With more than 450,000 graduates around the globe, PolyU has nurtured many distinguished leaders in various sectors. The Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award (OPAA), which was launched in 1996, recognises remarkable PolyU graduates for their distinguished achievements in their fields, active support to their alma mater and significant contributions to the community. Since its inception in 1996, a total of 100 graduates have been honoured.

In the latest OPAA, achievement categories have been established to celebrate the accomplishments of outstanding alumni in specific areas. Recognition is also given to outstanding young alumni.

PolyU held the 14th OPAA presentation in December 2022, and took great pride in honouring four outstanding alumni and four outstanding young alumni for their dedicated work and commitment to giving back to society on different fronts. They are fitting testaments to PolyU’s accomplishments in nurturing leaders for Hong Kong, the Nation and the world. Congratulations to the OPAA 2022 awardees!

Recipients of the Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award 2022 (in alphabetical order of last name)

Ir Dr Goman Ho Wai-ming
Diploma in Structural Engineering (1984)
Doctor of Philosophy (1992)

Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award in Professional Achievement

Ir Dr Ho, Director of Innovation at Arup and the first Chinese Arup Fellow in Structural Engineering, is a world-renowned expert in tall building design. During his decades-long career with the international multi-disciplinary design firm, he has been the project director for many of the most challenging and innovative skyscrapers in Asia, including the 283 metre Cheung Kong Centre in Hong Kong, the 528 metre CITIC Tower in Beijing and the 460 metre Vincom Landmark 81 in Ho Chi Minh City. Dr Ho has earned many professional designations, and his patented Hybrid Outrigger System won the Hong Kong CIC Innovation Award 2017 and The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers Innovation Award 2020.

 

As PolyU’s first PhD graduate from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Dr Ho has retained close links with his alma mater, serving as a Visiting Lecturer since 1992, an Adjunct Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, as well as a mentor under the “INSPIRE” Mentorship Programme. In 2020, he became an Executive Committee Member of PolyU’s Civil and Environmental Engineering Alumni Association, and was elected its Vice President in 2022.

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Mr Peter Lam Wing-chap
Higher Diploma in Electronic Engineering (1982)

Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award in Professional Achievement

Mr Lam is a Principal Consultant at the Business and Networking Consulting Department of Huawei Technologies Company Limited. He began his career in 1973 at the Hong Kong Telephone Company, now known as Hong Kong Telecommunications (HKT) Limited. Before his retirement from HKT in 2021, he was Managing Director, Engineering, responsible for the planning and operation of fixed and wireless networks and the support of a wide range of telecommunication services. Under his shrewd leadership, HKT not only won many industry awards, but also increased the coverage of high-speed broadband in Hong Kong to 98%.

 

A well-respected figure with five decades of experience in the industry, Mr Lam has served as an Honorary Advisor of the Communications Association of Hong Kong. He has also forged close ties with his alma mater through serving as a Departmental Advisory Committee Member of the Department of Computing, as well as chairing the Departmental Advisory Committee of the Department of Electronic and Information Engineering. Alongside being a frequent speaker at University events, he has also facilitated internships for PolyU graduates at HKT.

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Ir Ricky Lau Chun-kit, JP
Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering (1989)

Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award in Professional Achievement

Ir Lau is Permanent Secretary for Development (Works) of the HKSAR Government. He is a Fellow Member of The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers and the Institution of Civil Engineers. Throughout a career that spans three decades, Ir Lau has made remarkable contributions to Hong Kong’s construction industry by spearheading various mega-projects, including the Kau Yi Chau Artificial Islands Development under the Lantau Tomorrow Vision. He is also a staunch advocate of the “Construction 2.0” strategy, driving innovative technology applications for the advancement of the construction industry.

 

To encourage close University-Government-Industry collaboration, he has facilitated the application of PolyU’s innovative technologies in public works. These initiatives include using Fibre-Reinforced Polymer materials to replace steel reinforcement in marine works, as well as adopting Advanced Welding Technology, developed by the PolyU Chinese National Engineering Research Centre for Steel Construction, in the fabrication of the Double Arch Steel Bridge of the Cross Bay Link at Tseung Kwan O. Ir Lau is currently Chairman of the Departmental Advisory Committee of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

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Professor Edman Tsang Shik-chi
Higher Diploma in Chemical Technology (1987)

Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award in Scholarly Achievement

Professor Tsang, Professor of Inorganic Chemistry and Director of the Wolfson Catalysis Centre of the University of Oxford, is a world-leading expert in chemical materials and green catalysis. He has published more than 450 papers in refereed publications, including Science and Nature, and his work has been widely cited. With numerous international awards and 16 patents, he was among the world’s pioneering researchers in nanomaterials, including the synthesis and catalytic properties of carbon nanotubes. Not only has his groundbreaking work on opening and filling carbon nanotubes sparked global attention on nanomaterials, but he is also the first known scientist to modify carbon nanotubes with biological enzymes or related biomaterials. His recent focus has been on green chemistry and catalysis, and he is a co-founder of OXGRIN, a spin-out from the University of Oxford that is building a world-class One-Stop Catalyst Platform.

