In response to the HKSAR Government’s call for a third medical school, PolyU has submitted an innovative and forward-looking proposal to nurture outstanding medical professionals and leaders for the future AI-driven healthcare landscape and to address the growing healthcare demands of Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area (GBA). PolyU is uniquely positioned to establish a leading, future-oriented medical school due to its strong foundation of excellence in health sciences, engineering, and artificial intelligence (AI) and over 45 years of experience in nurturing more than 52,000 graduates across various healthcare disciplines.

A press conference led by Dr Lam Tai-fai, Council Chairman and Professor Jin-Guang Teng, President, along with Professor Wong Wing-tak, Deputy President and Provost; Professor David Shum, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences; and Professor He Mingguang, Chair Professor of Experimental Ophthalmology and Global STEM Scholar, was held in mid-March to share the latest developments about PolyU’s efforts in establishing Hong Kong’s third medical school.

Proposal incorporated insights from global experts

The proposal was developed based on the ten key parameters set out by the Government’s Task Group on the New Medical School, covering innovative strategic positioning, staffing, facilities, curriculum structure, teaching and learning quality, and research excellence. PolyU extended its sincere gratitude to the 21-member Expert Advisory Committee, which includes distinguished medical leaders, namely:

• Professor Zhong Nanshan, Recipient of the Medal of the Republic; Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering; Director of the Guangzhou National Laboratory

• Professor Barry Marshall, Nobel Laureate in Physiology or Medicine, Professor, Senior Honorary Research Fellow of the School of Biomedical Sciences, Marshall Centre, The University of Western Australia

• Dr York Chow Yat Ngok, Former Secretary for Health, Welfare and Food / Secretary for Food and Health of the HKSAR Government; Former Hospital Chief Executive of Queen Mary Hospital

Reaffirming the University’s commitment to supporting the Government

Dr Lam reaffirmed PolyU’s commitment to supporting the Government by contributing both financially and through dedicated efforts to develop the third medical school. He stated, “We stand with the Government during challenging times and pledge to cover all financial expenses if needed before the medical school relocates to the UniTown in Ngau Tam Mei.”

 

Confident in PolyU’s longstanding contributions to Hong Kong’s medical system, Dr Lam emphasised that the University has earned public and government trust over the past half-century of excellence, “PolyU has trained over 50,000 healthcare professionals—nurses, physiotherapists, optometrists, radiologists, and more,” he noted. Dr Lam highlighted that PolyU’s strong foundation in healthcare education, combined with the extensive experience and achievements in nurturing healthcare professionals, reflects years of dedication. “There are no shortcuts to achieving them,” he concluded.

Breakthrough medical innovations integrating medicine, engineering and AI

 

 

“PolyU has achieved remarkable success in medicine-engineering integration and AI-powered medical advancements,” stated Professor Teng. He highlighted that these recent innovations have successfully translated research into practical applications. Among the University’s recent technological breakthroughs are myopia control lenses that improve children’s vision health, with over 35 million units sold globally. Another advancement is an AI-enabled self-testing retinal fundus camera designed to assess cardiovascular disease risk and screen for three common eye diseases. Additional innovations include a radiation-free 3D ultrasound device for scoliosis assessment and portable equipment for the quantitative assessment of chronic liver diseases like fatty liver and liver fibrosis.

 

PolyU plans to offer a four-year bachelor’s degree programme in medicine targeting those who already hold undergraduate degrees. The initial intake will admit 50 local and non-local students, with plans to gradually increase the admission quota based on demand. With over 1,300 dedicated healthcare-related staff and more than 90 specialised laboratories and research facilities, PolyU intends to invest more resources to enhance its health science education and research facilities, and strengthen collaboration with current networks of local hospitals for clinical teaching, laying a solid foundation for the new medical school.

 

Additionally, PolyU will launch the PolyU Academy for Artificial Intelligence (PAAI), with a focus on pioneering research in AI-assisted diagnosis and treatment. Leveraging its advantages in medicine-engineering integration, PolyU is well-equipped to establish a medical school that will advance healthcare technology and address the medical needs of both Hong Kong and the GBA.