VP(EDU) Prof. Kwok-yin Wong's visit

We are pleased to host a meeting and a tour of our school for Prof. Kwok-yin Wong, VP(EDU) and Ms Sara Wong, Senior Executive Officer on 22 October 2020.

PolyU Design Degree Show 2020: Exhibitors' interviews

Cheung King Ting Adrianna, Advertising Design | Project: The Unwanted Project Watch now   Mok Ka Ki Apple, Communication Design | Project: Cultural Run Watch now   Lee Yuen Yi Kitty, Environment and Interior Design | Project: Arch-ology Watch now   Giang Ong, Product Design | Project: Meemo Watch now     Stay tuned for more interviews!  Or visit www.PolyUDesignShow.com

Prof. Johan Hoorn Co-winner of Prestigious Huibregtsen Prize for robotics research project ‘Alice’

Congratulations to Prof. Johan Hoorn on receiving the Huibregtsen Prize 2020 with Prof. Elly Konijn of Vrije University Amsterdam, with their multidisciplinary robotics research project ‘Alice’! The Prize established in 2005 by the board of the Foundation ‘De Avond van Wetenschap & Maatschappij’ in the Netherlands, is a competition for fundamental science with societal impact. It is aimed at recognising a recent research project that combines scientific quality and innovation with a special social added value or outreach. Prof. Hoorn and Prof. Konijn beat many other contesters including those conducting researches on COVID and malaria or nitrogen pollution. ‘Alice’ is an electromechanical grandchild with the goal to relieve loneliness and improve the quality of life of elderly by being a helping hand for care takers and a buddy to the older adult. The robot girl requires a form of interaction in which the AI system can show feeling for the user and the user gets an emotional connection with the robot. All without the robot inadvertently ending up in the 'uncanny valley', the area where people start to freak out about the machine because of too much lifelikeness. The prize jury recognizes the work as ‘an innovative approach with an impressive result’. It is regarded as a scientific and social project ‘based on an impressive combination of disciplinary expertise and raises deep questions about possible relationships between humans and machines, but also about empathy and moral reasoning.’  The winners received a prize, consisting of €25,000, a sculpture and are offered to organize a workshop at the Lorentz Center. The award result was announced on 5 October in Haarlem, The Netherlands, witnessed by guests attended the ceremony physically and online.    Click to watch Prof. Hoorn's previous interview HERE. Prof. Johan Hoorn was featured on “#WeArePolyU” last year. Let’s recap HERE.   Prof. Hoorn and his Alice:

PolyU Design and TCL sets up strategic partnership on Joint Laboratory and Future TV Framework

We are proud to announce the strategic cooperation between PolyU Design and TCL under the Joint Laboratory and Future TV Framework.  The project including a joint laboratory in user experience (UX) design will facilitate the design research and explore opportunities of academic-business collaboration, particularly in the areas of global outlook and lifestyle appreciation. The cooperation will help both PolyU Design and TCL achieve the respective goals and enable the acceleration of design and technological development in the coming years. The parties signed the cooperation memorandum at PolyU’s Jockey Club Innovation Tower on 19 October 2020, witnessed by the representatives from both sides. Attendees: PolyU Design Prof. Kun-Pyo Lee, Dean of School of Design, Director of this collaboration project Dr Newman Lau, Associate Professor of PolyU Design, and Project Leader Prof. Tak Lee, Professor of Design Practice of PolyU Design Prof. Stephen Wang, Professor in UX Design & Design Intelligence of PolyU Design Prof. Kevin Denney, Professor of Practice in Social Innovation of PolyU Design Mr Dominic Leung, Deputy Project Leader of PolyU Design TCL Ms Rain Xiong, Deputy Head of Chairman Office at TCL Mr Chak Yun Hei, Deputy Design Director at TCL Research, and Project Leader Mr Karl Li, Manager of External Liaison at TCL  

TPgFS 2021/22: Master of Design selected as one of the eligible programmes will award 22 fellowships

