Media Releases

“Belt and Road Advanced Programme in Power and Energy 2025” successfully completed

Co-organised by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), Xi’an Jiaotong University (XJTU), State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) and The Hongkong Electric Company, Limited (HK Electric), the “Belt and Road Advanced Programme in Power and Energy 2025” (the Programme) concluded on 17 June with a Graduation Ceremony, marking another milestone in international collaboration and knowledge exchange in the energy sector. The Programme, held for the eighth consecutive year, continues to serve as a robust platform for facilitating communication and fostering long-term partnership in electric power industry among the Belt and Road (B&R) countries and regions. This year’s theme, “Promoting Collaborations on Green Energy; Building New Type of Power System”, and the topics covered, not only align with the global momentum towards carbon neutrality and sustainable development, but also emphasise the balance between energy security and environmental responsibility. The 13-day Programme attracted 28 energy professionals and scholars from 6 B&R countries and regions – Chile, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines and Russia – for dynamic dialogue on advancing green energy initiatives and shaping a sustainable energy future through a series of lectures, discussions, sharing sessions, and field visits in Jinan and Xi’an of Mainland China and Hong Kong. Prof. H.C. MAN, Dean of the PolyU Faculty of Engineering; Mr Francis C. Y. CHENG, HK Electric Managing Director; Mr OU Xiaoming, Chief Representative of the State Grid Hong Kong Representative Office; Mr WANG Lixin, Deputy President of the State Grid Technology College; and Prof. TIAN Feng, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Electronics and Information Engineering at Xi’an Jiaotong University officiated at the Graduation Ceremony. Also in attendance were esteemed guests including Mr CHAN Pak Cheung, Deputy Director/Regulatory Services of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department; Ir Eric MA, President of The HK Institution of Engineers; Prof. Alfred SIT, Chief Executive and Secretary of The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers; Mrs Karina CONCHA, Consul General of Chile in Hong Kong; Mr Allan G Revote, Vice Consul, Consulate General of the Philippines in Hong Kong; Mrs Fithonatul Mar’ati, Consul for Economic Affairs, Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Hong Kong; Mr Petr Larionov, Attache, Consulate-General of the Russia Federation in Hong Kong, together with senior executives from the co-organisers. Their presence underscored the Programme’s growing international recognition and its pivotal role in fostering cross-border collaboration in the energy sector. Addressing the audience, Prof. H.C. Man said, “PolyU is harnessing its world-class academic and research excellence to pioneer innovative solutions for a sustainable future. In alignment with global and national strategic goals in carbon neutrality and green energy, PolyU has been at the forefront of advancing cutting-edge research in these critical areas. The Programme serves as one of our vital platforms fostering in-depth exchanges and collaboration among researchers and senior management professionals across the region to address key challenges in green energy and sustainable energy management. The initiative highlights PolyU’s commitment to global sustainability leadership and strengthens its role as a hub for interdisciplinary innovation and international cooperation.” Mr Francis C. Y. Cheng noted, “At HK Electric, we are proud to have shared our journey in building a new type of power system—one that is cleaner, smarter, and more resilient. In 2024, we achieved a major milestone by reducing our carbon emissions by 40% compared to that of 2005, while at the same time maintained a world-class reliability of over 99.9999% in our electricity supply. Thanks to the continued transition from coal to natural gas, close to 70% of our electricity is generated from gas, and we are on track to phase out all coal-fired units for daily operations by 2035.” Mr Ou Xiaoming said, “China is committed to promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind and hopes that all countries join hands in sharing the fruits of development. As the world's largest utility company, the State Grid Corporation of China actively upholds the principles of extensive