Our staff members have been dedicating great efforts to pursuing excellence and creating impact through their educational and research endeavours, thus strengthening PolyU’s position as a world-class university.

I am delighted to share with you the news that the University’s efforts have received global recognition.

In the QS World University Rankings 2021, PolyU is ranked 75^th out of more than 1,600 universities globally. The evaluation was based on six metrics: academic reputation, employer reputation, faculty/student ratio, citations per faculty, international faculty ratio and international student ratio. In Asia, we were rated 25^th in the QS Asia University Rankings 2020.

In the recently announced Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021, PolyU is ranked 129th. The ratings covered more than 1,500 higher education institutions from 93 countries and regions, with universities assessed on 13 sets of indicators, including quality of teaching and learning, research strength and number of citations, as well as international outlook.

While we understand that such rankings depend on the specific criteria adopted and that the results may fluctuate from one year to another, this recognition is a significant encouragement to us. I am most grateful for colleagues’ hard work and dedicated efforts over the years.

At the same time, it is also a reminder that we still have a long way to go in many areas, and I look forward to our alumni’s continued support in our future endeavours and initiatives in strengthening our position as a world-class university.

Harnessing the strengths of PolyU’s research capability and world-class scholars, we have established the PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR), a hub for research and innovation operating across disciplines, which aims to develop innovations and cultivate impactful solutions for the good of society.

As a hub and catalyst for both basic and translational research, PAIR will host a significant number of mission-driven interdisciplinary research institutes, focusing on high-impact areas to address key societal challenges. It will also be home for a community of Fellows, Senior Fellows and many other researchers.

The establishment of PAIR further manifests PolyU’s commitment to pursuing research excellence and innovation for ground-breaking solutions through strategic collaborative initiatives in research, scholarship and knowledge transfer.

The University has also established the Graduate School (GS), which will play a pivotal role in the planning, management, quality assurance and promotion of PolyU’s research postgraduate (RPg) education.

Headed by Prof. Chen Guohua, Interim Dean of Graduate School and Interim Vice President (Research and Innovation), the GS will partner with faculties and departments to lead and coordinate educational and training activities in order to ensure a holistic educational experience for RPg students. We strive to nurture a pool of high potential research talent that will help drive knowledge creation and technological advancement in Hong Kong and beyond.

To enhance our students’ holistic education experience, we have made further efforts with a new university-wide mentorship programme named “INSPIRE” to be launched in the new academic year.

We believe that our students are able to learn a lot from the role models and prominent leaders from the PolyU community, including our outstanding alumni, University Fellows, Poly-preneurs, as well as members of the University Council and Court. Mentoring activities such as sharing life experiences, discussing good books, arranging visits or providing job shadowing opportunities at their mentor’s workplace will help broaden students’ horizons and enhance their growth.

Through learning from their mentors’ wisdom and experience, our students will be truly inspired.

There is a saying, “With great power comes great responsibility.” I am impressed that our Outstanding PolyU Alumni Association (OPAA) has developed a new initiative, namely, OPAA UNITE, earlier this year. It aims at bringing together our outstanding alumni to foster the development of PolyU through contributing their expertise, wisdom, network and resources.

With the belief of “giving back to the alma mater”, OPAA members are currently participating in various university development initiatives under “UNITE”, covering the following five areas:
University development,
Nurturing students and fostering alumni community,
Institutional advancement and sustainability,
Technological advancement and knowledge transfer, and
Enhanced internationalisation and engaging the nation.

The Association will mobilise more members and fellow alumni to join the initiative and help PolyU move forward.

As you know, our alumni community is expanding, and the University is eager to stay connected with you. I sincerely invite you to fill in the Alumni Profile Update managed by our Alumni Affairs and Development Office. The dedicated webpage enables you to view and update your contacts and job positions while indicating your interests in volunteering to support the University and other areas of interests.

Your support will help build a healthy alumni communication network, letting us know how you have been doing and keeping you updated on the latest news and events of your alma mater. Do stay in touch!