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Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU COMP 2026

PolyU is proud to recognise and honour its alumni's outstanding accomplishments and contributions to the community through the Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award (OPAA). The results of this year's departmental awards are out after a rigorous selection process.   We are delighted to announce that Prof. WANG Xinchao, Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the National University of Singapore (NUS), has been granted the Outstanding Young Alumni Award of PolyU Department of Computing. Mr TAM Wing Kei, Founder & Technical Director of Octopus InfoTech Limited, is the recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU Department of Computing 2026.   Prof. WANG, who graduated from PolyU in 2010 with a BSc in Computing, is internationally recognised as one of the most distinguished young scholars in the field of artificial intelligence. He is the only academic in Singapore to have bagged the President’s Science and Technology Award (Young Scientist Award), NUS University Award (Young Researcher Award) and IEEE AI’s 10 to Watch honour at the same time. He has published more than 200 papers in top-tier venues, with over 28,900 citations and an H-index of 81. His influential research, including MetaFormer, DepGraph, LLM-Pruner, DeepCache, and OminiControl, has opened new directions in efficient neural networks, large language models, and generative AI, with impact extending to both academia and industry. His work has been widely adopted through large-scale systems and major open-source and industrial ecosystems, and at NUS, he has secured more than SGD15 million in research funding. He has also maintained strong ties with PolyU by contributing to seminars, student supervision, and research support initiatives.   Mr TAM is recognised for his outstanding entrepreneurial leadership and contributions to technological innovation in education. Four years after earning his BSc in Enterprise Information Systems, he founded Octopus InfoTech Limited in 2012. In the past 14 years, he has built the company from the ground up into a key player in Hong Kong that provides AI and digital solutions for digital transformation across the education and business sectors. His flagship innovations have been widely adopted by the government, local schools, universities and corporations. Beyond his business achievements, he is also committed to community service by taking on various leadership roles at institutions that promote educational technology advancement, while continuing to actively contribute to PolyU by co-organising workshops and competitions, providing student advising, and supporting alumni engagement.   PolyU takes great pride in its alumni's remarkable achievements and contributions to their professions and the community. The Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award celebrates the university's role in nurturing future leaders and innovators.

The 4th Bauhinia Forum on the Development of Computer Science Successfully Held at PolyU: Academic Leaders from Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Macau Gather to Explore the Future of the Discipline