consultation, joint contribution, and shared benefits in the high-quality co-construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. Aligned with this vision, State Grid strives to advance the development of a new power system and strengthen international cooperation in the electricity and power sectors. We hope this joint Belt and Road Programme will serve as a collaborative platform for the exchange of cutting-edge technologies in power and energy, driving green and low-carbon development across participating countries and regions along the Belt and Road." Mr Wang Lixin stated, “Since its inception in 2013, the Belt and Road Initiative has consistently fostered vibrant hubs of cultural and technological exchange wherever it reaches, promoting mutual learning, trust among civilisations, and the coexistence and integration of diverse perspectives. Building on this foundation, this joint collaborative Programme launched in 2018 has increasingly become a high-quality platform for international exchange among professionals in the energy and power industry, yielding fruitful outcomes and radiating dynamic vitality. We sincerely hope that everyone will continue to cultivate and refine this platform, further elevating the ‘golden reputation’ of the Belt and Road research and collaboration project.” Prof. Tian Feng said, “This year’s Programme, themed ‘Promoting Collaborations on Green Energy; Building New Type of Power System,’, is closely aligned with the global recognised research vision supporting the ‘carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals’. As one of the eight progressive steps, this initiative represents not only a profound responsibility but also a shared honour for every participant in our Programme. May the collective wisdom gathered here today illuminate sustainable pathways to a brighter, carbon-neutral future for all.” A highlight of the Programme was a lecture on “First Supply-Territory-Wide Internet of Things (IoT) Platforms for Public Utility in Hong Kong” delivered by Mr Jason CHUNG, Chief Technical Services Engineer (Computer Hardware) of HK Electric Transmission and Distribution Division. He outlined how HK Electric is actively harnessing IoT and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance operational efficiency and energy management, aligning with Hong Kong’s smart city and carbon neutrality goals. As part of this vision, HK Electric is deploying a comprehensive network of IoT sensors and AI-driven systems across its service area. These innovations are designed to enhance the reliability, efficiency and resilience of HK Electric’s power grid.  The Programme offers participants firsthand exposure to some of the region’s most advanced energy infrastructure. Site visits this year included SGCC’s Vehicle-Grid Interactive Charging Station Demonstration Project in Jinan, XJTU’s State Key Laboratory of Electrical Insulation and Power Equipment in Xi’an, PolyU’s Solar Energy Performance Management System. Participants also visited HK Electric’s Marsh Road Station Building, System Control Centre, Virtual Reality Training Centre, and Mobile Battery Energy Storage System, as well as the headquarters of the Electrical Mechanical Services Department of the HKSAR Government. These immersive experiences not only showcased the latest advancements in energy innovation but also enriched participants’ understanding of integrated energy management and smart grid technologies. As the world accelerates its transition to a low-carbon future, this cross-regional and multi-cultural university-industry collaboration programme stands as the first-of-its-kind in both Mainland China and Hong Kong to foster international cooperation and nurture talent, advancing the shared vision of a sustainable energy landscape. Since its inception in 2018, the Programme has attracted over 850 industry professionals from 44 B&R countries and regions, facilitating more than 10,000 hours of exchanges through online and offline training, discussions and field trips. Over the years, it has built its reputation as a leading global hub for capacity building in the power and energy sectors. In the 13-day Programme, participants attended a series of thematic lectures and seminars, and visited leading power facilities, including HK Electric’s Marsh Road Zone Substation and the headquarters of the Electrical Mechanical Services Department of the HKSAR Government, to gain insights into advanced technologies and professional management practices. ***END***

