Ms Cheng Wu (4th from right), Deputy Director-General of the Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR; Hon. Mr Duncan Chiu (4th from left), a member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council (Functional Constituency - Technology and Innovation) and PolyU Court member; Prof. Jin-Guang Teng (3rd from left), PolyU President; Dr Lawrence Li (3rd from right), PolyU Deputy Council Chairman; Dr Roy Chung Chi-ping (2nd from left), Honorary Court Chairman of PolyU; Prof. Wing-tak Wong (2nd from right), PolyU Deputy President and Provost; Dr Miranda Lou (1st from left), PolyU Executive Vice President; and Prof. Christopher Chao (1st from right), PolyU Vice President (Research and Innovation) officiated at the opening ceremony of the PolyU InnoTech Open Day × Alumni Homecoming 2024.
Prof. Christopher Chao (centre), PolyU Vice President (Research and Innovation) signed a cooperation agreement with eight companies. The collaboration aims to establish a strategic partnership, nurturing I&T leaders and entrepreneurs to supercharge the impact of PolyVentures, support incubation and accelerate the growth of startups.
The guests observed a demonstration of the parcel delivery drone which was developed by Dr Hailong HUANG, Assistant Professor of the Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering of PolyU, and his team.
Dr Lawrence Li, PolyU Deputy Council Chairman (6th from right, back row); Professor Jin-Guang Teng (6th from left, back row), PolyU President; Ir YAU Kwok-fai (4th from right, back row), President of Federation of PolyU Alumni Associations and Council member; Ir Dr Samson TAM Wai-ho (4th from left, back row), President of Outstanding PolyU Alumni Association; Ir Arthur LEE Kam-hung (3rd from left,back row), PolyU Council member; Mr Alex WONG Chun-bong (3rd from right, back row), PolyU Council member; Prof. Wing-tak Wong (5th from right, back row), PolyU Deputy President and Provost, Dr Miranda Lou (5th from left, back row), PolyU Executive Vice President, Prof. Christopher Chao (2nd from left, back row), PolyU Vice President (Research and Innovation) and Prof. Ben YOUNG (2nd from right, back row), PolyU Vice President (Student and Global Affairs) officiated at the Alumni Homecoming kick-off ceremony.
The Electrical Engineering Alumni Association football team won the friendly futsal match held at PolyU Alumni Homecoming Day. They played against the Fei Yang alumni football team that led by Dr LAM Tai-fai, PolyU Council Chairman (8th from right, back row) at the University’s sports centre. The participating teams took a group photo with Prof. Jin-Guang Teng (9th from right, back row), PolyU President and other management members.
The officiating guests at the opening ceremony included Ms Cheng WU, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Educational, Scientific and Technological Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Hon. Mr Duncan CHIU, a member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council (Functional Constituency - Technology and Innovation) and PolyU Court member; Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, PolyU President; Dr Lawrence LI, PolyU Deputy Council Chairman; Dr Roy CHUNG Chi-ping, Honorary Court Chairman of PolyU;Prof. Wing-tak WONG, PolyU Deputy President and Provost; Dr Miranda LOU, PolyU Executive Vice President; and Prof. Christopher CHAO, PolyU Vice President (Research and Innovation).
Hon. Mr Duncan Chiu said, “PolyU is well respected for its pursuit of academic excellence and groundbreaking innovations. Over its 87-year history, PolyU has been a nurturing ground for top-tier talents, a cradle for pioneering technical advancements, and a powerhouse for transformative innovations. Today’s event showcases PolyU’s exciting innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives. It is my hope that the event will spark mutually-beneficial exchanges between PolyU researchers and industry leaders. I also encourage you to engage with PolyU’s talented researchers to share valuable insights into market and social needs and explore potential collaboration and technology transfer opportunities.”
“PolyU has consistently been at the forefront of supporting Hong Kong’s economic and social progress. As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of achieving university status, we have strived to nurture the talent society needs, adapting to its evolving demands—from manufacturing to services. Our dedication to innovation is evident in our impressive research growth, with our research staff doubling in just five years, alongside the establishment of PAIR and our Mainland translational research institutes,” said Prof. Jin-Guang Teng. “With half a million graduates, PolyU proudly holds the largest alumni community in Hong Kong. We are committed to strengthening our connection with alumni, supporting their career advancement, and fostering mutually beneficial collaborations. Together, we can address the unprecedented challenges of today while contributing to the development of Hong Kong, our Nation, and the world.”