 

Alongside providing specialist advice to PolyU departments, he also actively collaborates with the University’s researchers on various projects in Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, Applied Physics, Electrical Engineering and other areas. His liaison efforts have enabled PolyU to establish closer relationships with the University of Oxford, government bodies and foreign technology enterprises.

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Recipients of the Outstanding PolyU Young Alumni Award 2022 (in alphabetical order of last name)

Mr Bayern Chui Kin-pong
Bachelor of Arts in Accountancy (2005)

Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award in Professional Achievement

Mr Chui is a Partner of KPMG China, Hong Kong office, and the Regional Head of Global Japanese Practice in Hong Kong. He leads multiple teams serving clients mostly in the tech-centric and healthcare sectors, handling initial public offerings and other capital market transactions in Hong Kong, Japan and the United States. He is a keen advocate of the Belt and Road Initiative, assisting clients in ASEAN countries to align with international standards that facilitates their fundraising in capital markets. Mr Chiu served on the Young Members Committee of the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and is an Ambassador for the global forum One Young World.

 

Passionate about giving back to his alma mater, Mr Chui has been actively supporting various PolyU events. He is Vice President of The Accounting and Finance Graduates’ Association, as well as Director of the Federation of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Alumni Associations. He has also served as a mentor under PolyU’s “INSPIRE” Mentorship Programme, taking junior students under his wing.

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Mr James O Hing-pong
Bachelor of Arts in Design (Advertising) (2008)

Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award in Entrepreneurial Achievement

Mr O is Co-Founder and Head of Marketing and Advertising at GoGoX. Established in 2013, GoGoX is a major online intra-city logistics platform in Asia, and has radically reformed the traditional logistics industry. Having expanded its business from Hong Kong to Singapore, Mainland China, South Korea, India and Vietnam, the company provides efficient, transparent and customised logistics services in more than 340 cities, with a network of 5.2 million registered drivers. As a design graduate specialising in advertising, Mr O had already garnered considerable experience and led award-winning campaigns at global advertising agencies before setting up GoGoX. Under his stewardship, the company has earned numerous awards for establishing a unique brand identity across various touchpoints through creative marketing campaigns, successfully elevating its brand awareness among both consumers and enterprises.

 

Despite his busy schedule, Mr O has always made time to share his entrepreneurial experience and design philosophy with current and prospective PolyU students. He has also provided a variety of job opportunities to young graduates of his alma mater, ranging from internships to full-time positions.

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Dr Gilman Siu Kit-hang
Higher Diploma in Biomedical Science (2004)
Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Science (2006)

Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award in Scholarly Achievement

Dr Siu, Associate Professor of PolyU’s Department of Health Technology and Informatics, has been actively engaged in research related to microbial genomics for years. He has published more than 50 peer-reviewed research papers in high-impact academic journals, including Lancet Respiratory Medicine and Clinical Chemistry. His publications have been cited more than 1,500 times in 1,000 articles. In addition, Dr Siu has secured more than HK$40 million in external research grant funding in the past five years. His research efforts have greatly increased the accuracy and efficiency of the diagnosis of infectious diseases, including COVID-19. During the pandemic, his rapid sequencing technique was crucial in identifying and stopping local transmission chains of the virus, earning him the Outstanding Project Team on COVID-19 Research Award from the Food and Health Bureau in 2021.

 

Dr Siu was honoured by the University with a faculty research and teaching award for two consecutive years, and has been appointed as Limin Endowed Young Scholar in Medical Laboratory Science. He has also been appointed by the Government as a Member of the Medical Laboratory Technologist Board, chairing its Education Committee and Examination Committee.

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Dr Bruce Wang Lei
Bachelor of Engineering with a Major in Mechanical Engineering and a Minor in Applied Mathematics (2010)

Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award in Entrepreneurial Achievement

Dr Wang is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of EcoFlow, a unicorn company set up in 2017, which achieved a valuation of more than US$1 billion in 2021. Under his leadership, EcoFlow has developed into a company with more than 2,000 employees worldwide, delivering clean energy solutions to two millions of users in more than 100 markets. Recognised by China’s Ministry of Science and Technology as an innovation and entrepreneurship talent in 2019, Dr Wang has been granted 285 patents and has published eight research papers on the subjects of battery and energy storage. With a vision to make EcoFlow a world-leading renewable energy solution provider, he developed the world’s first portable home battery, which set a new record on the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter for the most funded tech project and made it onto Time’s list of “100 Best Inventions of 2021”.

 

To give back to his alma mater, Dr Wang has not only shared his experiences with younger PolyU students as a speaker at seminars, but has also helped graduates from the Department of Mechanical Engineering develop their careers as research and development specialists.

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