The 4th Bauhinia Forum on the Development of Computer Science was successfully held on 16 May 2026 at Hotel ICON, jointly organised by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), Tsinghua University, and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). The Forum was hosted by PolyU’s Department of Computing (COMP).   The event brought together around 40 presidents, deans, department heads, and distinguished professors from leading universities across Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau. Participants engaged in in-depth discussions on key issues concerning the development of computer science, exploring future directions and fostering cross-institutional collaboration.   In response to the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) and the evolving global higher education landscape, this year’s Forum centred around three major themes — “AI4Education,” “Interdisciplinary Integration,” and “International Collaboration.” The programme featured a series of keynote and thematic presentations, as well as roundtable discussions, focusing on critical topics in the current development of computer science. Presentations covered innovative models for talent cultivation, international cooperation, applications of AI in education, quantum computing, the convergence of high-performance computing and artificial intelligence, and practical experiences in discipline development and talent training. With rich content and diverse perspectives, the discussions inspired new insights and promoted active exchanges among participants.   The opening ceremony was moderated by Prof. LI Qing, Head of the Department of Computing at PolyU. Prof. WU Jianping, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, Director of Zhongguancun Laboratory and Professor at Tsinghua University, and Prof. CAO Jiannong, Vice President (Education) of PolyU, delivered opening remarks.   Prof. Wu remarked, “Hosting this year’s Forum at PolyU brings together scholars from the Mainland, Hong Kong, and Macau to jointly open a new chapter for the discipline. Through exchanges and discussions among peers, I believe this Forum will reach new consensus on the development of computer science.”   Prof. Cao highlighted the rapid and transformative progress of AI over the past year, noting its growing impact on education and research. He expressed his hope to strengthen collaboration among universities in Mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau to advance joint research and educational development in AI and computer science.   Prof. Cao Jiannong delivers the opening remarks   Academician Wu Jianping (top right) and Academician Fang Binxing (bottom) deliver the opening remarks and keynote speech online, respectively   The keynote sessions featured several distinguished academics. Prof. FANG Binxing, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and Honorary Dean of the School of Cyberspace Security at Guangzhou University, delivered his presentation online, sharing insights on how AI impacts talent quality and how curriculum design, teaching practices, and assessment mechanisms can be reformed to foster higher-order thinking among students.   Prof. HU Shimin, Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Professor at Tsinghua University, presented in person, sharing recent developments of China’s computer science societies and their initiatives in promoting international academic exchange. He also discussed leveraging the regional advantages of Hong Kong and Macau to further enhance internationalisation. Academician Hu Shimin shares updates on national computer science societies   Prof. HU Xiangen, Director of the Education Research Centre at PolyU, gave a keynote on how education should be re-envisioned in the era of AI, arguing that AI for education should evolve into an independent academic domain. Prof. HU Xiangen discusses the role of artificial intelligence in education   Beyond the keynote speeches, three thematic presentations were delivered by experts from the three regions, highlighting frontier topics in the field.   Prof. Zhao Wei, Provost of Shenzhen University of Advanced Technology Prof. Li Kenli, Vice President of Hunan University and Director of the National Supercomputing Center in Changsha Prof. Cai Zhanchuan, Director of the School of Computer Science and Engineering, Macau University of Science and Technology   Two roundtable discussions further deepened interdisciplinary and cross-regional exchange. The first roundtable, themed “AI4Education,” focused on how AI empowers teaching and learning. Participants shared challenges faced by their institutions, discussed different AI-driven educational approaches, and examined their implications for curriculum innovation and talent cultivation.   Roundtable discussion themed “AI4Education”   The second roundtable, entitled “Breakthrough and Restructuring: Opportunities and Pathways for Internationalisation Strategies of Computer Science Schools under the New Global Environment,” explored how universities can continue advancing international cooperation, expanding academic networks, and enhancing their global impact in a changing world.   Roundtable discussion themed “Breakthrough and Restructuring: Opportunities and Pathways for  Internationalisation Strategies of Computer Science Schools under the New Global Environment”   Participants generally agreed that, amid the rapid evolution of AI technologies and the deepening trend of interdisciplinary integration, computer science should seize the opportunities of the times, strengthen its disciplinary foundation, and promote overall academic advancement. The Forum not only provided a high-level platform for academic exchange but also helped build consensus in areas such as educational reform, research collaboration, and international development.   The Forum concluded successfully with closing remarks by Prof. ZHOU Xiaofang, Head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at HKUST, and Prof. YIN Xia, Head of the Department of Computer Science and Technology at Tsinghua University. They summarised the key achievements of this year’s Forum and expressed their expectations for strengthening future cooperation to advance the field of computer science.          

Code to Career: COMP Class of 2026 x Alumni Network Night

COMP successfully hosted the Code to Career: COMP Class of 2026 x Alumni Network Night on 22 May 2026 (Friday), bringing together over 100 participants, including students, staff, and alumni, for an evening of sharing, inspiration, and networking.   The evening began with an opening speech by Prof. Ken YIU, Professor and Associate Head (Teaching and Learning) of COMP. In his welcoming remarks, Prof. Yiu encouraged students to make the most of the opportunity to connect with alumni, learn from their experiences, and broaden their perspectives as they prepare for their future careers.   This was followed by speeches from Dr Darron SUN, President of the Computing Alumni Association, and Prof. Henry CHAN, Professor and Associate Head (Partnership and Collaboration) of COMP, both of whom highlighted the importance of maintaining strong ties within the COMP community and supporting students in their academic and professional journeys.   The event included sharing sessions by alumni speakers from various backgrounds. They shared their success stories to inspire graduating students to apply the knowledge they have gained at the University to real-world contexts. The aim was to encourage these students to strive toward their goals and face future challenges with confidence.   Four sharing sessions themed around “CARES” — Computing for Application, Research, Entrepreneurship and Service, were delivered by: Mr Tony CHUNG, Vice President of Asia Satellite Dr Godfrey HO, Founder of Bitlliant.io Mr Kent CHENG, Mr Terry CHU, and Mr Winson SIU, Co-founders of Bravolol Limited Dr Darron SUN, President of the Computing Alumni Association   The second half of the event featured more relaxed, interactive activities, including a COMP trivia quiz and an AI-generated creative song performance. These activities allowed students to unwind before graduation, engage more comfortably in the event, and interact with staff and alumni in a friendly atmosphere.   The event not only strengthened bonds within the COMP community but also provided an inspiring platform for students to explore future possibilities and learn from alumni, encouraging graduating students to become pillars of society who can contribute to the advancement of the world.

