The year 2024/25 marks PAIR’s entrance into the next three-year operating cycle. The Academy commenced formal operations in October 2021, and has expanded over the years. As PAIR embarks on the next chapter, it is important to take a retrospective look at the many developments and achievements at PAIR in the past three years (2021/22–2023/24), acknowledging and celebrating the collective efforts that have propelled the Academy thus far.
Official launch of PAIR at PolyU InnoTech Day 2022
Diversifying PAIR research for greater impact
PAIR began operating in October 2021 and was officially inaugurated in July 2022. As one of the core pillars of PolyU’s strategic research development, PAIR is dedicated to bringing solutions to major societal challenges through interdisciplinary research. Under PAIR, constituent research institutes (RIs) and research centre (RCs) have been established. These units, joined by PolyU researchers across faculties, schools and departments, focus on specific research areas that fall under PAIR’s three research themes: advanced technologies and manufacturing, good health and well-being, and smart and sustainable cities.
Over the past three years, the Academy scaled up from 16 constituent units at the time of launching to 19 units at the end of year 2023/24. New units covering emerging research areas, including textiles for future fashion, digital transformation of tourism, and quantum technology, were established. PAIR and its 19 constituent units bring together over 600 researchers for interdisciplinary research.
Succeeding in securing massive funding
Funding is essential to the many research-related projects, activities and schemes at PAIR. In addition to PolyU’s internal funding injections into the Academy and its units, PAIR constituent units have been awarded external funding from various sources, including the Research Grants Council (RGC) funding schemes, HKSAR Government funding schemes, industrial contracts, donations and mainland funding agencies/organisations.
During the three-year period, PAIR constituent units received a total of HK$1.698 billion in external funding. PAIR researchers have exhibited amazing accomplishments in prominent funding schemes, including the Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus (RAISe+) Scheme launched in 2023 by the HKSAR. Two projects led by PAIR researchers are among the first batch of approved projects in the RAISe+ scheme. The scheme provides individual approved projects with funding of up to HK$100 million on a matching basis, supporting research teams from universities funded by the University Grants Committee that have good potential to become successful start-ups to transform and commercialise their research and development outcomes.
Generating voluminous publications and building research reputation
Scientific publications help disseminate the results, discoveries and insights of PAIR scholars, contributing to further scientific advances and building the reputations of PAIR and PolyU.
In the first operating cycle, PAIR constituent research units generated a total of 3,251 affiliated publications. A number of papers were published in prestigious journals such as Nature and Science. For three consecutive years, over a hundred PAIR scholars have been named among the world’s top 2% most-cited scientists by Stanford University.
Moving ideas from lab to real-word use and amplifying research impacts
PAIR pursues applied research that generates solutions to real-world problems, with a direct, positive impact on society. PAIR researchers collaborate closely with PolyU units for the patenting and licensing of solutions, so that these proprietary technologies can be adopted or used by individuals, industries and communities, and can be made commercially viable.
In the past three years, PAIR researchers contributed to a total of 57 patents granted and 11 start-ups. The Academy witnessed the successful translation of innovations by PAIR scholars into real-world applications. These inventions—the world’s first integrated optical fibre-based railway monitoring system adopted by railway operators in Hong Kong and Singapore, space instruments and mapping techniques for national space missions, ultrasound imaging systems for the assessment of liver fibrosis and scoliosis, a spectacle lens for slowing down myopia progression, a low-carbon reclamation technique, a real-time prediction and early warning system to aid in pandemic control, smart building technologies, environmentally friendly bricks made from recycled materials and construction waste, and many more—represent tangible contributions to various aspects of society.
Shining in the international arena
PAIR scholars’ staunch efforts in research, scholarship and knowledge transfer have received high commendation, with a total of 915 awards and recognitions recorded for the past three years.