PolyU climbs to 56th place in THE Impact Rankings

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has attained encouraging results in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings 2025. PolyU has climbed 21 places to rank 56th globally and second in Hong Kong, affirming the University’s commitment to sustainable development. The Rankings evaluated the performance of 2,526 universities from 130 countries and territories worldwide in achieving the United Nations’ 17 SDGs across four broad areas: research, stewardship, outreach and teaching. PolyU has demonstrated outstanding performance in multiple indicators, ranking first among local universities and 16th globally for “Good Health and Well-being” (SDG 3), and third in Hong Kong and 10th globally for “Quality Education” (SDG 4). PolyU also performed exceptionally well in “Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure” (SDG 9) and “Sustainable Cities and Communities” (SDG 11), as well as in “Responsible Consumption and Production” (SDG 12) and “Partnerships for the Goals” (SDG 17), ranking second and third in Hong Kong respectively. Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, PolyU President, said, “We are pleased with PolyU’s impressive results in THE Impact Rankings, which affirm the University’s internationally recognised efforts in promoting sustainable development. As an innovative world-class university, PolyU is committed to pursuing excellence in education, research and knowledge transfer for the benefit of society through demand-driven initiatives. PolyU will continue to foster interdisciplinary collaborations and promote global sustainable development that contributes to the advancement of Hong Kong, the Nation, and the world.” PolyU is dedicated to leveraging its excellence in education, research and knowledge transfer to contribute to the United Nations’ SDGs. The PolyU Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology provides strategic advice on promoting a carbon neutral city. The University has also established the Campus Carbon Neutrality Committee and formulated a roadmap for achieving campus carbon neutrality by 2045. In addition, the research institutes and centres under the PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research have been promoting innovative and pioneering research in fields including sustainable urban development, smart city and mental health. PolyU is also the first university in Hong Kong to incorporate Service-Learning as a core part of the undergraduate curriculum. This initiative encourages students to utilise their professional knowledge to serve society, nurturing socially responsible professionals and leaders with a strong sense of national pride and a global perspective. For more information on THE Impact Rankings 2025, please visit: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/impactrankings ***END***

PolyU announces Strategic Plan for 2025/26 to 2030/31

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) today unveiled its new Strategic Plan, outlining the University’s development direction for the coming six academic years to seize emerging opportunities and reach new heights of academic excellence. Under the theme “Unite to Meet Challenges, Innovate to Benefit Society,” the Strategic Plan sets forth PolyU’s visionary roadmap for 2025/26 to 2030/31. It will guide the University in its continued pursuit of excellence in teaching and research, empowering PolyU to further contribute to Hong Kong’s development into an international innovation and technology centre and international hub for post-secondary education, as well as to support the national plan to build China into a leading country in education. The Strategic Plan was formulated under six key domains, namely: Quality of Student Experience of Teaching and Learning Research Performance and Research Postgraduate Experience Knowledge Transfer and Wider Engagement Enhanced Internationalisation and Engagement with the Mainland Financial Health, Institutional Social Responsibilities and Sustainability Development of College of Professional and Continuing Education PolyU’s Strategic Plan is carefully aligned with the University Accountability Agreement framework of the University Grants Committee, ensuring that its goals are in harmony with the broader educational landscape in Hong Kong, while also empowering PolyU to make a positive difference in the world. Dr LAM Tai-fai, PolyU Council Chairman, said, “Building upon a strong foundation, this Strategic Plan will serve as a catalyst for PolyU’s continued excellence in education and research, with the aim of enabling PolyU to make even more significant contributions to society. I want to express my heartfelt appreciation to everyone involved in crafting this visionary Strategic Plan. With the collective support of the central and local governments as well as our Council and Court members, staff, students, alumni and other stakeholders in the PolyU community, I am confident that we will successfully realise this plan in the years ahead, propelling PolyU to new pinnacles of excellence, innovation and impact for the betterment of Hong Kong, our Nation, and the world.” Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, PolyU President, stated, “The new Strategic Plan enhances the University’s Vision and Mission statements to reflect our latest aspirations and remarkable achievements in education and research. At the heart of our plan lies our commitment to being an innovative world-class university that pursues excellence in education, research and knowledge transfer for the benefit of Hong Kong, the Nation, and the world. Innovation, for us, holds a triple meaning. Firstly, our graduates should be leaders and drivers of innovation. Secondly, our research should lead to innovations with direct societal benefits. Thirdly, the spirit of innovation should be embedded in all our endeavours.” PolyU follows a multi-dimensional and systematic process of planning, starting with a Strategic Plan every six years. This multi-dimensional planning approach allows PolyU to take a strategic and holistic view of both its short-term and long-term challenges and opportunities, aiming to maximise the University’s achievements within the constraints of its environment and resources. With its planning process commencing in May 2023, this Strategic Plan is the culmination of a rigorous and year-long process of deliberation, incorporating valuable insights from consultation sessions and engaging staff, students, alumni, and Council and Court members. Please click here to view the PolyU Strategic Plan for 2025/26 - 2030/31. ***END***

PolyU startups showcase innovation and entrepreneurial achievements at London Tech Week 2025