Join us at the Information Session - Master of Design online via Zoom on Jan 9, 2021 (Sat). For event details and RSVP, please visit our event page. TPgFS refers to the Targeted Taught Postgraduate Programmes Fellowships Scheme offered by the University Grants Committee (UGC). This 5-cohort pilot scheme provides fellowships for meritorious local students to pursue further studies in priority areas conducive to the development of Hong Kong.  The scheme is expected to provide a maximum of 1,000 fellowships for the second cohort of students (admitted in the 2021/22 academic year). The fellowship, in the form of subsidy, supports each of the fellowship students their programme tuition for up to HK$120,000. The award of the fellowships is to be based on merits. Master of Design (MDes), which operates as a scheme with five specialisms (programme code 73035-DPF/DSP/IDB/INF/UEF), is one of the eight eligible TPgFS programmes in the priority area of “creative industries” and of the 14 eligible TPgFS programmes in PolyU, offering 22 fellowships for the second cohort. The number has almost doubled compared to the last cohort. The programme is expected to award close to 38% of the fellowships in the “creative industries” cluster. MDes Fellowship students are required to pay HKD47,400 after offsetting the full programme tuition (HKD167,400) by the fellowship subsidy (HKD120,000). There is a difference between fellowships and merit-based scholarships in terms of level of status and recognition, although both can refer to the award of financial support competitively to recipients based on their future potential demonstrated by previous achievements. This fellowship scheme was first announced in the 2019 Policy Address. A task force comprising overseas academics and experts who are well experienced in the relevant fields and with no conflict of interest was set up to finalise the details of the scheme and to assess the proposals submitted by the universities. The purpose of the scheme, a wide participation from all UGC-funded universities, and the rigorous and holistic approach in the process have resulted in giving a special recognition for all TPgFS eligible programmes and fellowships students. Visit PolyU eProspectus, UGC website or TPgFSFAQ for further information. Eligibility Local students only; and Being admitted to one of the MDes programmes offered in 2021/22; and Not receiving other forms of financial assistance from the government, including Continuing Education Fund (CEF), or the PolyU, such as Alumni Bursary, for pursing the same programme. Selection Criteria The consideration is based on merits and taking into account the students’ academic achievements; professional qualifications; relevant working experience and achievements in other areas; interview results; and proposal with special attention to their personal statements on how they can contribute to the priority areas of Hong Kong after completing the programmes. Application Procedures To apply for the fellowships, complete and submit the TPgFS application form (click here to download) together with your application for MDes admission via eAdmission, by uploading the form in the Additional Documents section. Application Results and Deadline The consideration of the TPgFS applications will be on a rolling basis until the fellowships places are filled. For those interested, you are encouraged to submit an application as early as possible and within the main application period. Enquiry T: 3400 3440 E: mdes.sd@polyu.edu.hk PolyU reserves the right to change the terms or withdraw the above fellowships. In case of any dispute/disagreement, PolyU’s decision is final.

Design Anthology's Interview with Prof. Kun-pyo Lee

Dean Prof. Kun-pyo Lee was recently interviewed by Design Anthology on his insight for design education and industry trend. Click here to watch.

Student teams create future laundry experience with International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF)

