Media Releases

PolyU develops a new class of antibiotic candidates for fighting against superbugs

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has developed a new class of antibiotic drug candidates which has high potential to be developed into a new generation of antibiotics fighting against multi-drug resistant superbugs including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). The novel small molecules, based on new target, new chemical structure and new antimicrobial mechanism, are different from those of existing antibiotics. The new drug candidates demonstrate much effective abilities of inhibiting bacterial growth than commonly used antibiotics, yet with no toxicity to human cells.

PolyU announces appointment of Ir Professor Alexander Wai Ping-kong as Deputy President and Provost

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is pleased to announce today the appointment of Ir Professor Alexander WAI Ping-kong as Deputy President and Provost for five years, effective 1 March 2020. Professor Wai will take over the post from Professor Philip C. H. CHAN upon his retirement at the end of February 2020. The appointment was approved at the Council meeting today. Professor Wai has served as Vice President (Research Development) of PolyU since 1 July 2010. An outstanding scholar in fiber optic communication, he joined PolyU as an Assistant Professor in 1996. Professor Wai became Chair Professor of Optical Communications and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering in 2005. From 2008 to 2010, he also served as Associate Vice President. “Professor Wai has made great contributions to research and education in PolyU over the past two decades. We are confident that Professor Wai will continue to contribute to PolyU’s development in his new capacity,” said Dr LAM Tai-fai, Chairman of Council, PolyU. President Professor Jin-Guang TENG congratulates Professor Wai on his new appointment.  He also registered a vote of thanks to Professor Chan for his outstanding contributions to PolyU over the past decade. Professor Wai received a Bachelor of Science (Hons) degree in Physics with first-class honours from The University of Hong Kong in 1981 and a Ph.D. degree from the University of Maryland, the United States, in 1988. He started his career as a Research Physicist with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) in McLean, Virginia, the United States, and then as Research Associate in the Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland in 1990. Since joining PolyU in 1996, Professor Wai has established the University’s Photonics Research Center and state-of-the-art facilities and infrastructure for research in optical fiber communications, fiber-optics sensors and gallium nitride technology. He is an active contributor to his technical field and has published over 200 refereed international journal publications.  In recognition of his contributions to optical communication and optical networks, Professor Wai was elected Fellow of the Optical Society of America in 2009, as well as Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences, both in 2012.   (End)

PolyU School of Hotel and Tourism Management celebrates its splendid 40 years

The School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) celebrated its “Splendid 40 Years” by hosting a gala dinner at Hotel ICON, the SHTM’s world-class teaching and research hotel, on 20 September 2019. Close to 400 guests from around the world attended the occasion in celebration of the School’s 40th anniversary. Addressing at the gala dinner, Professor Philip C. H. CHAN, Deputy President and Provost of PolyU said, “The year 2019 is a special year for the SHTM as the School celebrates a significant milestone. For everyone at the SHTM and PolyU, the key thing to celebrate is not the mere passage of time, but the vision and scale of achievement that have gone into creating a world-leading centre of education and research excellence, which continues to set new standards in advancing knowledge and serving the industry. I have full confidence that the School will achieve even greater global excellence and lead the development in the field in the years to come.” The SHTM was founded 40 years ago in 1979. From humble beginnings as a diploma-conferring department, it has now risen to become a leading hospitality and tourism school not only in Asia, but also in the world. The SHTM lives by and fulfils its motto of “Leading Hospitality and Tourism” and sets itself apart from other hospitality and tourism educational institutions by consistently being ranked No. 1 in the world. In its pursuit of excellence, the SHTM places great importance on innovative research and encourages a robust research culture amongst its international faculty of more than 70 academics from 21 countries and regions globally. The School offers programmes at levels ranging from undergraduate to doctoral degrees to more than 1,400 students from around the world each year. The upscale Hotel ICON, which opened in 2011, provides the centrepiece of the SHTM’s educational and research model. The unique purpose-built and purpose-driven hotel not only supports the School in nurturing a new generation of passionate, pioneering professionals who will become future leaders in the industry, but also enables SHTM faculty members to conduct in-depth research for the advancement of the global industry. At the heart of its success is the partnership the SHTM values. The School continues to forge strong synergies among the University, the industry, its students and staff members, and takes pride in its strong connections with the community, business and academia. The celebration culminated in the announcement of the prestigious 2019 SHTM Lifetime Achievement Award. Mr P. R. S. OBEROI, Executive Chairman of EIH Limited, the flagship company of The Oberoi Group, was honoured with the accolade. The award was presented to Mr Oberoi, now 90 years old, at a ceremony held in Delhi, India in August by Dr K. P. HO, Immediate Past Chairman of the SHTM Advisory Committee and Executive Chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings. Mr P. R. S. Oberoi was represented at the ceremony by his son Mr Vikram Oberoi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, EIH Limited. Over the years, Mr P. R. S. Oberoi has made immense contributions to the international hotel sector, and is continuously redefining the standard of hospitality and luxury. In addition to leading the management of luxury hotels in several countries, he has been instrumental in pioneering the development of the new Oberoi hotels and resorts. Under his leadership, the “Oberoi” brand has come to represent fine luxury hotels. Mr P. R. S. Oberoi said, “I am grateful and honoured to be receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award and would like to thank the entire team at the SHTM for this prestigious accolade.” Extending heartfelt congratulations to Mr Oberoi on receiving the well-deserved award, Professor Kaye CHON, SHTM Dean, Chair Professor and Walter Kwok Foundation Professor in International Hospitality Management, said, “With 40 years of impressive developments, the SHTM has successfully established itself as a world-class centre of hospitality and tourism education and research. Our commitment to excellence is well supported by distinguished individuals such as Mr Oberoi. Looking ahead, we will further contribute to extend the frontier of knowledge in hospitality and tourism, and continue to play a leading role in nurturing talents for the advancement of the entire industry.” The SHTM Lifetime Achievement Award was established in 2016 by the SHTM to honour outstanding persons who have contributed substantially to the development of hospitality and tourism in Hong Kong, the region and around the world. In bestowing the award, the SHTM seeks to recognise true leaders who help define the global hospitality landscape and advance the industry.   (End)