Prof. Yang Hongxia is appointed as Vobile Group Professor in Generative Artificial Intelligence

We are proud to announce that Prof. Yang Hongxia has been appointed as Vobile Group Professor in Generative Artificial Intelligence under the University’s Named Professorship Scheme. This prestigious appointment recognises Prof. Yang's significant contribution to advancing generative artificial intelligence on a global scale.   Prof. Yang is a world-renowned AI scientist who brings extensive expertise to the university. Prior to joining PolyU, she held senior leadership positions at leading global technology companies, including Alibaba Group and ByteDance. Her research at PolyU is currently at the forefront of the generative AI revolution, where she advocates a decentralised approach to technology. Specifically, Prof. Yang is developing the "Model-over-Models" paradigm, known as InfiFusion, to enhance the accessibility, scalability, and efficiency of Large Language Models (LLMs).   In a testament to the impact of her work, Prof. Yang has recently been awarded HK$62.6 million in funding from the Research Grants Council’s (RGC) Theme-based Research Scheme 2025/26. The funding will support her groundbreaking project, “Collaborative Generative AI (Co-GenAI),” which seeks to redefine how AI models interact and function collaboratively.   Prof. Yang’s global influence was recognised by CoinDesk, which named her among the Top 50 Women in Web3 & AI in 2025. In addition to her new appointment, Prof. Yang concurrently serves as Executive Director of PolyU Academy for Artificial Intelligence (PAAI), Associate Dean (Global Engagement) of the Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, Chair Professor of Generative Artificial Intelligence, and Director of UBDA.

Prof. WU Yujie Awarded the PolyU Young Innovative Researcher Award 2026

We are delighted to announce that our Assistant Professor, Prof. WU Yujie, has received the PolyU Young Innovative Researcher Award (YIRA) 2026. Prof. WU's research focuses on "Scaling by Smarter Neurons: A Neural-Inspired Foundation Model Framework for Enhanced Long-Sequence Understanding and Energy-Efficient Computation."  Selected from over 60 submissions across all schools and faculties, Prof. WU is among six distinguished awardees, showcasing the exceptional contributions made by our young faculty members. This prestigious award recognises originality and the promising potential of their research proposals. Each awardee will be granted HK$500,000 in research funding and a personal cash prize of HK$20,000 to support their innovative research initiatives. Congratulations to Prof. WU and all the YIRA 2026 awardees! We eagerly anticipate their continued excellence in research.

Prof. Allen Au’s Web3 Security Project “ShieldTrade” Secures Funding in the 3rd Round of RAISe+ Scheme