Client and students discovering product ideas and revolutionary ways of working in a complex real-world challenge In Multidisciplinary Project*, students in PolyU Design’s International Design and Business Management (ID&BM) strive to bring about creative solutions to meet emerging laundry needs the new generation in China. The project was sponsored by IFF and supported by its executives from Utrecht and Shanghai, with Ms Michelle Wu, Director of IFF Shanghai Creative Center as the representative. Twenty-two students forming five teams divided the project into two phases, the research phase and the design phase, spanning thirteen weeks from February to May 2020. The co-operative project lined up experts internal and external to achieve remarkable results. Guest speaker, Chee-Ngai Ng gave lectures on online research methodologies and conducting international research. Project tutors including Kevin Denney, Dr William Liang, Justin Tsui, Terry Lam, Benny Leong, Dr Clifford Choy and Dr Sylvia Liu gave tutorials and lectures on presenting a business pitch and business planning & entrepreneurship. Testimonial from our sponsor:  “Other than the very difficult external environment, the project itself was a complicated one, not only involving IFF, but also our clients, and ultimately, the innovation needed to be considered useful by the users. This is a collaborative project involving multiple parties,” said Ms Wu. “It is very clear that the proposals from the students have brought completely new excitement to both IFF and our clients - not only their product ideas but also the revolutionary ways of working. Innovation is the result of collective work. When you bring on more diversity, more talent from a different field, your chances to achieve something new and useful are much higher.” Ms Michelle Wu, client representative of IFF Student teams created videos and prototypes to address the brief including: The IFF Nature Fragrance Info System – designed to help consumers to get fragrance information and manage fragrance New Brand “Soofun” to treat your second skin like your first – an integrated approach to communicate the USP, spa-grade exquisite laundry care New Laundry Experience – devised three customisable scenario-based products mix-and-match different types of fragrance & detergent base and dry-cleaning devices. Fabric care – product innovation opportunity for the post-90s young generation in China Blind box bubble, water gun, rainbow series – one direction three concepts to create meaningful life and well-being Project slides: The IFF Nature Fragrance Info System New Brand “Soofun” to treat your second skin like your first New Laundry Experience Fabric Care Blind box bubble, water gun, rainbow series Student experience: “It was by far the most fun, energising and challenging project in a year of ID&BM journey,” reflected Joyce a local student in the project team behind New Laundry Experience. “Appreciation and humbleness were the key for us to move forward, and (be) able to thrive, together.” “I learn to resolve problems in online collaboration; conflicts often occur because of communication issues. And to mediate between interest and direction is what I found a valuable lesson,” said Steven, Joyce’s teammates. Visit ID&BM’s projects: PolyU Design Degree Show's immersive 3d show until Oct 25, 2020 * Multidisciplinary Project consists of studio-based subjects SD5171 (3 credits) & SD5172 (6 credits) led by subject leader and ID&BM specialism leader, Dr Sylvia Liu. Project teams seek to identify and extend the search space of an integrated design, business and technological problem associated with an international or regional business environment.  

From online chats to Summer Programme – Outreach activities for prospective students go online

While many people are working and learning from home under the COVID-19 pandemic, PolyU Design has been organising a wide range of activities online to stay in touch with secondary schools and other prospective students. In addition to the online lecture series conducted earlier in June, another well received activity is the Live Chat with Design Students. More than 18 sessions were organised within 4 months, attended by around 470 students and teachers from 21 secondary schools. In these Live Chats, our design students shared their first-hand tips on getting into their dream design programmes, and their fruitful campus experience. The interactive and pressure-free conversations helped many students understand what design programmes teach and what design students do. It gives them directions to choosing study path that fits their interests and aspirations. Other online activities like info webinars at the virtual university fairs or events were held to provide information about the school to our overseas and mainland Chinese audience. Another highlight is the ‘WHAT DESIGN’ Summer Programme for secondary school students and teachers on 6-7 August 2020. This annual event aims allowing prospective students to learn basic knowledge of our four disciplines namely Advertising Design, Communication Design, Environment and Interior Design, and Product Design offered under the BA(Hons) Scheme in Design through hands-on exercises. The most rewarding part to many participants is the series of interactions with our faculty members, design students and participants from different schools. This year, around 90 participants from different secondary schools in Hong Kong joined the two half day programme featuring disciplines’ introductions, two workshops on 2D and 3D design topics respectively. It targets to provide them with a comprehensive understanding of design and help them identify which discipline they would like to pursue further studies for. The participants were asked to team up for tasks during workshops. In the Advertising Design workshop (2D), each participant was requested to pick an object that is important to him/her, and tell the class why. Through the exercise, they learned to grab the key point and communicate with an image – this is the essential skill of designing an advertising campaign. In the Communication Design workshop (2D), students tried to analyse logos and explain what work well on them to learn about the importance of branding and visual identity. Many performed very well at the Environment and Interior workshop (3D) ‘Understanding Public Spaces in Hong Kong’. The participants chose their favourite space in Hong Kong and analysed it regarding its planning, aesthetics, materiality and culture. In the meantime, those who joined the Product Design Workshop (3D) were tasked to redesign a product and create something new which gave most of the students the best moment throughout the summer programme.   To most of the participants it was their first time joining online workshops. The group discussions was the most popular part throughout the workshops. A parallel stream of the Summer Programme was tailor-made for secondary school teachers. They were invited to observe students' sessions and attend a discussion with the faculty members of PolyU Design on burning issues of secondary school design and visual art education, and the collaboration opportunities mutually benefiting both university and secondary schools.   Contact us for booking a tailor-made online activity for your school now. Both local and overseas schools are welcome.   

