Professor Jin-Guang Teng has commenced his second term as President of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). In charting the University’s future growth, he consistently prioritises the developmental needs of Hong Kong, the Nation, and the global community to guide the strategic direction of PolyU in education and research, embodying its motto: “To learn and to apply, for the benefit of mankind.”

Professor Teng commenced his second five-year term as President on 1 July 2024. This special report provides a review of his accomplishments during his initial term and outlines how PolyU will continue to progress in innovation and excellence under his leadership, striving for even greater achievements.

You joined the Hong Kong Polytechnic, a predecessor of PolyU, in October 1994. In November of the same year, the Polytechnic attained full university status. How do you describe the development of PolyU during your 30 years of service at the institution?

I began my career at PolyU as a lecturer (retitled as Assistant Professor later on), and have held various positions at PolyU, including leadership roles such as Dean and Associate Vice President. I have a deep understanding of the significant mission of this institution, which was founded in 1937. For over 85 years, this institution’s teaching and research have been intricately connected to Hong Kong’s social and economic development. PolyU nurtures professional talent, advances knowledge, and translates research results into real-world solutions that address societal and economic challenges.

Since assuming the role of President on 1 July 2019, under the strong leadership and staunch support of the University Council led by Chairman Dr Lam Tai-fai, I have worked with the management team to steer PolyU along a distinctive and innovative trajectory. Over the past five years, PolyU has achieved substantial advancements across various domains. It has been recognised among the top 100 universities globally by multiple international organisations, securing the 57th position in the 2025 QS World University Rankings. By capitalising on its unique strengths, PolyU aspires to be an innovative world-class university committed to pursuing excellence in education, research, and knowledge transfer to make an even greater contribution to society.

What is the essence of PolyU’s education? What are the key attributes that define a PolyU graduate?

I strongly believe that the responsibility of education extends beyond imparting professional skills and academic knowledge to the next generation; it also encompasses the cultivation of a positive outlook on life and the instillation of commendable values. Talents nurtured by PolyU should embody both virtue and competence, with an emphasis on virtue. PolyU students are expected to exhibit a sense of national pride, possess a global perspective, and demonstrate a sense of social responsibility.

To foster students’ sense of national pride, PolyU has implemented a series of initiatives. For example, we have mandated that every undergraduate student complete at least one 3-credit subject in the area of  Chinese history and culture since the 2022/23 academic year. Additionally, PolyU has established the Research Centre for Chinese History and Culture to strengthen students’ understanding and appreciation of Chinese history and culture.

To address the growing demand for talent and technology in the era of artificial intelligence, PolyU plans to establish its tenth faculty/school, called the Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, in January 2025. This new faculty will initially comprise three departments: the Department of Applied Mathematics, the Department of Computing, and the Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence newly founded in July 2024.

Furthermore, since the 2012/13 academic year, every PolyU undergraduate is required to undertake a 3-credit Service- Learning subject. Service-Learning is an experiential pedagogical approach that encourages students to apply their own professional knowledge and skills to support communities in need, thereby promoting societal progress. It combines meaningful community service with academic learning and self-reflection.

The President (front, fifth from left), together with other members of PolyU senior management, welcomed new students of the 2024/25 academic year.

The essence of Service-Learning lies in applying professional knowledge to serve society, cultivating socially responsible young talents with a strong sense of national pride and a global perspective. It can also deepen students’ understanding of their own professional studies. In July this year, Council Chairman Dr Lam Tai-fai and I, as well as other PolyU colleagues, visited and supported our students who were participating in Service-Learning projects in rural Rwanda. The trip allowed me to personally witness the transformative impact of Service-Learning on students. PolyU has conducted two Service-Learning projects in Rwanda this year. While some of our students installed solar power systems in homes lacking electricity, providing them with night-time lighting, others exchanged clothing-making experiences with local villagers and shared their knowledge about textile arts. It was gratifying to observe how Service-Learning significantly contributes to student development. The solar power system installation project has been running for years and has illuminated approximately 1,300 households in Rwanda.

PolyU has made significant strides in innovation and research in recent years. Could you please share with us PolyU’s achievements in this area?

In the realm of research, we actively pursue world-leading impactful research and are dedicated to attracting top talent. Currently, 232 PolyU scholars are ranked among the top 2% most-cited scientists globally in an index by Stanford University based on career-long citation impact. Notably, in the two fields of building and construction and civil engineering, PolyU has the highest and second highest number of top 2% scientists in the world respectively. In 2023/24 (from April 2023 to March 2024), the total amount of funding PolyU received from the Research Grants  Council was the second highest among the higher education institutions in Hong Kong. Furthermore, PolyU is the only university in Hong Kong that has made significant contributions to various national space exploration missions, including four lunar missions and the first Mars exploration mission.

PolyU is honoured to have contributed to the Nation’s Chang’e-6 historic lunar far side sampling mission and to have acquired Chang’e-5 lunar soil samples.

PolyU prioritises innovation and translating research to address critical societal issues, such as climate change, energy shortages, the ageing population, food safety, diseases, and sustainable development. In 2021, we established the PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR), the largest collaborative research platform of its kind in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. PAIR comprises 19 research institutes and centres, with the aim of promoting interdisciplinary research and industry collaboration. Through both basic and applied research, it contributes to Hong Kong’s innovation and technology development as well as the Nation’s self-reliance in science and technology.