PolyU adopts a new score point conversion system for HKDSE subjects

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) today announced that it will revise the conversion points for subjects taken at the Hong Kong Diploma of Seconday Education (HKDSE) starting from the 2020/21 admission exercise. The conversion points to be applied are: HKDSE Subject Level Attainments New Score Conversion in 2020/21 Existing Score Conversion 5** 8.5 7 5* 7 6 5 5.5 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 “PolyU changes the conversion scores for HKDSE subject results at Level 5 or above for admission of applicants via Joint University Programmes Admissions System (JUPAS) with a view to attracting high achievers to our degree programmes,” said Prof. S. L. Ho, Associate Vice President (Academic Support) and Registrar, PolyU . Detailed information is now available at the University’s e-propectus (http://www51.polyu.edu.hk/eprospectus/ug/jupas/admission-selection#Q04).   *****

PolyU students win Gold and Bronze Awards in Global Student Innovation Challenge at iCREATe 2019

Two teams of Occupational Therapy students from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) won awards at the 13th International Convention on Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology (i-CREATe 2019) held in Canberra, Australia. The teams won Gold and Bronze awards in the Design Category of theGlobal Student Innovation Challenge of i-CREATe. The winning products, “Snaker Spoon” (Gold award) and “Nailed it!” (Bronze award), were developed by Kristy Fung’s team and Elaine Mo’s team respectively. “Snaker Spoon” aimed at both children and adults with special needs, in particular those with upper limb disabilities. It can be twisted like a snake and the angle of the spoon can be adjusted to meet the user’s needs and allow for independent feeding “Nailed it!” is a product designed to help people with weak pinch strength and poor finger dexterity. It allows the user to clip nails using a palmar grasp in neutral wrist position effortlessly. In its 13th year, iCreate continues to provide an international platform for conferences, a Global Student Innovation Challenge, and exhibitions. These feature innovative technologies, new equipment, applications, techniques and materials, which can be applied to the field of Assistive and Rehabilitative Technology. iCreate is also an ideal global platform to share technical ideas and best practices. In the Design Category of the Challenge, students were expected to apply a User-Centered Design process to produce a solution that "makes life easier" for its users, enhances the user experience (UX) or improves the quality of the professional rehabilitation practice. The solution may or may not be technology based.  Four teams of Occupational Therapy students from PolyU's Department of Rehabilitation Sciences successfully reached the final round. The students were amongst 25 teams from all around the region, including Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, India, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia.  After the teams gave presentations on their entries, the judges viewed the award submissions firsthand. The prize-winning teams gathered at the Gala dinner held in Australia's Parliament House. The founder of iCreate and special guest of honour, Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand, personally presented the awards to the winning teams. Professor Hector Tsang,Cally Kwong Mei Wan Professor in Psychosocial Health, Chair Professor of Rehabilitation Sciences and Head of Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, said, "Our Occupational Therapy curriculum is not only aimed at nurturing students to enhance practical skills but to encourage students to find creative solutions to support the recovery and rehabilitation of people with disabilities. The Department is at the forefront of developing new knowledge in rehabilitation sciences, especially in the area of neuroscience, neurological and musculoskeletal disorders and geriatric rehabilitation, and taking an innovative approach to rehabilitation. We are particularly focused on promoting research that brings discoveries in sciences to clinical practice." The two prize-winning entries from PolyU are "Snaker Spoon" (Gold Award) and "Nailed it!" (Bronze Award): Snaker Spoon – Gold Award Team members: CHAN Wai Dik Ivan, YAN Oi Wai Iris, LO Ho Yan Lulu, FUNG Tsz Ching Kristy & TO Hiu Fung Hugo  - BSc in Occupational Therapy Programme The product is aimed at both children and adults with special needs, in particular those with upper limb disabilities. The product's name comes from the spoon's ability to twist like a snake. As compared with commercial angled utensils, the angle of the "Snaker Spoon" can be adjusted to meet the user's needs and