Hi, I am Jin Zezhong, a 2023 graduate of the MSc in Electronic and Information Engineering programme at PolyU. I completed my MSc by taking seven courses (including digital image processing, speech recognition and wireless communication) and completing a dissertation.

The first semester of the programme gave me a deeper professional knowledge and laid a solid foundation for future research. Because of my excellent grades in the first semester and my interest in deep learning, I was lucky to be given the opportunity to complete my dissertation with an MSc Studentship under the supervision of Professor Man Wai MAK.

At first, I had difficulties reading the papers and writing code. But under my supervisor’s careful guidance, I gradually learned to read papers and write code. After completing the dissertation project, I improved my academic skills and received a PhD programme opportunity. I am so glad that I chose the dissertation project at that time. I am very grateful to The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and my supervisor. I suggest that any student who has a strong research interest should undertake a dissertation project.

Good luck to every new student in the coming semester!

Hi, I am QIU Hao, a 2023 graduate of the MSc in Electronic and Information Engineering programme.

Learning in EIE is fun. Unlike undergraduate study, MSc courses are project-based, which means I got many opportunities to implement exciting ideas and learn practical skills. For instance, I built a seat monitor for the IoT course, a code injector for the cyber security course and a LoRa transmitter for the wireless communication course. Presenting these projects was very fulfilling because that’s when I realised my skills are useful. Experiences like this are very common in EIE, and sometimes I talk about them to impress interviewers.

After receiving an MSc Studentship, I started to work on my dissertation under the supervision of Prof. Man-Wai Mak. To produce plausible results, I went through many iterations of training and evaluation, hyperparameter tuning and reading research papers. This process was frustrating initially, but I gradually learned that trial and error was the nature of any real-life project. Meanwhile, Prof. Mak was very patient and guided me through lots of technical difficulties. Indeed, I struggled a lot with the dissertation, but after receiving the final grade, I knew it was worth the effort.

Thanks EIE for giving me one of the most precious 1.5 years of my life.

I graduated from the MSc in EIE programme at PolyU in 2022. In my first year of study, I acquired knowledge from my chosen courses, including digital image processing, wireless communication and pattern recognition. I appreciated the university facilities, including the library, which provided me with a comfortable place in which to focus on my studies. During my second year, I undertook my dissertation with the patient and helpful guidance of my supervisor. My research experience strengthened my abilities in self-motivated study and problem-solving, qualities that will assist me in my future study and work. I was fortunate to be awarded a full MSc Studentship for my dissertation research after the evaluation of my results, and I worked as a part-time research assistant while completing my dissertation. I am thankful that the EIE Department provided me with these opportunities, and I am continuing my study with EIE at PolyU as a PhD student.

I am honoured to share my study and research experience in EIE over the past 2 years. In my first year, I undertook seven subjects, including communication networks, the Internet of Things and machine learning, which enhanced my theoretical knowledge. The EIE has an innovative approach to teaching, as the subjects were provided as a combination of lectures, experiments and group/individual projects, which not only improved my ability to understand the subjects but also improved my teamwork and independent research skills. I also appreciated the rich extracurricular activities and opportunities provided by the school, including the courts and gyms for exercise, as well as the music room and swimming pool.

After completing my first year of study, I was awarded an MSc Studentship, and undertook the dissertation during my second year, with a focus on vehicular networks and intelligent transportation systems. The dissertation research required more self-discipline and self-motivated study than the scheduled classes of my first year, but I was provided with sufficient structure through weekly group meetings, which encouraged me to progress in a timely manner and provided me with feedback that enabled me to improve my research. In the coming year, I will continue to advance my research project and work as a research assistant.

I graduated from the MSc in EIE programme at PolyU in 2022. My 2 years of study at EIE have been one of the most fulfilling periods of my life. I took seven courses on artificial intelligence and the internet of things and one 9-credit dissertation to complete my degree. The MSc courses in EIE provide a variety of learning formats including class teaching, tutorials, group projects, laboratory exercises and oral presentations.