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) took part in the world-renowned London Tech Week 2025 held from 9 to 11 June in London, UK, as the only participating university from Hong Kong. Four PolyU startups showcased their ground-breaking innovations in artificial intelligence (AI), advanced manufacturing technologies and healthcare solutions. The event attracted business leaders, industry experts and investors from around the world, providing the PolyU startups with valuable opportunities to explore potential collaborations and establish partnerships. PolyU is committed to translating cutting-edge research into impactful solutions that address real-world challenges. Below are introductions to the four PolyU startups. PolyU Startup Founder(s)  Introduction Advantage Data Vision Limited Prof. Lawrence Wing Chi CHAN Associate Professor, Department of Health Technology and Informatics; and Director, Advantage Data Vision Limited The startup has leveraged massive real‑world, multi‑omics datasets and patented AI algorithms to create a cloud‑based platform that accurately predicts patients’ response to cancer immunotherapy. The deep‑learning engine guides clinicians, optimises hospital resources, reduces adverse events and accelerates pharmaceutical trials through precise patient stratification and risk assessment, delivering tangible value worldwide. Light-weight Technologies Limited Prof. Jianguo LIN Chair Professor of Materials Technologies, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering; and Co-founder and Chairman, Light-weight Technologies Limited   Dr Qingsong WENG Research Associate, Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering; and Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Light-weight Technologies Limited The startup uses their globally unique light alloy manufacturing technologies, such as advanced hot stamping and extrusion techniques, with its self-developed smart industrial software and advanced simulation platform to produce ultra-thin, ultra-wide light alloy profiles and complex curved profiles that are unattainable with existing manufacturing processes. The startup provides high-strength, lightweight, cost-effective, and sustainable solutions that enable energy saving and emission reduction for the automotive, aerospace, railway, marine, and other engineering sectors, gaining wide recognition from leading global OEMs. UbiquiTech Innovations Limited Prof. Jiannong CAO Dean, Graduate School; Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Professor in Data Science; Chair Professor of Distributed and Mobile Computing; Director, Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Things; Director, University Research Facility in Big Data Analytics; and Co-founder and Chief Scientist, UbiquiTech Innovations Limited   Dr Zhixuan LIANG PolyU GBA Postdoctoral Fellow; and Chief Executive Officer, UbiquiTech Innovations Limited The startup is committed to the intersection of robotics, AI and smart city solutions, with a view to developing cutting-edge autonomous robots designed to address complex challenges in modern urban and industrial environments. viAct Mr Gary Chun-kui NG Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, viAct   Mr Hugo CHEUK Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, viAct viAct is a pioneer in AI monitoring technology dedicated to enhancing safety and efficiency in heavy industries such as construction, oil and gas, and manufacturing. The startup made it onto Forbes Asia 100 to Watch list in 2022. Its leading, globally deployed technology “Scenario-based Vision Intelligence”, was showcased at renowned international events such as the World Economic Forum. At the event’s panel discussion themed “Creating the Future from Campus: Why are University Spinouts so Important for Innovation?”, Prof. Christopher CHAO, PolyU Vice President (Research and Innovation), shared his insights into knowledge transfer, the nurturing of university spinouts, and the support and resources available to PolyU startups. Prof. Chao remarked, “Supported by PolyU’s signature startup ecosystem, PolyVentures, our startups are spearheading translational innovations that generate long-lasting global societal impact. Our ecosystem not only provides invaluable development opportunities but also fosters the international growth of our entrepreneurs. I am delighted to see PolyU startups shine at London Tech Week, inspiring global audiences with their creativity and determination to make a difference.” This year, the London Tech Week attracted over 45,000 participants from more than 90 countries, including startups, technology giants, investors and innovators. The event provided a platform for startups to engage in person with venture capitalists, corporate investors and angel investors; promote their solutions on dedicated stages; connect with industry leaders at the forefront of innovation; and gain valuable insights from successful entrepreneurs who have expanded globally. For more information, please visit the event website. Advantage Data Vision Limited, a PolyU startup, has leveraged massive real‑world, multi‑omics datasets and patented AI algorithms to create a cloud‑based platform that accurately predicts patients’ response to cancer immunotherapy. Light-weight Technologies Limited, a PolyU startup, uses its globally unique light alloy manufacturing technologies with its self-developed smart industrial software and advanced simulation platform to produce ultra-thin, ultra-wide light alloy profiles and complex curved profiles that are unattainable with existing manufacturing processes. UbiquiTech Innovations Limited, a PolyU startup, is committed to the intersection of robotics, AI and smart city solutions, with a view to developing cutting-edge autonomous robots designed to address complex challenges in modern urban and industrial environments. viAct, a PolyU startup, is dedicated to enhancing safety and efficiency in heavy industries such as construction, oil and gas, and manufacturing through its pioneering AI monitoring technology. ***END***