allow for independent feeding. The design can be applied to other utensils such as forks or knives. Nailed it! – Bronze Award Team member: MO Hoi Yi Elaine, WONG Hiu Yan Annie, CHAN Mung Ni Monica, LAU Wai Man & CHUI Tsz Kwan - BSc in Occupational Therapy Programme Nail clipping is a necessary grooming task and using commercially available nail clippers require a strong lateral pinch and finger dexterity. The "Nailed it" clipper is designed to help people with weak pinch strength and poor finger dexterity as well as those with arthritis. "Nailed it!" allows people to clip nails using a palmar grasp in neutral wrist position effortlessly and successfully, without imposing stress on distal finger joints and thus reducing joint pain.    *****END****

PolyU receives donation from Suga International Holdings Limited to support sustainable urban green agriculture

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) received a generous donation from Suga International Holdings Limited (SUGA) for the establishment of Hong Kong's first research platform focusing on Urban Agriculture. The laboratory has been named as "Suga Research Laboratory for Sustainable Urban Green Agriculture" in recognition of the company's contribution to the University. Officiating the naming ceremony were Professor Sophia CHAN, the Secretary for Food and Health of the HKSAR Government, Dr NG Chi-ho, Chairman and Managing Director of SUGA, and Professor Jin-Guang TENG, PolyU President. The mission of the Laboratory is to develop the next generation of Urban Agriculture model to cultivate high quality and safe fruits and vegetables in a small indoor space, with hydroponics as a focus. Two research directions include the investigation of the optimal correlation between major environmental factors and the growth of hydroponics vegetables, as well as the systematical assessment of food safety risk, harmful chemicals and food-borne bacteria in vegetables grown from hydroponics and traditional farming. Professor Teng expressed sincere gratitude to Dr Ng for supporting PolyU's sustainable urban green agriculture research. "The Laboratory is the first of its kind in Hong Kong. With the use of innovative technologies, Urban Agriculture contributes to food safety and enables sustainable food production in modern cities. It matches with one of PolyU's strategic research areas, that is, food safety and technology," added Professor Teng. In 2011, PolyU established the first university-based Food Safety and Technology Research Centre in Hong Kong and had successfully developed the first Food Hygiene Standard Certification System for local catering establishments, which had then been licensed to three major certification bodies in Hong Kong. At the naming ceremony, Professor Sophia Chan said the Government has put in a lot of efforts and resources to promote the sustainable development of agriculture in Hong Kong. This includes the setting up of an Agricultural Park to encourage the adoption of modern farming methods and offering funding through the $500 million Sustainable Agricultural Development Fund to foster the research and application of new technologies as well as to encourage farmers upgrade and modernise their equipment. She welcomes the establishment of the Suga Research Laboratory in PolyU to complement the Government's efforts on this front. Dr Ng said, "SUGA has been actively applying new technology in improving food quality and safety, both for the health of human and people's best friend, pets.  I am very delighted to endorse and support this research laboratory, an exemplary cooperation among enterprise, academia and research.  I am tremendously eager to see the inventive solutions that will arise from this laboratory, and how they will bring meaningful contributions to the advancement of hydroponic business and pet food business in Hong Kong." The Suga Research Laboratory for Sustainable Urban Green Agriculture is operated by PolyU's Food Safety and Technology Research Centre (FSTRC). Dr WONG Ka Hing, Executive Director of FSTRC, shared that the development of indoor hydroponic technology is demand-driven and customer focused to ensure that the products could fulfill the needs of Hong Kong people. Besides food safety and technology for humankind, the Laboratory has an ambition to do more and the next research focus will be on pet food.   The Laboratory will also establish a Core Technology Exchange Platform for promoting knowledge transfer in Urban Agriculture and enhancing the competitiveness of the industry. Aspiring to serve as an information hub to make greater contributions in Urban Agriculture development in Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area and the Mainland, the Laboratory will help foster a "Healthy Eating" culture and safeguard public health.   *****END****

