The Inauguration Ceremony for the academic year 2023/2024 of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences (RS) was held in the morning of 31 August 2023. The event marked the start of a new academic journey for the incoming cohort of students. Attended by a gathering of over 200 esteemed guests, including government official, scholarship donors, clinical educators, RS academic staff and students, various stakeholders have witnessed the significant occasion.
Dr Lawrence Li (Deputy Council Chairman, PolyU) warmly welcomed the newly admitted physiotherapy (PT) and occupational therapy (OT) undergraduate students in his opening address. He shared that for the past 15 years or so, the BSc (Hons) in PT programme had consistently ranked the first among all first-degree programmes at PolyU based on admission scores, while the BSc (Hons) in OT programme had maintained a prominent position within the top three. Dr Li also acknowledged that this year would mark Prof. Hector Tsang's (Chair Professor of Rehabilitation Sciences and Head of RS, Interim Director of MHRC) final term as the Head of the department and expressed gratitude for his dedicated six-year service and contributions as the Department Head.
We were so honoured to have Dr Pang Fei-chau (Commissioner for Primary Healthcare, Health Bureau) as our officiating guest and delivered a speech. Dr Pang emphasised the increasing importance of rehabilitation services and highlighted the burning issue of insufficient skilled professionals in the field. He commended the new batch of PT and OT students for their dedication to serve the Hong Kong community. He also wished the freshmen a fruitful and enjoyable university life at RS.
Prof. Hector Tsang has then delivered his welcome speech, highlighting the impressive accomplishments of both RS academic staff and students, and showcasing their excellence across various aspects. He mentioned the department's remarkable research performance and the international recognition it has gained, and he also elaborated on the department's continued success and ongoing endeavors. Followed by a series of prize presentations to the top students, Prof. Hector Tsang concluded the event with warm congratulations to the recently promoted staff members and expressed his gratitude to all the guests who attended the ceremony.