News

PolyU Mathematics Secures National Top Spot in Research.com 2026

Mathematics at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has reached a significant milestone in academic excellence, ranking No. 1 nationwide and 72nd globally in the 2026 edition of the Best Mathematics Universities by Research.com. This recognition underscores the Department of Applied Mathematics (AMA)’s growing influence in the global scientific community and its commitment to driving innovation through mathematical research. The ranking is determined by the Discipline H-index (D-index), which evaluates a combination of publication and citation data to identify the world’s leading researchers and institutions. The top national ranking places AMA at the forefront of mathematical sciences in China, reflecting the Department’s dedication to fostering a robust research environment. By securing the 72nd position worldwide, AMA continues to demonstrate its competitiveness against long-standing international institutions, particularly in fields such as applied mathematics, computational methodolgy, and data science. Research.com’s ranking is highly regarded for its focus on the actual research output and impact of scholars within the discipline. This latest accolade highlights AMA’s success in attracting top-tier academic talent and producing impactful research that addresses complex global challenges in engineering, technology, and the social sciences.

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PolyU Statistics & Operational Research and Mathematics Named Among the QS World Top 100 in 2026

We’re pleased to announce PolyU’s outstanding performance in Mathematics and Statistics & Operational Research in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026. This year, Statistics & Operational Research is ranked 40, while Mathematics is ranked 68. Notably, Statistics & Operational Research has been ranked within the world’s Top 50, while Mathematics remains among the world’s Top 100—both for the second consecutive year. These results demonstrate the Department’s sustained strength in research-led learning. Backed by our faculty’s expertise and powered by our students’ determination, PolyU continues to translate academic capability into visible global impact. As we build on this progress, we remain focused on strengthening our programmes, deepening interdisciplinary collaboration, and expanding partnerships beyond the classroom. With an emphasis on rigorous training and real-world relevance, the Department is committed to preparing graduates to meet the demands of an increasingly data-driven world.

AMA Students Honoured with Prestigious Awards for Leadership and Excellence 2025/26

We are proud to announce the remarkable achievements of our AMA students, who have been recognised with two distinguished awards for the 2025/26 academic year: the Presidential Student Leadership Award from the Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences and the Outstanding Student Award from the Department of Applied Mathematics. Presidential Student Leadership Award 2025/26 Mr. YAN Yau Chun, Reg, a Year 2 student in BSc (Hons) Investment Science and Finance Analytics with a Secondary Major in AIDA, was presented with the Presidential Student Leadership Award. Reg currently serves as General Secretary of the 33rd AMA Student Association and previously held the position of Financial Secretary in the 32nd Association. Beyond PolyU, Reg is deeply committed to community service, volunteering with various organisations. He has been a member of the Hong Kong St. John Ambulance Brigade Youth Command since 2019 and was promoted to Cadet Corporal in 2021. “PolyU has supported me through diverse learning opportunities and practical expenses, helped me developing leadership, teamwork, and communication skills.” Reg said. Outstanding Student Award of the Department of Applied Mathematics 2025/26 Miss Xie Mengyu, a final-year student in BSc (Hons) Investment Science and Finance Analytics, was selected for the Outstanding Student Award of the Department of Applied Mathematics. Mengyu shared, “I feel deeply honoured and grateful to be selected as this year’s awardees. This award not only recognises my personal effort but also reflects the remarkable support provided by the University.” The Outstanding Student Award Scheme (OSA), organised annually by PolyU, honours full-time final-year students who excel academically and in non-academic pursuits, demonstrating leadership, strong personal qualities, active involvement in extra-curricular activities and community service, and a global outlook. The Presidential Student Leadership Award (PSLA), established in 2022/23, recognises student leaders who demonstrate exemplary leadership qualities and skills, providing them with opportunities to further contribute to society and the global community. Both awards were presented at the Outstanding Student Award and Presidential Student Leadership Award Presentation Ceremony 2025/26, held on 19 March 2026 at Hotel ICON, where a total of 57 PolyU students were honoured for their exceptional achievements in academic excellence and leadership. Congratulations to Reg and Mengyu for their outstanding accomplishments and valuable contributions to the AMA community!

PolyU Mathematics and AI Ranked No.1 in Hong Kong!

We are proud to share that The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has been ranked 1st among all universities in Hong Kong in both Mathematics and Artificial Intelligence by ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2025. PolyU’s Mathematics is also ranked among the world’s top 101–150, while our Statistics has achieved a global ranking in the 151–200 band. These outstanding achievements reflect the dedication and excellence of our faculty, students, and staff. Congratulations to everyone in the PolyU mathematics and AI community for these remarkable recognitions! For more information about the ShanghaiRanking, please visit https://www.shanghairanking.com/rankings/arwu/2025

AMA Young Scholar Prof. Zhou Zhi Named Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher 2025