PolyU engineering students win Gold at ASM Technology Award 2019

A team of students from the Department of Mechanical Engineering of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) won the Gold Award for its ingenious robot design at the ASM Technology Award 2019.  The annual event has been organised since 2015 to recognise excellence in technology, showcasing outstanding final year projects of undergraduates from top faculties and schools of engineering in Hong Kong. PolyU's trio - Roy CHOW Hung-ming; Ji-ho SHIN; and Rudra Ajay SOMESHWAR, under the supervision of Dr Henry CHU, Assistant Professor, and Dr Curtis NG, Technical Support Group Leader, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering of PolyU, presented their final year project titled "ASME Competition Robot Development & Vision Based Target Alignment" and was honoured with the Gold Award at the competition. This was the fifth time that PolyU participated in the event and the second time that a PolyU team won the championship. The project developed by the PolyU winning team was a semi-automated robot with a unique gripper design for garbage collection with the aid of vision-based alignment. The robot featured a motorised platform for navigating a compact environment, a micro-controller system for wireless communication and control, and a vision-based system for object detection and robot positioning. It was developed in two stages with design inspiration from studying real-life tools such as robotic arms, forklift and dump cart. Initially, the team planned to design a robot for the Student Design Competition organised by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), in which they were challenged to develop a fully functional prototype that can quickly and carefully pick up and return balls back to the starting area. The students then showed how their device could be transformed into an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) for garbage collection using advanced image processing techniques in the ASM Technology Award contest. "The students are eager to learn new knowledge and technology, and able to integrate them into the project to enhance the robot performance and functionality. They have developed new modules for the robot to demonstrate the potential of transforming it for use in real life," said Dr Chu. The other PolyU student project recognised this year was the "Motion Control and Positioning System for Holonomic Wheeled Mobile Robot" by Sammy SHUM Chu of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. He was presented an Outstanding Award at the competition. The entries by PolyU students were among the ten final year projects that had been nominated by five universities in Hong Kong. In addition to PolyU, they included The Chinese University of Hong Kong, The City University of Hong Kong, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and The University of Hong Kong. Apart from the prizes and certificates of merit, winning teams of the Gold, Silver and Bronze awards and their project supervisors will also be invited to attend an ASM Technology Tour to Europe in recognition of their outstanding performance.   *****END*****

Unique immersion programme teaches tertiary students about entrepreneurship and innovation in the Greater Bay Area

A 50-day entrepreneurship programme organised by the Greater Bay Area International Institute for Innovations (GBA I3) concluded successfully last week. In this first-of-its-kind immersion programme, 76 students from Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas had the opportunity to widen their horizons in entrepreneurship and innovation, engage in cultural exchanges, share ideas and collaborate with one another. The students also participated in incubation and internship at start-ups in the region. Many felt that the knowledge they gained about the start-up ecosystem and market environment in the GBA will be helpful to them if they start a business in the region. The Shenzhen-Hong Kong Start-up Internship • Immersion Programme, launched by the GBA I3, was jointly established by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Shenzhen University (SZU). Running from May to July, the programme hosted 17 PolyU students, 32 SZU students, and 27 students from the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Australia, Japan, and South Korea.