Interview with Eddie Wong, Social Designer

Featured Alumnus:  Social Designer takes his first step to make our community better Interview with Eddie Wong, Social Designer Social Design is the youngest discipline we offer in the BA(Hons) Scheme in Design at PolyU. It may still be a brand new concept to many of you. Are you wondering what a social designer do, and what our students of this discipline can do after graduation? Here comes our graduate Eddie Wong (Social Design, 2019) who would like to tell you his story.    DC: Design Channel EW: Eddie Wong (2019 graduate of BA(Hons) in Social Design)   DC: Hello Eddie! Thank you for accepting our interview invitation. Could you introduce yourself to our readers? EW: Hello, this is Eddie. I graduated from PolyU’s Social Design programme in 2019 as one of the first graduates of the programme. Before my design studies, I studied social work and worked in some NGOs for 8 years.  DC: We know that the programme admits students from different backgrounds, not limited to design, but also other social science disciplines, due to its transdisciplinary by nature. The programme aspires to breed a generation of well-rounded dynamic designers and project coordinators who will become design practitioners, consultants and changemakers in service of social needs. Does it tell what you have been doing after graduation? EW: After graduation, I worked as a freelancer ranging from social worker, workshop facilitator and social researcher for around half a year. After that, I joined Making On Loft's Community Design & Research Studio as Senior Project Officer. The team aims to contribute in social innovation by promoting and practising community design process and social well-being, as well as to achieve the most effective and sustainable uses of community space. To answer your question, yes, I aspire to be part of the change-making force to our community.  Making On Loft gathers a group of creative minds who concern the sustainable devbelopment of our community. It is founded by PolyU Design's alumni.   DC: It sounds really interesting and meaningful. Would you tell us more, like any interesting projects you are currently engaged in?  EW: I have engaged in various community projects designed for different stakeholders, for example, a community art project for social inclusion with mentally retarded teenagers and young adults, a community profile study for exploring the correlation between Cultural and Creative Industries and self-efficacy on youth development. Another impressive one was a community production project about designing a trolley by using both tangible and intangible community recourses based on community needs.  These are all meaningful projects that are aimed to make our society a better place. There is another self-initiated and non-funding project called “舊物扭蛋” (meaning “gashapon of old stuff”) that is the most memorable one to me. We made use of upcycled materials collected from our neighbourhood and studio, such as straws, tires and suitcases to create a vending machine and its decorations that targeted to engage the general public through a series of public engagement activities with it. I received an inspiring comment from a lady from the neighborhood, “we are willing to stay longer in the community if there are more special experiments like this.” She inspired me to think more about how to increase vibrancy of communities by different innovative interactions or experiments and motivated me to take actions in this regard.  Eddie's gashapon vending machine made with upcycled materials. DC: What does Social Design mean to you? EW: I think social design is more like a concept or an attitude that emphasises empathy and empowerment in the design process, rather than just a tangible design. Also, it must involve community stakeholders in different stages to deal with social concerns, especially in research stage.  DC: What is your career aspiration? Does your experience in SD influence your career interest?  EW: Looking back at what I’ve learned from the days in PolyU Design, the importance of observation and listening is what I would never forget. If a social project missed these two essences, it is impossible to fulfil the community’s or user’s needs. Besides, I built a strong belief that co-design with different parties can bring infinite possibilities for improving human well-being and having a positive change in the society. Also, I am inclined to explore more about the root problems or issues via research methods before thinking design solutions. With his social work background, Eddie concerned much about the synergies between youth centres and their target audience. His Social Design capstone project was a series of co-creation workshops and toolkits with young adults to design the youth centre services best fit young people’s needs.    DC: What do you plan for the next?  EW: In the future, apart from working with different social stakeholders like NGOs and corporates, I would like to make greater effort to participate in the government sector, starting from the district council. I hope to develop more and more co-creating or social design projects by conducting an evidence-based research study, which can facilitate and stimulate public to understand there are many creative possibilities in our public space, facility as well as service that can benefit our lives.     Read more i-Cable News [小事大意義] Making of Loft

