The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has turned over a new leaf in its history today (19 April) with the grand opening of its Halls of Residence (Homantin). The University also took this occasion to hold its annual Donors’ Reception to thank those scholarship and bursary donors who have rendered their generous support to PolyU students in the academic year of 2012/13.
The Ceremony was officiated by Professor Timothy W. Tong, PolyU President, with the participation of more than one hundred benefactors and guests.
Addressing the audience, Professor Tong highlighted the importance of hall life as an integral part of university education. He emphasized, “Hall life not only enriches students’ learning experience and injects a new culture in campus, more significantly, it is a place for personal growth and cultural exchange. Students are presented with many chances to enhance their interpersonal skills by interacting with their peers of different disciplines and diverse backgrounds under the same roof.”
The Halls of Residence (Homantin), located within a 15-minute walking distance from PolyU main campus, is a 25-storey high-rise building comprising six individual halls which can accommodate about 1,650 students in total. Each of the halls features a distinctive theme, represented by a vibrant colour of the rainbow, so as to form a living-learning community in facilitating the growth of the students as well as to strengthen students’ sense of belonging to the hall community. A dedicated team of hall wardens, tutors, hall buddies and peer tutors are also on hand to provide guidance, pastoral care and support to all hall residents.
The new hostel provides the choices of single, double and triple rooms to cater for the needs of different students. Moreover, the design of nine-person-suite facilitates the formation of small communities among residents so as to encourage interaction and integration, at the same time offers adequate privacy to students. Spacious outdoor areas like the Sky Gardens, Podium Garden and Entrance Plaza offer pleasant environment for leisure while the Central Student Lounges in each hall, communal areas at the corridor ends and living rooms in each suite give ample space for students’ interflow.
On this occasion, Professor Tong also expressed his heartfelt gratitude to all donors for their generous and continuous support, he said, “Our donors’ generous contributions not only benefit our students, but are also an enormous encouragement to our University. We do not just take the face value of your contributions, we also consider them an endorsement to the efforts we make and as an assurance that we are on the right track. This in turn will guide us to move forward and excel further.”
In the academic year of 2012/13, PolyU, together with the continuous and very generous support of many donors and academic departments, offered over $73.5 million as scholarships and prizes to encourage and recognize students with outstanding academic and/or non-academic achievements. About 2,860 scholarships were available to students of various disciplines as at the end of March 2013.
In addition, $6.5 million was also made available for disbursement in the form of bursary, interest-free loan, and emergency grant and/or loan to needy students to help relieve them of financial difficulties. Among the 900 applications for bursaries and/or interest free loans received by the Student Affairs Office by the end of March 2013, 274 successful cases have been offered assistance after careful vetting and assessment interviews.
During the Ceremony, student representative Miss Cheng Lui, a third-year student of the Department of Applied Social Sciences gave her vote of thanks on behalf of PolyU students to all donors. Hall resident Leo Ho and members of the hall choir also staged a lively and harmonica and singing performance to express their appreciation to all donors and guests.
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