PolyU develops novel multi-modal agent to facilitate long video understanding by AI, accelerating development of generative AI-assisted video analysis

While Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology is evolving rapidly, AI models still struggle with understanding long videos. A research team from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has developed a novel video-language agent, VideoMind, that enables AI models to perform long video reasoning and question-answering tasks by emulating humans’ way of thinking. The VideoMind framework incorporates an innovative Chain-of-Low-Rank Adaptation (LoRA) strategy to reduce the demand for computational resources and power, advancing the application of generative AI in video analysis. The findings have been submitted to the world-leading AI conferences. Videos, especially those longer than 15 minutes, carry information that unfolds over time, such as the sequence of events, causality, coherence and scene transitions. To understand the video content, AI models therefore need not only to identify the objects present, but also take into account how they change throughout the video. As visuals in videos occupy a large number of tokens, video understanding requires vast amounts of computing capacity and memory, making it difficult for AI models to process long videos. Prof. Changwen CHEN, Interim Dean of the PolyU Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences and Chair Professor of Visual Computing, and his team have achieved a breakthrough in research on long video reasoning by AI. In designing VideoMind, they made reference to a human-like process of video understanding, and introduced a role-based workflow. The four roles included in the framework are: the Planner, to coordinate all other roles for each query; the Grounder, to localise and retrieve relevant moments; the Verifier, to validate the information accuracy of the retrieved moments and select the most reliable one; and the Answerer, to generate the query-aware answer. This progressive approach to video understanding helps address the challenge of temporal-grounded reasoning that most AI models face. Another core innovation of the VideoMind framework lies in its adoption of a Chain-of-LoRA strategy. LoRA is a finetuning technique emerged in recent years. It adapts AI models for specific uses without performing full-parameter retraining. The innovative chain-of-LoRA strategy pioneered by the team involves applying four lightweight LoRA adapters in a unified model, each of which is designed for calling a specific role. With this strategy, the model can dynamically activate role-specific LoRA adapters during inference via self-calling to seamlessly switch among these roles, eliminating the need and cost of deploying multiple models while enhancing the efficiency and flexibility of the single model. VideoMind is open source on GitHub and Huggingface. Details of the experiments conducted to evaluate its effectiveness in temporal-grounded video understanding across 14 diverse benchmarks are also available. Comparing VideoMind with some state-of-the-art AI models, including GPT-4o and Gemini 1.5 Pro, the researchers found that the grounding accuracy of VideoMind outperformed all competitors in challenging tasks involving videos with an average duration of 27 minutes. Notably, the team included two versions of VideoMind in the experiments: one with a smaller, 2 billion (2B) parameter model, and another with a bigger, 7 billion (7B) parameter model. The results showed that, even at the 2B size, VideoMind still yielded performance comparable with many of the other 7B size models. Prof. Chen said, “Humans switch among different thinking modes when understanding videos: breaking down tasks, identifying relevant moments, revisiting these to confirm details and synthesising their observations into coherent answers. The process is very efficient with the human brain using only about 25 watts of power, which is about a million times lower than that of a supercomputer with equivalent computing power. Inspired by this, we designed the role-based workflow that allows AI to understand videos like human, while leveraging the chain-of-LoRA strategy to minimise the need for computing power and memory in this process.” AI is at the core of global technological development. The advancement of AI models is however constrained by insufficient computing power and excessive power consumption. Built upon a unified, open-source model Qwen2-VL and augmented with additional optimisation tools, the VideoMind framework has lowered the technological cost and the threshold for deployment, offering a feasible solution to the bottleneck of reducing power consumption in AI models. Prof. Chen added, “VideoMind not only overcomes the performance limitations of AI models in video processing, but also serves as a modular, scalable and interpretable multimodal reasoning framework. We envision that it will expand the application of generative AI to various areas, such as intelligent surveillance, sports and entertainment video analysis, video search engines and more.”   ***END***