Interview with Giovanni Contreras, PhD graduate of PolyU Design

Featured Alumnus: Challenges and fond moments - my PhD journey in Hong Kong and thereafter Interview with Giovanni Contreras, PhD graduate of PolyU Design,  Lecturer in Product Design, Department of Engineering and Design, University of Sussex DC: Design Channel GC: Giovanni Contreras (2016 PhD graduate)   DC: Hello Giovanni! Thanks for spending time for this interview. Would you introduce yourself to us?  GC: Sure, my pleasure. I am Giovanni Contreras. I am currently a lecturer in product design at the Department of Engineering and Design of the University of Sussex in the UK. I moved here with my family in mid 2016 after completing three years of PhD studies in Hong Kong. Before my PhD studies I worked for several years as industrial/product designer in the mainland China. Between 2010 and 2013 I worked for mobile phone manufacturer Coolpad Corporation at their R&D centre in Shenzhen, and between 2007 and 2010 I worked as industrial designer for ZTE Corporation. I also worked as product design lecturer for Raffles Design Institute in Shanghai between 2008 and 2010. I obtained a bachelor’s degree in industrial design from the San Luis Potosi Autonomous University in Mexico in the year 2000, and after spending a couple of years working for the local industry, I was granted a Fulbright scholarship to pursue graduate studies in the US. I obtained a master’s of design from the Department of Architecture, Art and Planning of the University of Cincinnati in Ohio in 2005, and I stayed there for another year doing an ‘optional practical training program’ (OPT) working as lecturer of industrial design. Upon completion of the OPT, me and my wife travelled to China for holidays in late 2006, opportunity which I also used to ‘get a feel’ for the country and scan the landscape for potential job opportunities, which actually resulted in me landing my first job in the mainland in early 2007.  DC: We all know doctorate studies are all about research. What was your research project about?  GC: My project looked at the development of computer skills in higher education within schools of industrial design. Modelling is an essential skill for industrial designers, and with the advent of computer aided design (CAD) computer modelling has become one of the key skills that students learn at university. However, while most courses teach students how to use CAD software, there are several reasons why the computer skills that students learn needed to be questioned. One of them is that incoming students seem to be less proficient with computers than previous generations, consequently, they not only need training in terms of CAD but with computers in general. A potential explanation for this phenomenon is that education systems around the world may have ‘fallen in the trap’ of assuming that younger generations needn’t to learn how to use computers anymore. The other, is that incoming students are now part of the ‘smartphone generation,’ thus, many of them have actually far less experience using computers than previous generations, and instead use their phones to perform many tasks. The other reason why the development of computer skills needed to be looked into is because—as is often the case with technology—it changes at an ever-increasing rate. Consequently, unless educational institutions are aware, their curricula have become outdated. In the particular case of industrial design schools, new and varied forms of computer modelling have appeared over the past 10-20 years, making it important to know whether the computer skills that students are learning are still relevant. In my research, 100+ industrial design schools from around the world were surveyed in order to look at the breadth and depth to which they taught computer skills. This data was discussed and contrasted against the current and future needs of students in this area.    Presenting at WCETR conference in Barcelona 2014 DC: Was there anything inspired you to do design research? What brought you to PolyU?  GC: By the time I started my PhD studies, I had worked in industry for about ten years. I think the experience of working in industry is irreplaceable and made me grow a lot, not just a designer but in general. Nonetheless, I think most people reach a point in their career in which they feel that they are not growing as much and/or feel that they need to make changes to move on. For me that moment came when around 2011-2012 as I was still working in Shenzhen, China. My job started to feel increasingly tedious, and I didn’t feel that I was growing either professionally or otherwise.  I looked back at the time I had worked as a lecturer and realised that actually those were the times when I was the happiest (at work). So, I started to look for jobs as lecturer, but realised that most of the vacancies open required that I had a PhD. That’s how the idea of doing a PhD came about. I thought it would give me the opportunity to ‘clear my mind’ and figure out where I was going, while at the same time allow me to ‘switch back,’ and pursue a career in academia. So, I started to look for opportunities, and to my surprise I found that ‘right next door’ in Hong Kong, the Research Grants Council Fellowship offered a scheme to pursue PhD studies in any local university. This in turn opened the possibility to do the PhD at the School of Design of the Hong Kong PolyU, which is a school I had been familiar with for long, and which I held in high esteem.   