The coursework in my first year laid a solid knowledge foundation for my subsequent research work. Based on my academic results, I was awarded an MSc Studentship and undertook my dissertation on the artificial intelligence of things, which was an area I was strongly interested in. A research project is quite different than course study, and it requires strong problem-solving and self-learning abilities. Initially, I found the research difficult, but with the guidance of my supervisor and friends in the programme, my academic research abilities greatly improved. I am glad that I chose the dissertation project because it fostered these abilities, and I suggest that every student who has a strong research interest should undertake a dissertation project. As a result of the MSc in EIE programme, I have obtained not only knowledge of the subject matter but also the ability to think critically and independently.

I graduated from PolyU’s MSc in EIE programme in 2020, and I now work as a full-time research assistant in the EIE Department. In the future, I intend to advance my research career by enrolling in a PhD programme. During my MSc studies, I chose seven courses and the 9-credit dissertation to complete my degree. During my 2 years in the EIE Department, I accumulated advanced knowledge of vehicular networks, the internet of things, wireless communication and information security.

I chose to undertake my dissertation in vehicular networks and autonomous driving systems. Compared with the other taught courses, the dissertation requires a great deal of independent study and problem-solving skills. My weekly meetings with my supervisor provided guidance and allowed me to seek timely assistance when I encountered difficulties. While working on my dissertation, I learned to balance multiple tasks in various areas, such as innovation, system structure, programming, presentation and paper organisation.

I am grateful for the support of EIE and PolyU throughout my studies. Based on my personal experience, I recommend the MSc in EIE programme to all students who have a passion for research in this field.

Studying in PolyU’s EIE Department was an incredible experience. The MSc programme offers extensive knowledge of 5G technology, machine learning, AI, the IoT and robotics. I was fortunate to study alongside many friendly classmates and to receive the help of many kind and generous teachers.

My classmates and I studied polar code and planned to apply our knowledge to 5G and even 6G development. We built a distributed multi-agent face recognition system for kindergartens to help parents protect their children, and we trained a quadruped robot via deep reinforcement learning for legged robotic control problems. I was delighted to receive an MSc Studentship from EIE to support my studies and life at PolyU. I will never forget these amazing opportunities during my studies. Now, I am a research assistant in the Department, focusing on reinforcement learning and robotics thanks to my teachers, my classmates, EIE staff and PolyU.

I graduated from PolyU’s MSc in EIE programme in 2021. At the beginning of my studies, I set myself the goal of enhancing my professional knowledge and chose to do the dissertation project to achieve this goal. I shaped my research plan with the help of my supervisor, who was kind and supportive, and the friendly senior PhD students. My grades won me a scholarship in the next semester, which further supported my research.

During my studies, I encountered many problems, especially as I had never previously conducted experiments in the field of optics, my chosen dissertation field. I discussed my problems with lab-mates and my supervisor and consulted academic papers for guidance. During weekly group meetings, I reported on my research progress or shared papers in the field with the group. In this process, I learned more about optical fibre sensing and improved my English.

After successfully completing my dissertation project, I presented some highlights at the OptoElectronics and Communications Conference. With the support of my professor, I lead my team to enter competitions, and we received first prize in the 6th IoT Technology and Application 3S Competition for University Students in China (第六屆大學生物聯網技術與應用「三創」大賽) in 2020 and second prize in the 7th Hong Kong University Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition in 2021. In the future, I plan to work as a research assistant in the EIE Department, and to deepen and advance the research I conducted during my dissertation project.

I am a graduate of the MSc in EIE programme. Looking back, my 2 years at PolyU were among the most fulfilling periods of my life. In my first year, the wide range of subjects provided me with a solid foundation for my research. The EIE teaching staff are both academically outstanding and extremely supportive.

In my second year, I embarked on my research career. This year was full of challenges, but I eventually overcame them with the help of my warm-hearted and academically rigorous instructor. With his patient guidance, I greatly improved my research skills, and I was reminded that learning is a lifelong process, and that we should always keep working hard. During my studies, I learned how enjoyable and fulfilling research can be. I was very grateful and honoured to receive an MSc Studentship, which recognised my efforts over the preceding 2 years and encouraged me to pursue an academic career with full confidence. Now, as a research staff member in CAiRS, I remain very grateful for the opportunities that EIE gave me.