We are proud to announce that the project “ShieldTrade: Multi-layer Defense System for Secure Web3 Transactions” led by Prof. AU Man Ho Allen, our Associate Head (Research and Development) and Professor, has earned funding support under the third round of the Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus (RAISe+) Scheme.   Administered by the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC), the RAISe+ Scheme is designed to fund high-impact research projects and promote the translation of academic research into real-world industrial applications. In this highly competitive third round, only 24 projects were recommended by the Steering Committee, representing a total Government funding commitment exceeding HK$1 billion. We are honoured that Prof. Au's initiative is among the four prestigious projects awarded to PolyU.   ShieldTrade: Multi-layer Defense System for Secure Web3 Transactions The project aims to develop ShieldTrade, a next-generation Web3 security system that prevents users from transacting with blacklisted or sanctioned addresses, malicious or deceptive smart contracts, and phishing or fraudulent applications that attempt to obtain unauthorised token approvals or asset transfers. ShieldTrade provides end-to-end security protection for Web3 users by detecting risky transactions before execution and blocking malicious activities in real time. It analyses wallet interactions, smart-contract behaviours and transaction patterns to identify blacklisted or sanctioned addresses, malicious or deceptive contracts, and phishing or fraudulent “dApps” designed to steal assets or token approvals. Through advanced binary analysis, fuzzing and symbolic execution, ShieldTrade delivers proactive defence against emerging Web3 threats and ensures safer participation in decentralised ecosystems.   This milestone marks a consecutive success for our department in this prestigious government funding scheme. In the second round of the RAISe+ Scheme, Prof. YANG Hongxia, Executive Director of PAAI (EDoPAAI), Associate Dean (Global Engagement) of Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, Chair Professor of Generative Artificial Intelligence, Director of UBDA, also successfully received funding for her pioneering research. (Click here to read more about Prof. Yang’s project.)

Two COMP Research Stories Selected for “PolyU Top 10 Research & Innovation Stories of the Year”

We are proud to announce that two research stories from COMP have been selected for the inaugural “PolyU Top 10 Research & Innovation Stories of the Year” by the university.   The first story highlights the research topic “Novel multi-modal agent facilitates long video understanding by AI, accelerating the development of generative AI-assisted video analysis.” This research project is led by Prof. CHEN Changwen, Interim Dean of the Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences and Chair Professor of Visual Computing. His team developed VideoMind, a groundbreaking video-language agent. By emulating human cognitive processes, VideoMind allows AI to reason through and answer complex questions regarding long-form video content.   The second awarded story focuses on “PolyU reshapes AI training paradigm, significantly reducing costs and democratising AI research.” The principal investigator of this project is Prof. YANG Hongxia, Executive Director of the PolyU Academy for Artificial Intelligence (PAAI), Associate Dean (Global Engagement) of the Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences, and Chair Professor of Generative Artificial. Prof. Yang and the PAAI team introduced Co-GenAI, a collaborative paradigm that shifts AI training from a costly, centralised approach to a decentralised one. This innovation significantly lowers the barrier to entry for frontier model training, making high-level AI research more accessible and sustainable.   Launched to celebrate research achievements with profound local and global impact, the campaign selected ten winning stories from 20 shortlisted remarkable research and technology translation stories announced in 2025. The selection process was highly competitive, involving a professional judging panel and a public vote that drew over 7,700 participants from the PolyU community and the general public.   These awards underscore PolyU’s commitment to driving innovation that addresses the complexities of the digital age. We extend our heartiest congratulations to Prof. Chen and Prof. Yang on their remarkable success.

COMP Year 2 Students Win Top Honours at HackTheEast 2026

Five Year 2 undergraduate students from the Department of Computing achieved outstanding results at HackTheEast 2026, one of Hong Kong’s largest student-led inter-university AI hackathons, held from 28 February to 1 March 2026.   HackTheEast 2026 was a hackathon where participants designed, implemented, and demonstrated functional AI solutions to address real-world challenges across all domains, including education, finance, legal, and insurance. Guided by industry mentors and equipped with modern AI development tools, teams competed for prizes, recognition, and internship opportunities from leading technology companies. Collaborated with team members from other local universities, the following COMP undergraduate students contributed to two winning projects in the hackathon:    Project: VibeQA Award: Second Runner-up & HKUST Innovation Award COMP Team members: LE Phan Trung Quoc NGUYEN Thi Minh Phuong VibeQA is an AI-powered quality assurance tool designed to help developers catch issues that AI coding assistants often miss. While AI tools can generate code quickly, they may overlook critical aspects such as security checks, error handling, and user experience. VibeQA automatically scans code repositories and tests applications in a real browser environment, then generates clear, actionable feedback along with suggested fixes, helping teams improve reliability, security, and usability.   Project: EDU Oasis Award: RevisionDojo Award COMP Team members: SO Lok Hei Daniel NGAI Torres Pui Hong ZHAO Chenxi EDU Oasis is an AI-based web learning platform that transforms studying into an interactive 2D world. Learners move around a virtual map where different elements provide AI tutoring, quizzes to track progress, and the ability to upload teaching materials for a personalised learning experience.  

