PolyU’s leadership welcomed The University of Waterloo (UW) delegation led by UW President and Vice-Chancellor Prof. Vivek Goel as they met face-to-face at the Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR) on 24 February, where the two parties toured the clinical facilities and shared their aspirations regarding research collaboration.

Both parties also joined CEVR’s networking reception, which was attended by distinguished guests including Ms Winnie Chan, Assistant Commissioner for Innovation and Technology (Research Clusters) of the HKSAR Government; Mr Albert Wong, CEO of Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks; and Ms Marjorie Yang, Esquel Group Chairman and former Council Chairman of PolyU.

Launched in 2022, CEVR is the world’s first international hub for vision science.

“By leveraging the expertise of our exceptional researchers, we are proving that international collaboration is a pathway to improve the vision health of patients around the world,” said Prof. Jin-Guang Teng, President of PolyU. “We are proud of this truly special collaboration.”

CEVR aims to generate technologies for preventing vision loss in the ageing population and preserving vision health through five key areas of research excellence – myopia and eye growth, ocular drug discovery and delivery, vision enhancement, tear film and ocular surface, and advanced optometric technology.

“This collaboration connects two state-of-the-art facilities and exceptional researchers with a shared goal (of improving the vision health of patients around the world),” said Prof. Vivek Goel.

Prof. Ben Thompson, CEVR CEO & Scientific Director, presented the Centre’s recent projects. One pioneering project involves a collaboration between quantum physicists and vision scientists to develop a novel tool for the diagnostic imaging of the eye. Another brings together expertise in computer vision, artificial intelligence, and optometry to develop a system that supports individuals with vision loss to navigate and interact with their environment.