How has PolyU’s technological research benefited society? Could you name a few examples?

The University is committed to knowledge transfer, innovation and entrepreneurship, empowering staff, students, and alumni to convert research outcomes into technologies and solutions that drive societal and economic development. One notable example is the development of myopia control lenses for children. Research estimates that by 2050, half of the global population will be myopic. The PolyU invention can reduce the progression of myopia in children by 60%. This technology has been mass-produced in collaboration with leading industry partners. Over 32 million pieces of these innovative lenses designed to slow myopia progression have been sold worldwide, improving the vision health of millions of children and young people. 

PolyU also actively integrates itself into overall national development by harnessing the University’s science and technology capabilities to address the diverse economic needs of cities across the Mainland. We are establishing technology and innovation research institutes in various Mainland cities, creating a cooperative model for technology transfer defined by the equation: “PolyU research + Mainland industrial chain + Mainland market = societal benefit”. To date, agreements have been signed with over ten cities, including Jinjiang, Wuxi, Hangzhou, Wenzhou, Huizhou, Nanjing, Zhongshan, Shaoxing, Ningbo, Shenzhen (Guangming), Wuhan, Hefei, Ganzhou, and Zibo, to establish research institutes. Several of these institutes are already operational. This initiative aims to integrate and share resources effectively, leveraging PolyU’s research strengths and outcomes to develop technologies and products and incubate technological enterprises to meet local industrial and societal needs, thereby contributing to sustainable development.

The PolyU-Jinjiang Technology and Innovation Research Institute was officially unveiled in September 2023.

What is your plan for PolyU regarding its development in the next five years?

In anticipation of future challenges, the University has developed the Strategic Plan for 2025/26 to 2030/31, titled “Unite to Meet Challenges, Innovate to Benefit Society”. This plan sets a clear direction for development. During the consultation process of more than one year, we incorporated the insights of staff, students, and alumni, as well as Council and Court members to determine the University’s development goals and strategies in various fields.

Furthermore, the HKSAR Government’s Northern Metropolis development, with a projected population of 2.5 million, will create a heavy demand for medical services. PolyU will strive to establish a new campus in the Northern Metropolis, in which we will set up a medical school that leverages PolyU disciplines such as rehabilitation sciences, medical laboratory science, radiography, nursing, and optometry, with a commitment to providing comprehensive medical services to the Northern Metropolis community. We also hope to develop the new campus into PolyU’s main hub for innovation and technology, assembling many researchers and doctoral students and building several large-scale research facilities there to contribute to the development of Hong Kong’s innovation and technology industry. We will also strive to set up a large-scale teaching hotel with a conference and exhibition centre on the new campus to foster the development of the tourism, convention and exhibition industries in the Greater Bay Area.

Looking forward, PolyU will also nurture more outstanding talents with a sense of national pride, a global outlook, and a strong sense of social responsibility. The University will continue to closely align its research and innovation with societal needs, contributing to Hong Kong’s development and the Nation’s self-improvement and self-reliance in science and technology. As long as the PolyU community is united to focus on development and innovation, we will surely be able to achieve greater success in education, research, as well as innovation and entrepreneurship. PolyU’s reputation as an innovative world-class university will also continue to flourish day by day.

Professor Jin-Guang Teng - An accomplished scholar in structural engineering

 

President Teng is an accomplished structural engineering scholar, primarily engaged in research in the fields of fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites in civil engineering and steel structures, with particularly notable contributions in the area of FRP composites in civil engineering. He started to explore the application of FRP composites in civil engineering in the mid 1990s, initially for the strengthening of structures and later on also for the construction of new structures. In the field of FRP strengthening, he has made systematic and pioneering contributions to its design theory. As the sole or primary inventor in the field of FRP-based structures  for new construction, he has proposed several innovative technologies or concepts, including FRP-reinforced seawater sea-sand concrete (SCC) structures, FRP-concrete-steel double-skin tubular members (beams, columns, towers, arches, etc.), and FRP-coated steel reinforcing bars, leading to a large amount of subsequent work both domestically and internationally. For example, the FRP-concrete-steel double-skin tubular member form he invented has been applied as a primary structural component in a series of bridge projects, pioneering a new direction in the research and application of FRP-based structures.

 

President Teng has authored/co-authored one book and over 200 SCI journal papers, which have been widely cited by researchers globally. Many of his research findings have been adopted in relevant design codes or guidelines in China, the United States, Europe, the United Kingdom, and Australia. According to Stanford University’s list of top 2% most-cited scientists globally based on career-long citation impact, he has been ranked among the top 10 in the world, and 1st or 2nd in China, in the field of civil engineering for many years. President Teng’s outstanding academic achievements are internationally renowned and have been widely recognised. In 2017, he was elected a Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He is also a Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering, a Member of the Hong Kong Academy of Sciences, and a Corresponding Fellow of The Royal Society of Edinburgh.

 

In recent years, President Teng has been actively promoting innovation and technological development in Hong Kong and other regions. He currently serves as the President of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering, a Member of the Committee on Innovation, Technology and Industry Development of the Hong Kong SAR Government, Vice-Chair of the Council of the Greater Bay Area Association of Academicians, and Vice President of the Federation of Guangdong Academicians. In 2023, he was appointed as a Member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

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