DC: How was your PhD study journey in Hong Kong?  GC: I studied in Hong Kong between August 2013 and August 2016. In addition to the Fellowship Scheme I was also granted a scholarship from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, which meant I did not have to worry about the tuition fees. As is probably the case with most PhD students however, I did not manage to bring my studies to a conclusion during the three year period,’ so in mid 2016, as I approached the end of the ‘normal period of study,’ I found myself in the difficult position that—now I see—many PhD students’ faces; I had not finished my PhD, I wasn’t anywhere near finishing, and I was going to lose my income (the Fellowship scheme lasts only for three years), which meant I could not afford to stay in Hong Kong once my stipend was over. I was very busy trying to do as much as work on my thesis as I could, since I did not know what my life was going to look like once we moved somewhere else, I was busy looking for a job, and just if that wasn’t enough I was trying to close things in Hong Kong. This alone made the last stretch of my time in Hong Kong quite stressful, but what made circumstances even worse in my case, was that I was in Hong Kong with my wife and daughter.  The Contreras at Hong Kong's Victoria Peak. Once the normal period of study had almost come to an end, I did what most PhD students in that situation do; I switched from full-time to part-time study mode, and continued working on my studies remotely for almost another year and a half. Finally, in late 2017 I submitted my thesis, which was accepted for examination in early 2018. From there onwards I continued with the lengthily process to prepare for the viva, which I thank God I passed with minor corrections in July of the same year. Looking back, I can see how my lack of experience with the world of academic research made it more difficult for me, but on the other hand, that’s probably the case with many PhD students.  In general however, my study journey in Hong Kong was a positive and joyful experience. While it is true that there were times in which I felt overwhelmed, frustrated, discouraged and disappointed, there were also times when I felt—and still do—very fortunate and deeply grateful. Grateful for having the opportunity to do a PhD, for the opportunity to live in Hong Kong—which I love—for having the opportunity to meet people and make new friends, for being able to travel and present in international conferences, for learning new skills and accomplishing new things.  Undoubtedly something that made my study journey more joyous were my fellow PhD students and friends. They helped me a lot with different things and gave me a lot of valuable advice as I progressed through my studies. Similarly, I think that the Research Office of PolyU has a pretty effective structure to support research students with different matters concerning their study journey.    Giovanni enjoyed the moments with his friends and colleagues in Hong Kong. The second photo is a gathering with his supervisor Prof. Michael Siu and other PhD students of the Public Design Lab. DC: How was your life in HK? Anyone you met here special/important to you?  GC: Life in Hong Kong was both; nice and exciting, while at the same time, challenging and stressful. Still, looking back, that was all part of the experience, and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. As I mentioned earlier, one of the things that made life outside of school substantially more challenging, was the fact that I moved there with my wife and daughter. So, to start with, this meant that I could not apply for university accommodation (which, at least at the time that was only available for singles). Consequently, I had to find accommodation in the city by myself. For someone who has no experience living in Hong Kong this may sound trivial, but anyone with an awareness of the housing situation there can immediately relate just how much of a difference that was. It took me about three months to find a decent apartment. Moreover, I was starting to worry about my financial situation, because I knew that whenever I found an apartment I was going to have to pay three months in advance (two for deposit plus one of rent). So, I spent the first five weeks after I arrived in Hong Kong living in youth hostels, ‘jumping’ from one to another because the prices were constantly changing. Fortunately, at that time I was by myself, my wife and daughter joined me a couple of months later. Eventually I learned that the Y-Loft at the Youth Square in Chai Wan had a special offer for international graduate students and I was able to move in there. That made a big difference, not only the accommodation was much better, but the cost was lower. Eventually I found an apartment in Tsuen Wan West, just right in time before my wife and daughter arrived.  