We are proud to announce that our Associate Professor, Zhou Zhi, has been named a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher for 2025, in recognition of his outstanding contributions to mathematics and his global impact on academic research. The Highly Cited Researchers list, compiled annually by Clarivate, identifies scientists and scholars who have demonstrated significant influence through the publication of multiple highly cited papers that rank in the top 1% by citations for their field and year in the Web of Science™. Prof. Zhou’s research excellence has earned him this prestigious distinction, placing him among the world’s most influential researchers. Prof. Zhou joined PolyU AMA as an Assistant Professor in 2017 and currently serves as an Associate Professor. His research interests include numerical analysis of PDEs, scientific computing, and inverse problems. His work is widely recognized for its innovation and impact, as evidenced by his impressive citation record and numerous publications in top-tier international journals. In addition to this latest honor, Prof. Zhou has received several other prestigious awards, including the NSFC Excellent Young Scientist Fund (国家自然科学基金优秀青年科学基金项目) in 2024, the Frontiers of Science Award at the International Congress of Basic Science in 2024, and the RGC Early Career Award in 2018/19. These recognitions underscore his exceptional contributions to advancing mathematical sciences and his unwavering commitment to academic excellence. This achievement not only showcases Prof. Zhou’s remarkable contributions to the field, but also reflects AMA’s commitment to fostering world-class research and nurturing young talent. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Prof. Zhou Zhi on this remarkable accomplishment and look forward to his continued contributions to the academic community. For the full list and further details about the Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers for 2025, please visit  https://clarivate.com/highly-cited-researchers/.

Professor Sun Defeng Named 2026 Fellow of the American Mathematical Society

We are proud to announce that Chair Professor Sun Defeng, Head of the Department of Applied Mathematics, has been named a Fellow of the American Mathematical Society (AMS) for 2026. Professor Sun joins a distinguished group of forty mathematicians from around the world who have been selected for this honor in the program’s fourteenth year. The AMS Fellows program recognizes members who have made outstanding contributions to the creation, exposition, advancement, communication, and utilization of mathematics. Being elected as an AMS Fellow is an acknowledgement of Professor Sun’s excellence and leadership in the mathematical sciences, as well as his significant impact on the profession. Professor Sun is internationally renowned for his research in optimization, operations research, and numerical analysis. He has made pioneering contributions to the theory and algorithms for large-scale optimization problems, including semidefinite programming, conic programming, and matrix completion. His work has been widely published in top-tier journals and has had a profound influence on both theoretical developments and practical applications in areas such as data science, engineering, and finance. In addition to the AMS Fellowship, Professor Sun’s outstanding achievements have been recognized with numerous prestigious honors. He was elected Fellow of the Operations Research Society of China (ORSC) in 2024, and named Fellow of both the Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) and the China Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics (CSIAM) in 2020. He received the RGC Senior Research Fellow Award for 2022/23, and was honored with the Beale–Orchard-Hays Prize for Excellence in Computational Mathematical Programming by the Mathematical Optimization Society in 2018. This prestigious recognition is awarded by peers in the international mathematical community, highlighting Professor Sun’s dedication and achievements in advancing mathematics. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Professor Sun Defeng on this remarkable accomplishment. To view the names and institutions of the full 2026 Class of AMS Fellows, please visit the AMS Fellows webpage.

Dr Charles LEE Receives Inaugural Faculty Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching 2025

We are delighted to announce that Dr Charles LEE Kei Fung has been honored with the inaugural Faculty Award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching 2025, presented by the Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences. This distinguished award recognizes Charles' dedication and significant contributions to teaching excellence. His passion and commitment have made a significant impact on our students and the academic community. Please join us in congratulating Charles on this well-deserved recognition.

Chair Professor Qiao Zhonghua Honored as CSIAM Fellow 2025

Congratulations to Chair Professor Qiao Zhonghua for being awarded the prestigious CSIAM Fellowship 2025. The award was presented and announced during the 23rd Annual Conference of the China Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (CSIAM), held in Changsha from October 23 to 26, 2025. The CSIAM Fellowship is a lifetime honor recognizing distinguished members for their outstanding contributions to the field of industrial and applied mathematics. About CSIAM Founded in 1990, the China Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (CSIAM) is a leading non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting collaboration between academia and industry in applied mathematics. Supervised by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, CSIAM fosters communication among mathematicians, engineers, and industry professionals to address mathematical challenges that impact economic and technological development. For more details, please visit: https://m.csiam.org.cn/1003/202510/2524.html (Chinese only) We warmly congratulate Professor Qiao Zhonghua on this well-deserved recognition and his continued excellence in advancing applied mathematics.

AMA Dr Zhang Minyi Awarded Prestigious 19th Zhong Jiaqing Mathematics Prize

We are delighted to announce that Dr Zhang Minyi, Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Applied Mathematics, has been honored with the 19th Zhong Jiaqing Mathematics Prize (鍾家慶數學獎)—China’s highest accolade for mathematicians under 35, awarded by the Chinese Mathematical Society. Named after the renowned mathematician Zhong Jiaqing, the prize was established in 1988 to recognize outstanding young mathematicians in China who have made significant contributions to mathematical research. Since its inception, the award has been presented nineteen times to a total of 86 young scholars, many of whom have become leading figures across various fields of mathematics. Dr Zhang completed her bachelor’s degree at Guangdong University of Finance & Economics and earned her PhD under the supervision of Professor Zhu Changjiang at South China University of Technology in June 2024. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow conducting research under the guidance of Chair Professor Tong Yang at PolyU. Together with her collaborators, Dr Zhang has made significant breakthroughs in nonlinear partial differential equation (PDE) theory, addressing complex well-posedness problems spanning multiple dimensions, wave types—including rarefaction waves and viscous shocks—and a wide range of perturbation scales from small to large. Congratulations to Dr Zhang on this exceptional recognition! Read the official announcement (in Chinese):  https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/r7kkGbdZdUBd3Pya4VbR9w