I am a 2019 graduate of the MSc in EIE programme at PolyU, where I took seven taught courses on artificial intelligence and information security, combined with a dissertation. During my 2 years in the EIE Department, I not only gained the knowledge taught in classes but also the ability to think independently to solve problems. The EIE Department offers subjects in different learning formats, including class teaching, programming, group projects, oral presentations and laboratory courses. In addition, the Department often hosts competitions that students can participate in. Creative thinking is encouraged for every student in the EIE Department.

After my first semester, my high grades meant that I had the opportunity to participate in the MSc Studentship Project Scheme while undertaking my MSc dissertation. For the subsequent 1.5 years, conducting my research and writing my dissertation were my main tasks. Compared with course-based study, academic research requires stronger self-learning and problem-solving skills. I spent a great deal of time reading the literature and understanding the principles and algorithms relevant to my topic. When I faced any issues, I separated them into several aspects and resolved them step by step with guidance from my supervisor at EIE. This learning process and the dissertation were a valuable academic experience, and I am proud that I decided to undertake the research option.

As well as the support of my supervisor, I obtained language assistance from the English Language Centre and careers and interview guidance from the Office of Careers and Placement Services at PolyU, both of which assisted me in my study and career. I am very grateful for the generous dedication and consistent support of PolyU and EIE during my study.

I graduated from the MSc in EIE programme in 2019. Thanks to the programme, I have recently found a job relevant to my MSc study in Zhejiang. At the beginning of my study, I set myself the goal of attaining sufficient knowledge to undertake academic research in the form of a dissertation. I participated in seven courses in the areas of communications and artificial intelligence. In these courses, in addition to learning different theories, students engaged in experiments and tests, and we were encouraged to ask questions in class, and to discuss issues with the subject lecturers after class. As a result, I gained a much better understanding of the theories than I had before.

After studying hard in my first semester, I had the opportunity to do my dissertation with the support of an MSc Studentship. My supervisor helped me a great deal with the problems I encountered during my dissertation and offered me much constructive advice. In addition, the group meeting held every week helped me to keep up with the latest research and gave me the opportunity to practice public speaking by presenting my paper. During my dissertation, I learned to work through problems and develop the valuable habits of reading and independent thinking. The strong academic environment at EIE has enriched my knowledge and skills. I greatly appreciate the learning experience it provided, which taught me to be positive and overcome challenges.

I am a 2018 graduate of the MSc in EIE programme at PolyU. The subjects I took covered a broad range of engineering fields, including communication system design, multimedia technologies and artificial intelligence. At PolyU, students are encouraged to interact with professors both during and after class. There are great opportunities available to students who are interested in addressing real-world engineering-related problems through well-designed mini projects.

I was offered an MSc Studentship to undertake my dissertation in the EIE programme. Research is quite different than course work and requires both strong initiative and learning capabilities. In the process of completing my dissertation, I encountered many issues, but these challenges taught me how to think about the problems from different perspectives and to persist in solving them. I strongly recommend that new students choose to work on a dissertation if they are genuinely interested in research. My valuable research experience made me realise how important it is to keep learning and keep pace with rapid advances in new technologies.

I obtained my MSc degree in EIE in 2017. Since graduating, I have worked as an engineer in the Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute, where I am responsible for the system design of 5G cellular networks. Throughout my 2 years of study at PolyU, I fulfilled my goals of developing a broad and detailed knowledge of signal processing and communication technology and of gaining valuable research experience through writing a dissertation.

During my studies I enrolled in seven courses, most of which were on telecommunications and artificial intelligence. What impressed me most was that each course essentially involved a mini project. By engaging in the projects, students can better understand the meaning of complex formulas and theories and, even more importantly, learn how to use their knowledge to solve practical problems.

After my first semester spent gaining fundamental knowledge, I was able to undertake a dissertation in the field of autonomous driving. My supervisor helped me a great deal and gave me much valuable advice during my research. Weekly group meetings with other students provided me with inspiration and ideas, and offered a format in which students could learn from each other. Although completing my dissertation was challenging, it was one of the best decisions that I have made, and it helped me to make significant progress in developing my research abilities. Overall, my study experience at PolyU has been, and will continue to be, a great asset in my future career.

