” field. He has obtained more than 50 patents and was ranked among the world’s top 2% most-cited scientists in rankings compiled by Stanford University in 2021 and 2022. Prof. Zheng’s main research area includes biomedical ultrasound instrumentation, soft tissue elasticity measurement and imaging, 3D ultrasound imaging and smart aging technologies. The research team led by Prof Zheng has developed a 3D ultrasound imaging system for radiation-free scoliosis assessment, “Scolioscan Air”, which can bring accurate, safe and cost-efficient mass screening to schools anywhere in the community. His invention has been applied to clinical assessment in many countries to facilitate early diagnosis and early treatment of scoliosis, and to control the condition using non-surgical intervention, thus benefiting adolescents all over the world. Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation), congratulated the two awardees and said, “PolyU is honoured to have Prof. Wang and Prof. Zheng awarded the BOCHK Science and Technology Innovation Prize in recognition of their achievements in science and technology innovation. PolyU is committed to making contributions to the world’s development and human well-being.” The BOCHK Science and Technology Innovation Prize, established by the Hong Kong Alliance of Technology and Innovation and sponsored by the Bank of China (Hong Kong) Limited, is a non-governmental merit-based award. The Award aims at facilitating the development of science and technology innovation in Hong Kong by rewarding outstanding individuals and groups who have made significant contributions to science and technology innovation in Hong Kong. The awards ceremony will be held on 22 December.   *****END*****