PolyU signs agreement with HKEIA to advance technology and talent development of Artificial Intelligence

The Faculty of Engineering (FENG) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) signed a Statement of Intent today with the Hong Kong Electronic Industries Association (HKEIA) to collaborate in talent and application development of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and to establish an AI Laboratory on PolyU's campus for supporting relevant research in Hong Kong. Sponsored by HKEIA, a leading AI supercomputer platform will be built and operated by PolyU to support and bridge the gap between business and research in AI as well as to provide training to PolyU students and HKEIA members. New research facility with the world's fastest AI supercomputer platform To achieve both parties' research objectives, HKEIA will support the establishment of an AI Laboratory at the FENG and donate HK$3 million for purchasing equipment, including NVIDIA® DGX-2™, which is among the fastest AI supercomputer platforms in the world. It is also the first of its kind to be installed in Hong Kong and Macau. Ir Prof. Alex WAI, Vice President (Research Development) of PolyU, said, "PolyU strives to transfer impactful research into cutting-edge technologies and solutions for the benefit of industry and society. With the establishment of the AI Laboratory, we are confident to further contribute to the research development and application of AI in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area." At the AI Laboratory, PolyU researchers and students will work alongside members of HKEIA to conduct impactful research and help industry develop and deliver practical data-driven models and solutions.   Under the agreement, both parties will organise training in AI for HKEIA members, conduct research with industry stakeholders, encourage collaboration in AI between companies, and hold joint networking and briefing sessions during business missions. Addressing the signing ceremony, Dr NG Chi-ho, Chairman of HKEIA, said "With this collaboration between the industry and the academia, we hope to nurture more entrepreneurs, researchers and management professionals in the field of Artificial Intelligence for Hong Kong." One of the main priorities of the training programmes will be to equip industry professionals and engineers with AI-relevant skills. Joint webinars and seminars, workshops and other events will also be organised to explain AI-based technologies, products, services, and standards in the electronics industry and related sectors. The collaboration between PolyU and HKEIA will meet the fast-growing need for engineering talent and expertise in AI, a critical technology in Hong Kong's plans to promote re-industrialisation and the development of a smart city.   *****END****

PolyU garners Four Awards at Silicon Valley International Invention Festival

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) garnered four prizes with two outstanding innovations at theSilicon Valley International Invention Festival (SVIIF) 2019. Its Smart Indoor Farming System won aGrand Award and a Gold Medal with the Congratulations of the Jury, while its Flexible Scoliotic Brace with Shape Memory Alloy Struts won a Gold Medal and a Special Merit Award, at SVIIF held in Santa Clara, California, the United States from 24 to 26 June. SVIIF attracted inventors from research institutions, academic bodies and business enterprises from about 30 countries/regions to showcase their inventions this year. It was also the first time that Hong Kong institutions participated in this global annual event. Well attended by multi-national companies, investors, entrepreneurs and financiers, SVIIF offers a platform for inventors, industries and businesses to explore opportunities for collaboration and commercialisation of innovations. The award-winning innovations of PolyU: (1) Smart Indoor Farming System Grand Award and Gold Medal with the Congratulations of the Jury Principal Investigator: Dr LOO Ka-hong, Department of Electronic and Information Engineering Applying Artificial Intelligence-based and data-driven technologies, the system can generate photosynthetic-active-radiation lighting, watering and nutrient supply programmes which are optimised for the growth of individual plant types. The system adopts advanced sensing technologies to collect real-time data for the plant growth and environmental data from growth chambers and farms using the system. By comparing the data collected with the growth profiles of different plant types, optimal sets of growth control parameters can be constructed and fed back to the user's system. The system will then automatically supply the optimal tailor-made essentials, such as light, water, temperature, nutrients, to enhance the growth performance of individual plants.Study shows that the growth cycle of Italian lettuce has been shortened by about 50% with the support of this system. Water consumption can also be substantially reduced to only 5% of that in conventional farming. The system can be set up in urban buildings to provide sustainable and stable sources of edible plants, such as salad greens, potatoes, beets, herbs, etc. (2) Flexible Scoliotic Brace with Shape Memory Alloy Struts Gold Medal and Special Merit Award Principal Investigator: Dr Joanne YIP Yiu-wan, Institute of Textiles and Clothing The innovative brace, designed for adolescents with scoliosis, is made of shape memory alloy, artificial hinges and soft light-weight materials. The design can apply strategic corrective forces to the spine and offer adequate support to the user. Users are more willing to wear this Scoliotic Brace for a longer period because of its enhanced level of comfort and mobility, thus making it more effective in treating spinal deformity. SVIIF is hosted by International Federation of Inventors' Association (IFIA), supported by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Santa Clara City and the Santa Clara University, in collaboration with the US Patent and Trade Mark Office. For details, please visit the organiser's official website:https://www.sviif.com/.    (End)