I joined the part-time MSc in EIE programme at PolyU after earning my undergraduate degree. I studied part-time and simultaneously worked as an engineer. While it was challenging working and studying at the same time, I was determined to live outside my comfort zone, which prepared me for the challenges ahead.

I enjoyed my 2 years as an MSc student at PolyU and found the programme to be meaningful and worthwhile. I gained experience of state-of-the-art technology in different fields and subjects. I also met foreign classmates with different cultural backgrounds, and some experienced industry locals. As a result, my social network expanded. In addition, I worked on a research project, which enhanced my research experience and skills. Although I faced numerous challenges, I enjoyed working on the project, and I know that it will greatly benefit my future PhD studies.

My time in the MSc in EIE programme was both busy and fruitful. Apart from the language of instruction, the main differences between EIE at PolyU and my mainland education were that the EIE programme offered more group projects, greater collaboration among students and more continuous assessments, all of which helped to consolidate my learning.

I chose to undertake the dissertation as well as coursework, and the Department very generously granted me an MSc Studentship. Learning about a subject by writing a dissertation is quite different from course-based learning. Rather than simply attending lectures and finishing assignments, a dissertation involves more interaction with a supervisor, and it requires the clear articulation of ideas, both orally and in written form. Thanks to the patient guidance and encouragement of my supervisor, I was able to produce some good results and present my research at an international conference at the end of my MSc study. I also received an invitation from the conference organiser to submit an extended version of my conference paper to a special issue of an international journal.

During my time working on my dissertation, I greatly enjoyed doing research, and the academic environment in the EIE programme was congenial and vibrant. Therefore, after graduating from the MSc Programme, I decided to continue my EIE research as a research assistant and began studying for my PhD in August 2016.

During my 2 years of study in the Department of EIE, I gained a great deal of knowledge from the classes and my research. I made huge efforts to earn high grades during my first semester and was granted a full MSc Studentship to complete my dissertation during the remainder of my MSc.

Study here is very different from my experience in mainland China, as it emphasises understanding rather than simply remembering equations. The courses at PolyU trained me to think logically and critically, and to solve problems, and the research tested my creativity and perseverance. I believe that students who choose to study at PolyU are more mature, confident and intelligent when they complete their studies, and that they will be proud of what they achieve, as I am.

After graduating from the MSc in EIE programme, I joined a start-up company in Beijing, where I am responsible for research and development in the field of computer vision algorithms.

In my first semester at PolyU, I took five subjects in the field of digital signal processing and pattern recognition. The lectures were theoretical and helped me to establish a sound basic knowledge, and the lab sessions helped me to keep pace with state-of-the-art techniques and products. I found them very useful when I tried to understand and implement complicated algorithms in my own study and work.

In the second and third semesters, I was devoted to my research and writing my dissertation. My supervisor guided me well and was always ready to help me solve research problems. Students held a meeting every week and took turns giving presentations. As a result, I could show the other students my research and ask for suggestions, and I frequently gained inspiration from other group members. This environment of mutual learning helped me progress rapidly. Thus, I not only gained professional knowledge from studying at PolyU, but also developed good communication skills and gained research experience, which have helped me in my career.

The MSc in EIE programme provides a good opportunity for students with a background in engineering to undertake further postgraduate studies. The programme offers a wide choice of subjects in electronics, telecommunications and multimedia technologies. The dissertation is a good option for students who want to gain more research experience.

During this programme, I had the opportunity to attend lectures delivered by extremely capable and knowledgeable academics. I acquired a strong foundation in advanced engineering technologies and practical problem-solving skills through coursework, laboratory exercises and mini projects. The dissertation equipped me with research experience, critical thinking and independent learning abilities. I was delighted to receive an MSc Studentship from EIE to support my dissertation and was honoured to receive the EIE Alumni Scholarship and Type I Scholarship from the Faculty of Engineering.

I am satisfied with my life and studies at PolyU, which were years full of gaining knowledge and overcoming challenges. I feel honoured to be an MSc in EIE graduate, and I very much treasure this intensive and diverse learning experience.