PolyU Design Show 2025 highlights students’ technology-driven innovations

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s School of Design (PolyU Design) is hosting the PolyU Design Show 2025 from 6 June to 8 August. The Show features over 250 innovative solutions developed by undergraduate and master’s students, many of which integrate technology to address challenges arising from the evolving global landscape. The projects focus on a diverse range of topics, including those related to community, environment, culture and business solutions. The opening ceremony was held on 6 June, bringing together government and corporate representatives, industry partners, alumni, academics and innovators. Prof. Kun-pyo LEE, Dean of PolyU Design, remarked, “This year’s Show highlights how a new generation of young designers is breaking traditional boundaries—integrating product design with healthcare, industrial design with urban planning, and exploring AI ethical issues through communication design. These works not only highlight the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration but also strike a balance between commercial pragmatism and social responsibility, offering compelling creative solutions to address some of the most pressing global challenges and social issues.” Mr Steve LEUNG, Chairman of the School’s Advisory Committee and world-renowned architect, interior and product designer, added, “Design shapes how we live, work, and connect, driving innovation and solving humanity’s greatest challenges. More than ever, we need visionary designers who can foresee and solve complex problems, creating impactful, human-centred solutions.” He believed that young designers are the pioneers shaping our future. The Show’s visual theme, “Zero Anew - Journey Unfolds”, has been crafted by a cross-disciplinary group of graduating students. The vibrant spring embodies design as a cycle of renewal — a dynamic process where experiences are distilled, visions refined, and new creative territories explored, with each exhibit reflecting this journey. The showcased projects include graduating bachelor students’ capstone projects, master students’ advanced research and foundation-year students’ design exploration projects. They demonstrate how PolyU Design students adopt core future skills, such as AI and technological literacy, creative thinking and environmental stewardship in their solutions to contribute to society. Highlighted projects include an AI-driven human-robot system to explore the possibility of further enhancing safety of traditional bamboo scaffolding in Hong Kong; a drone-based medical delivery system integrated with public health networks for deployment in remote areas; a comprehensive CPR-AED system with dual training and emergency modes; a one-stop social enterprise app offering AI-assisted live-streaming for novice users; cat boxes and houses for stray cats in the Yau Ma Tei community as safe spaces to gather and temporary stay, while offering greater convenience for caretakers and volunteers to provide regular care; and a zero-waste solution that extracts natural food colouring and freeze-dried pulp from “ugly” fruits and vegetables waste to make healthy biscuits. RePulse, a dual-mode CPR-AED training and emergency kit was designed by CHAN Yi Chun Joyce, a graduating student from BA(Hons) in Product Design programme. This comprehensive system with dual training and emergency modes combines muscle-memory training with foolproof emergency tools to empower more bystanders to deliver lifesaving first-aid effectively. Voices of the Voiceless is a project initiated by CHAU Ching Ngai Harry, a graduating student from the BA(Hons) in Social Design programme. Through in-depth research into the Yau Ma Tei community, the student gained valuable insights into the situation of stray cats. As a result, he developed the “Transitional Housing for Stray Cats” initiative, which provides innovative cat boxes and houses as safe spaces for stray cats to gather and temporary stay. The design also offers greater convenience for caretakers and volunteers to provide regular care. VEGO is a project led by a group of students from the Master of Design (Innovative Business Design) programme. They extract natural food colouring and freeze-dried pulp from “ugly” fruits and vegetables to make healthy biscuits, while the remaining inedible materials are turned into painting pigments. The project aims to help create a zero-waste economy. Ranked 22nd in the QS World University Rankings by Subject - Art and Design in 2025, PolyU Design has organised its annual design show of student works for over 60 years. The exhibition is open to the public free of charge. Online registration is required. A virtual show is also available on website. For more details, please visit: 2025.polyudesignshow.com. ***END***

