PolyU collaborates with Tianjin Medical University to establish scientific collaborative research platform to identify causes of eye disease and construct screening system

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has joined with Tianjin Medical University (TMU) to nurture talents, build research teams, conduct scientific research and develop a scientific collaborative research platform in the next five years. The two universities will combine their research strengths to identify causes of eye disease and the possible solutions. They will also adopt artificial intelligence technology and leverage extensive clinical data databases to construct a screening system for eye disease.

The partnership brings together the complementary strengths of the world-leading research capability of PolyU’s School of Optometry (with its research impact ranking first in Asia according to Clinical and Experimental Optometry) and TMU’s excellent research and teaching capability, which has enabled it to rank sixth among the 85 medical schools in the country.

A signing ceremony was held on the PolyU campus. Prof. Wing-tak WONG, Deputy President and Provost of PolyU, and Prof. YAN Hua, Party Secretary of TMU, signed the memorandum of understanding. Prof. David SHUM, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of PolyU and Prof. YU Ying, Vice President of TMU, signed the strategic cooperation agreement.

Prof. Wong said, “TMU is a well-known medical university in China. Its teaching achievements and research projects have won many awards and national support. PolyU is glad to be able to promote strategic cooperation with TMU with a view to enhancing scientific research and academic talent training and jointly contribute to the development of optometry and vision science in the country and the world.”

Prof. Yan remarked, “I am very pleased that TMU and PolyU have reached another level of cooperation in academic exchange and research. In line with the principle of “complementary advantages, coordinated development and mutual benefit”, we will enable advanced cooperation in the fields of optometry and vision science, and cultivate first-class students. We aim to produce top-level scientific research outputs and jointly develop an innovative teaching and scientific collaborative research platform.”

The PolyU School of Optometry has collaborated with institutions worldwide to build interdisciplinary research teams and promote high-impact vision science research. With strategic cooperation with TMU, both institutions will have increase their competitiveness. Prof. Shum noted, “PolyU’s School of Optometry and TMU jointly establishing a scientific collaborative research platform will help to solicit increased research funding, develop clinical application systems and contribute to enhancing eye-care services in Hong Kong and the country.”

The two institutions have carried out academic and research cooperation since 2004. In 2019, the two universities jointly established the “TMU-PolyU Optometry and Vision Science Joint Laboratory”, contributing to basic scientific research and facilitating knowledge transfer outcomes.