The apartment—which costed just a bit more than half of my stipend—was a lot more expensive in comparison to what students living in the university accommodation were paying, but luckily, we managed to complete the three months of rent that had to be paid upfront. Unfortunately, after about a year and a half of living there, the agency through which we made the contract, called us to tell us that the rent was increasing. It was a substantial increase, of about 20%. Apparently, this is a common practice in Hong Kong. Agents constantly instigate landlords to increase rent, hoping that because of the hassle, tenants will accept, and a new contract is made, thus the agents make money through their fees, and the landlords make money with a higher rent. Still we couldn’t afford to pay 20% more, so, we declined and started looking for a new place. Luckily, by this point were were ‘more settled’ and my wife could help with that. After looking at tens of apartments, we found a good deal directly with a young landlord. A smaller apartment, but also cheaper, it was all the way up in Tuen Mun, which meant that my commute to the PolyU which was of around 25 min. became of around 50 min. Still, we were quite happy in Tuen Mun, and we stayed there until we left Hong Kong. [read also: living costs in Hong Kong] Aside from the complications of housing, and the fact that we were quite tight with money as a family, I enjoyed life in Hong Kong very much. While on the one hand I was busier than ever, on the other I was no longer on a 9-to-5 schedule. As long as I kept up with the work, it didn’t matter when or how I did it. This freedom was priceless for me.  One of the things I enjoyed most was simply walking around and exploring the city. In fact, I am quite confident in saying that there are few areas of Hong Kong that I haven’t been around walking. I also developed the routine of doing exercise around lunch time. First, I used to go to the university’s gym, but eventually I started to go out to the Tsim Sha Tsui promenade. That was something I really enjoyed as well, and it also helped me to release stress.  Church life is always the best spiritual support to Giovanni. Weekend cycling with family and friends. Sundays we also had a nice routine as a family; we used to go to The Vine church in Wan Chai. We’ve been at this church once or twice before we moved to Hong Kong from Shenzhen, because some of our friends used to go there. Eventually however, we made new friends and even our older daughter still remains in touch with a friend she made there when she was only 6. After church we used to go to have lunch as a family to one of the nearby places, usually Fairwood or TamJai SamGor which was our favourite. We still remember how much we enjoyed eating spicy noodles there. In fact, we always say that whenever we have a chance to visit Hong Kong, we will definitively go there to eat noodles. Sometimes after lunch we would take a bus to go to the peak, get a coffee (or iced-coffee) at the top, and then walk all the way down from there to Admiralty. It was such a nice time walking down with my wife and daughter, enjoying the views of the city and of the vegetation around. Another thing I really enjoyed doing with my family or friends was cycling. We would rent a bike in Shatin and then cycle to Tai Po and back. That was the journey we liked the most, and the one we did the most often on Saturday or Sunday afternoons/evenings.  But even the ‘small things’ like, taking my daughter to school every morning, or stepping outside of the office to enjoy a cold can of coffee from 7-eleven on VA core during the hot summer days, are things I have a fond memory of.    Giovanni enjoying his favourite TamJai spicy noodle. His daughter was the regular visitor of the PolyU campus where he spent three years. DC: What are you doing after graduation?  GC: I left Hong Kong in September 2016 to join the department of engineering and design at the University of Sussex, where I have been working as product design lecturer. A typical contract for new lecturers at the time I was hired involved teaching, research, and administrative duties (known as a ‘forty forty twenty’ contract, because of the percentage of time that one is supposed to devote to each respectively). The probation period for new academic staff here is of three years, which meant that I felt under pressure to finish my PhD within that period. However, the department was facing a number of issues at the time I joined. This meant that not only I had to ‘hit the ground running,’ but also that my probation period was quite challenging. Although by the university’s own standards new academic staff in probation were not supposed to teach more than one module during their first year, the following term I was given two ‘half modules’ to teach. Fortunately, I completed my PhD in 2018 and passed probation about a year ago.  Unfortunately, the situation in my workplace, and the fact that I spent the first year and a half after I started working trying to finish my PhD, meant that I wasn’t able to do much research. However, since my appointment I have created 5 modules, supervised 12 final year students, served as academic advisor to 20+ students, taught 4 modules per year, taken part in an extensive curriculum review, completed a mandatory postgraduate certificate in higher education, served as admissions tutor for the product design degree course and served as mentor for new colleagues. Moreover, I have recently collaborated with one of the most established research groups within the department to design a ‘haptic device for virtual reality environments.’  Giovanni with his students. Most teaching was moved online during the COVID-19 pandemic.  DC: Thank you Giovanni for your sharing. Your experience is very helpful to shed light on PhD studies in Hong Kong and help those who are considering to prepare for their upcoming journey. Our best wishes to you and your family, and look forward to meeting you again in Hong Kong!   Read more: Research Postgradudate Programmes at PolyU PhD Fellowship Scheme