PolyU-led research reveals that sensory and motor inputs help large language models represent complex concepts

Can one truly understand what “flower” means without smelling a rose, touching a daisy or walking through a field of wildflowers? This question is at the core of a rich debate in philosophy and cognitive science. While embodied cognition theorists argue that physical, sensory experience is essential to concept formation, studies of the rapidly evolving large language models (LLMs) suggest that language alone can build deep, meaningful representations of the world. By exploring the similarities between LLMs and human representations, researchers at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and their collaborators have shed new light on the extent to which language alone can shape the formation and learning of complex conceptual knowledge. Their findings also revealed how the use of sensory input for grounding or embodiment – connecting abstract with concrete concepts during learning – affects the ability of LLMs to understand complex concepts and form human-like representations. The study, in collaboration with scholars from Ohio State University, Princeton University and City University of New York, was recently published in Nature Human Behaviour. Led by Prof. LI Ping, Sin Wai Kin Foundation Professor in Humanities and Technology, Dean of the PolyU Faculty of Humanities and Associate Director of the PolyU-Hangzhou Technology and Innovation Research Institute, the research team selected conceptual word ratings produced by state-of-the-art LLMs, namely ChatGPT (GPT-3.5, GPT-4) and Google LLMs (PaLM and Gemini). They compared them with human-generated word ratings of around 4,500 words across non-sensorimotor (e.g., valence, concreteness, imageability), sensory (e.g., visual, olfactory, auditory) and motor domains (e.g., foot/leg, mouth/throat) from the highly reliable and validated Glasgow Norms and Lancaster Norms datasets. The research team first compared pairs of data from individual humans and individual LLM runs to discover the similarity between word ratings across each dimension in the three domains, using results from human-human pairs as the benchmark. This approach could, for instance, highlight to what extent humans and LLMs agree that certain concepts are more concrete than others. However, such analyses might overlook how multiple dimensions jointly contribute to the overall representation of a word. For example, the word pair “pasta” and “roses” might receive equally high olfactory ratings, but “pasta” is in fact more similar to “noodles” than to “roses” when considering appearance and taste. The team therefore conducted representational similarity analysis of each word as a vector along multiple attributes of non-sensorimotor, sensory and motor dimensions for a more complete comparison between humans and LLMs. The representational similarity analyses revealed that word representations produced by the LLMs were most similar to human representations in the non-sensorimotor domain, less similar for words in sensory domain and most dissimilar for words in motor domain. This highlights LLM limitations in fully capturing humans’ conceptual understanding. Non-sensorimotor concepts are understood well but LLMs fall short when representing concepts involving sensory information like visual appearance and taste, and body movement. Motor concepts, which are less described in language and rely heavily on embodied experiences, are even more challenging to LLMs than sensory concepts like colour, which can be learned from textual data. In light of the findings, the researchers examined whether grounding would improve the LLMs’ performance. They compared the performance of more grounded LLMs trained on both language and visual input (GPT-4, Gemini) with that of LLMs trained on language alone (GPT-3.5, PaLM). They discovered that the more grounded models incorporating visual input exhibited a much higher similarity with human representations. Prof. Li Ping said, “The availability of both LLMs trained on language alone and those trained on language and visual input, such as images and videos, provides a unique setting for research on how sensory input affects human conceptualisation. Our study exemplifies the potential benefits of multimodal learning, a human ability to simultaneously integrate information from multiple dimensions in the learning and formation of concepts and knowledge in general. Incorporating multimodal information processing in LLMs can potentially lead to a more human-like representation and more efficient human-like performance in LLMs in the future.” Interestingly, this finding is also consistent with those of previous human studies indicating the representational transfer. Humans acquire object-shape knowledge through both visual and tactile experiences, with seeing and touching objects activating the same regions in human brains. The researchers pointed out that – as in humans – multimodal LLMs may use multiple types of input to merge or transfer representations embedded in a continuous, high-dimensional space. Prof. Li added, “The smooth, continuous structure of embedding space in LLMs may underlie our observation that knowledge derived from one modality could transfer to other related modalities. This could explain why congenitally blind and normally sighted people can have similar representations in some areas. Current limits in LLMs are clear in this respect”. Ultimately, the researchers envision a future in which LLMs are equipped with grounded sensory input, for example, through humanoid robotics, allowing them to actively interpret the physical world and act accordingly. Prof. Li said, “These advances may enable LLMs to fully capture embodied representations that mirror the complexity and richness of human cognition, and a rose in LLM’s representation will then be indistinguishable from that of humans.” ***END***

