The OPAA award presentation ceremony and dinner was held on 13 December 2022. Eight alumni were bestowed the “Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award 2022” by the Selection Panel chaired by the Council Chairman, in recognition of their significant achievements in their fields as well as their contributions to their alma mater and society. They are (in alphabetical order of last name):
 

Under the enhanced structure of the OPAA, recognition is also given to outstanding young alumni. Recipients of the Outstanding PolyU Young Alumni Award, in alphabetical order of their last names, are:
 

PolyU’s iconic main entrance was officially unveiled! The high-profile unveiling ceremony was officiated by Mr John K. C. Lee, Chief Executive of the HKSAR and Chancellor of PolyU, and joined by about 600 community leaders, distinguished guests, PolyU staff, students and alumni who gathered to celebrate the joyful occasion.

Located near Core A on Cheong Wan Road, the new main entrance signifies PolyU’s new stage of development to the next level of excellence for the advancement of Hong Kong, the Nation and the world, leveraging the University’s strengths in research and education. I sincerely invite you to come back to campus to learn more about our new developments.

Alumni Tourcations to rediscover their alma mater : Over the past few months, twelve tours for alumni were organised by the Alumni Affairs Office to celebrate the University’s Anniversary. The tours took alumni to some favourite campus spots and iconic buildings, and introduced PolyU’s state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment. Alumni also had the chance to talk to current students, which reignited their fond memories of studying at their alma mater. This Tourcation series was jointly organised by different PolyU departments and local alumni associations, and supported by the Federation of PolyU Alumni Associations.

Reunion of mainland graduates residing in Hong Kong : Our Mainland Development Office organised a homecoming reunion for mainland alumni living in Hong Kong to celebrate their ten-year graduation anniversary, which attracted more than 50 graduates to revisit their alma mater this November. They toured the campus and visited the new Main Entrance and the renovated Library and were deeply impressed. I was glad to share with them the University’s latest developments, while they shared with me their memories of university life.

Grand Concert : The PolyU 85th Anniversary Grand Concert, directed by internationally renowned musician Mr Leung Kin-fung (PolyU Fellow), brought together renowned artists, including Hong Kong artist Dr Liza Wang Ming-chun (PolyU Fellow); renowned violinist Ms Yao Jue (PolyU Fellow); guzheng virtuoso Dr Lunlun Zou (PolyU Fellow); Steinway artist Dr Vivian Cheng Wai; renowned singer Ms Sophie Chen; erhu master Guogan; choir conductor Mr Alex Tam; as well as aspiring music talents from the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and the PolyU community – PolyU Orchestra, PolyU Choir and the Federation of PolyU Alumni Associations Chinese Orchestra. Members of the PolyU community, including students, staff and alumni enjoyed a heart-warming and memorable musical journey.

Celebration Dinner : The University hosted a dinner at Hotel ICON, its teaching and research hotel, on 25 November, which marked the finale of its year-long Anniversary celebrations. Officiating at the event were Mr Cheuk Wing-hing, Deputy Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR; Dr Choi Yuk-lin, Secretary for Education of the HKSAR; Dr Lam Tai-fai, PolyU Council Chairman; senior members of the PolyU Council and University Court; and central management. Honourable guests including community leaders, government officials and industry partners joined PolyU staff, students and alumni at the memorable event. Backed by our strong foundation, we will keep striving to excel further in providing world-class education and conducting cutting-edge research.

The University organised a series of lectures hosted by distinguished speakers, including:

The lectures were well received by the PolyU community, including students, staff and alumni as well as by the public.

The Alumni Affairs Office has been organising webinars and other programmes to help our alumni community stay on top of emerging technology trends. The webinar entitled ‘The Hype of NFT – What’s Next?’ was held in October. It brought together four alumni – Mr Dick Fong, Mr Keith Wong, Dr Peter Ng and Professor Dicky Shek, to share their insights with the PolyU community. Apart from examining NFT fundamentals, the speakers also discussed trends and prospects with the audience. The event was well received, attracting 440 registrations.

PolyU recently established The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Graduate School Mainland Alumni Network (PolyUGSMAN). It aims to build a mutual platform for exchange and cooperation between PolyU and its alumni, and strives to promote research collaboration in the mainland. The Executive Committee and alumni members are from different research fields, reflecting the diversity of the PolyU Graduate School alumni community.

To express appreciation to our donors and to honour the appointment of Endowed Professors and Endowed Young Scholars, the University recently held the Fourth Inauguration of Endowed Professorships cum the First Inauguration of Endowed Young Scholars. In particular, we sincerely thank our alumni, including Dr Otto Poon, Ir Tsui Tak-kong, Dr Alex Wong and Ir Yau Kwok-fai who have given us generous support for the endowed positions. The Endowed Professors and Young Scholars specialise in a range of research fields, including Accounting and Finance, Aerospace Navigation, Civil Engineering, Data Science, Design, Medical Laboratory Science, Neuropsychology, Smart Buildings, Spatial Science, Sustainable Urban Development, Social Services, and many more. You can find the full list of the Endowed Professorships, Named Professorships and Endowed Young Scholar positions conferred at the ceremony here.