Dr Lawrence Li remarked, “To uphold its motto, ‘To learn and to apply, for the benefit of mankind’ and align with recent resolutions from the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China which emphasised the Nation’s modernisation and innovation-driven development, PolyU is actively contributing to the advancement of innovation and technology in Hong Kong, our country, and beyond through its unique PolyImpact and PolyVentures startup ecosystem. The former transforms research excellence into real-world solutions addressing significant global challenges, while the latter offers comprehensive support to aspiring entrepreneurs and startups.”
At the opening ceremony, PolyU also signed cooperation agreements with eight companies to establish strategic partnerships. The parties will leverage their respective strengths in research and industry to nurture I&T leaders and entrepreneurs, with a view to super-charging the impact of PolyVentures, accelerating incubation and growth of startups, and providing more comprehensive support for PolyU students, alumni and academics who are committed to entrepreneurship. The companies and organisations involved are Beijing Iestreet Holding Limited, Hangzhou Innovation Incubation Center (Hong Kong) Limited, Hong Kong Kowloon Group, PanMediso Holdings (Shenzhen) Limited, Qianhai International Intellectual Property Comprehensive Operation Service Centre, SIMIC Holdings Company Limited, Sun Wah Group and Surrich International Company Limited.
In addition, PolyU honoured six young researchers with the Young Innovative Researcher Award 2024 in recognition of young researchers with outstanding research capabilities. Three scholars and one team were presented with The President’s Award for Outstanding Achievement 2023 in recognition of their distinguished accomplishments and contributions in the areas of research and scholarly activities, as well as knowledge transfer.
The InnoTech Open Day, the University’s flagship I&T event, showcased the remarkable creativity of the PolyU community through a variety of exhibitions, seminars, forums and startup showcases. The Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering demonstrated autonomous drone parcel delivery in urban areas, with which it aims to inspire the development of a low-altitude economy in Hong Kong. Additionally, a robot with new wireless charging technology developed by the Research Centre for Electric Vehicles was showcased to promote the technology for electric vehicle. PolyU young and excellent scholars, along with 17 research institutes and research centres under PAIR, and 18 PolyU-nurtured startups, also exhibited a wide range of inspiring inventions and achievements enabled through industry-academic-research collaborations and entrepreneurship. The innovations included a novel 3D model depicting the topography and landscape of the lunar south pole, a pipeline defect detection robot and a vision training VR device. Some showcases offered experience activities, including a portable non-invasive system for liver fibrosis assessment, and a smart wheelchair capable of navigating rough terrains like grassland, beaches and stairs.
Another highlight was a sharing session, designed to broaden the horizons of young entrepreneurs, by PolyU alumnus Mr SHEN Peng, Founder and CEO of Waterdrop Inc., a company listed on the New York Stock Exchange with a market value of nearly US$420 million, who shared his journey to entrepreneurial success, elaborating on how he transformed his start-up company into a leading insurance technology and healthcare platform in Mainland China. Representatives from incubation and investment platforms in mainland China also gave their insights into the opportunities and challenges of investment in the region, providing valuable inspiration for those wishing to start their own business.
As the annual signature event for PolyU alumni, the Alumni Homecoming Day received the enthusiastic support of over a hundred alumni. Participants enjoyed various exciting activities, including campus adventures, thematic guided tours and an Outstanding PolyU Alumni jogging tour. A group of alumni presented a vibrant showcase that included Chinese and western music, dance, taekwondo, a magic show and a choir performance. The event also featured a friendly futsal match, Ping-Pong demonstration match, along with Ping-Pong training sessions and play zones for kids. Meanwhile, special booths hosted by various faculties, schools, departments and alumni associations showcased numerous creative achievements, including ReST Hub, a flexible scoliosis brace with an artificial hinge, and speech therapy games.
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Prof. WU Bo, Associate Director of the Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations, introduced a novel 3D model depicting the topography and landscape of the lunar south pole. |
PolyU Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Things showcased a real-time pipeline defect detection robot. |
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A PolyU-nurtured startup showcased “Vcare” , a device that offers personalised vision correction training for myopia, amblyopia and strabismus. |
A PolyU-nurtured startup showcased “Liverscan®”, a portable non-invasive system for liver fibrosis assessment. |
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A PolyU-nurtured startup showcased a smart wheelchair capable of navigating rough terrains like grassland, beaches and stairs. |
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