Call for Nominations: Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU Department of Computing 2026

The Department of Computing (COMP) is pleased to announce that the Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award (OPAA) of PolyU Department of Computing 2026 is now calling for nominations. The nomination deadline has been extended to 30 April 2026 (Thursday).   The departmental OPAA aims to publicly recognise outstanding graduates of COMP for their professional achievements and significant contributions to the community and their alma mater. The departmental awardees will be officially honoured by the department and will be nominated for the Faculty Awards.   Award Categories and Selection Criteria There are three achievement categories, namely “Professional Achievement”, “Entrepreneurial Achievement” and  “Scholarly Achievement”. Selection is based on the nominee’s accomplishments in his/her personal achievements in the field, contributions to the community, and support and contributions to PolyU. A candidate who is aged at/under 40 in the award selection year would be eligible for the Outstanding Young Alumni Award. Eligibility The nominated candidate must be a bona fide graduate who has successfully completed the full-time or part-time programme offered by PolyU (or its forerunners: Hong Kong Government Trade School, Hong Kong Technical College, Hong Kong Polytechnic) which led to academic award accredited by the respective Institution.   The proposer can be a PolyU graduate, Honorary Graduate, University Fellow, PolyU staff, current PolyU Council and Court member and current Advisory Committee member. There is no limit to the number of nominations to be submitted by each proposer. However, the proposer cannot be the candidate himself/ herself.   Panel of Judges and Result Announcement A panel of judges, comprising both internal and external members, will be formed to examine the nominations and assess candidates’ qualifications and performance for the awards. The result will be announced on our website and social media platforms.   Nomination Please return the completed nomination form to comp.marketing@polyu.edu.hk with all required supplementary documents on or before 30 April 2026. Download Nomination Form   Enquiries Department of Computing The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Email: comp.marketing@polyu.edu.hk

Prof. Daniel Luo Receives Gold Award in the Government Departments and Public Bodies Sector of Cyber Security Professional Awards 2025

We are delighted to announce that Prof. LUO Xiapu Daniel, Associate Dean (Research) of the Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences and Professor of COMP, has been honoured with the Gold Award in the Government Departments & Public Bodies Sector of the Cyber Security Professional Awards 2025 (CSPA 2025). Organised by the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force, this award recognises Prof. Luo’s outstanding achievements and significant contributions to the cybersecurity community.   Prof. Luo and his team have developed pioneering methods for identifying severe security vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure and applications, as well as innovative strategies to defend against cyberattacks. Their research spans a wide range of platforms, including fintech systems such as Layer-1 blockchain networks (e.g., Ethereum), Layer-2 rollups (e.g., Arbitrum, Polygon), Android and vendor-customized Android implementations from leading manufacturers (e.g., Samsung, Xiaomi, Vivo), real-time operating systems (RTOS) like QNX, and key automotive components such as Tesla’s lane detection module. They have also uncovered numerous security issues in mobile apps and smart contracts, proactively informing developers and companies to facilitate swift resolutions and safeguard millions of users.   Additionally, Prof. Luo’s advanced defensive techniques have enabled the analysis of sophisticated mobile malware and the defence against attacks targeting blockchain platforms, smart contracts, and vehicles. His research findings have been published at top security conferences and in leading journals, earning multiple awards and industry recognition. Notably, he received the BOCHK Science and Technology Innovation Prize (FinTech) 2023 for his contributions to blockchain security and was recognised by Stanford University as one of the World’s Top 2% Scientists, further highlighting his global impact and research excellence.