At prestigious competitions including the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva, the world’s largest annual event devoted exclusively to inventions, PAIR-led innovations have demonstrated shining achievements, with a total of 41 award-winning projects garnering 44 prizes during the 2022, 2023 and 2024 exhibitions. Individual PAIR scholars have been elected to prestigious national academies of engineering and sciences, promoted to fellow status of professional societies, and have received medals and prizes for their outstanding contributions to knowledge and society. Several PolyU-supported startups founded by PAIR researchers have been named on the Forbes Asia 100 to Watch list, which spotlights the 100 most promising small companies and start-ups in the Asia Pacific region.
Home to world-class scholars and research talents
PAIR brings together some of the brightest minds, seasoned professionals and pioneering researchers from around the world to drive PolyU’s interdisciplinary research. The Academy has implemented several strategic initiatives aimed at appointing renowned scholars and outstanding PhD graduates from top academic institutions worldwide to contribute to PAIR’s research and developments.
Under the PAIR Fellowship scheme, a total of 21 renowned scholars have been appointed as PAIR Distinguished Fellow / Senior Fellow / Fellow, and they provide valuable input to PAIR and RI/RCs through activities such as delivering public lecture(s)/seminar(s), providing advice, conducting research, co-supervising PolyU young researchers, and participating in dialogues. Under the PAIR Young Fellowship for Research Assistant Professors scheme, one candidate has been appointed with a competitive package and start-up grant, to conduct impactful interdisciplinary research at one or more RI/RCs under mentorship. Under the PAIR Research Assistant Professor (RAP) scheme, 8 RAPs have been recruited to conduct interdisciplinary research at RI/RCs.
Growing networks for cross-institutional, cross-sectoral collaborations
PAIR and its constituent research units actively build strategic partnerships with other universities and external organisations across sectors, including government bodies, industries, healthcare providers and many more, to collaborate in research, knowledge transfer and related initiatives.
Over the past three years, a total of 27 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) or agreements have been signed jointly by PAIR constituent units and their collaborators. Some of the collaborations involve the establishment of new joint research entities. In September 2024, PAIR and the STEM College of RMIT University, Australia launched the PolyU–RMIT FutureLab, an initiative to support and connect members from the two universities as they undertake collaborative, interdisciplinary research projects in strategic areas (e.g., energy, smart cities, carbon neutrality, artificial intelligence and internet of things) that contribute to the advancement and application of cutting-edge technologies while promoting urban and environmental sustainability.
Official launch of PolyU–RMIT FutureLab in September 2024
Frequent professional exchanges and engagement activities at PAIR
To foster a vibrant and dynamic research culture that spurs intellectual curiosity and innovation, catalyses collaborations and encourages continuous learning, PAIR and its constituent research units organise a wide range of activities for professional exchange, and participate in large-scale university events and external events to disseminate and showcase PAIR achievements.
During the past three years, PAIR’s signature events included 27 PAIR Distinguished Lectures, 6 PAIR Seminars, 2 PAIR Salons and 30 sessions of Researchers Corner. PAIR constituent units have held a total of 274 different activities. The Academy and its units also organised the PAIR Conference 2023 themed “Research Excellence for Societal Impacts”, as well as 15 other international conferences. Higher education leaders, eminent scientists including Nobel laureates and academicians, and renowned scholars are among the featured speakers.
Furthermore, PAIR scholars often met with external members from local, mainland and overseas universities, organisations and agencies during incoming and outgoing visits that took place throughout the three years.
PAIR’s premier interdisciplinary research conference in May 2023
The way forward
The Academy foresees the establishment of even more constituent units. Currently, units covering areas such as environmental, social and governance, and stem cell engineering and immunotherapy are in the pipeline.
A series of professional exchange and development activities will be held in early 2025, including the PAIR Workshop on Interdisciplinary Research; PAIR’s flagship events such as lectures, seminars, conferences and more; and the many activities hosted by constituent research units.
PAIR will also seek to enhance existing initiatives including the Fellowship and Young Fellow schemes, so that these programmes can contribute more effectively to the realisation of PAIR’s strategic goals.