PolyU and Peking University Third Hospital join forces to establish Joint Research Laboratory on Musculoskeletal and Sports Rehabilitation

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Peking Third Hospital (PUTH) signed a collaboration agreement last month to officially establish the “Joint Research Laboratory on Musculoskeletal and Sports Rehabilitation”. This partnership aims to advance cutting-edge research and innovation in musculoskeletal health and sports rehabilitation by leveraging the clinical expertise, medical engineering and translational research strengths of both institutions, and to promote the translation and application of research outcomes. The agreement signing ceremony and the plaque unveiling ceremony of the joint research laboratory were held at PUTH. The agreement was signed by Prof. DONG Cheng, Associate Vice President (Mainland Research Advancement) of PolyU and Prof. FU Wei, President of PUTH. Following this, witnessed by Prof. Dong Cheng and Prof. Fu Wei, the plaque unveiling ceremony for the “Joint Research Laboratory on Musculoskeletal and Sports Rehabilitation” was jointly officiated by Prof. Marco PANG, Shun Hing Education and Charity Fund Professor in Rehabilitation Sciences, Chair Professor of Neurorehabilitation and Head of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences (RS) of PolyU, and Prof. LI Rong, Vice President of PUTH and Director of the Reproductive Medicine Department, symbolising the official launch of the joint research laboratory and marking a significant step forward in academic and medical research collaboration between Hong Kong and the Mainland China. Prof. Dong Cheng remarked, “In the face of global population ageing and the increasing burden of chronic diseases, sports rehabilitation plays an increasingly vital role in improving quality of life and alleviating healthcare pressures. This collaboration between PolyU and PUTH will not only deepen academic exchange between the two institutions but also inject new momentum into the field of sports rehabilitation in the Greater China region. We look forward to working closely with PUTH to develop the joint laboratory into a hub for research innovation and talent development serving the Asia-Pacific region.” Prof. Fu Wei stated, “We are delighted to collaborate with PolyU to advance impactful research projects and promote the translation of innovative achievements in musculoskeletal and sports rehabilitation, benefiting patients and fostering the further development of rehabilitation medicine.” PolyU and PUTH will leverage their respective strengths to establish an integrated and interdisciplinary joint research laboratory. The partnership will promote scientific research, technological innovation and talent cultivation in the field of sports rehabilitation, with the goal of improving patient recovery outcomes and contributing to healthy ageing. ***END***

PolyU study uncovering Hong Kong’s hidden history with cutting-edge geospatial technologies receives Innovation and Technology Fund grant

Hong Kong’s rich history is interwoven with layers of untold stories, many buried beneath the surface of its bustling modern landscape. A project led by researchers from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU)’s Department of Land Surveying and Geo-informatics seeks to reveal and record the City’s lost history hidden underground by utilising cutting-edge geospatial technologies and to launch public education programmes to promote the conservation and better understanding of the City’s cultural heritage. The project has received funding of HK$3.22 million from the General Support Programme under the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF-GSP) of the Innovation and Technology Commission. The two-year project “Antiquity and Heritage Lost, Found and Revealed: Promotion of 21st Century Geo-spatial Technologies,” led by Prof. Wallace Wai Lok LAI, Associate Head (Teaching) and Professor of the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-informatics, aims to identify and capture images of hidden and buried wartime relics, cultural antiquities, and heritage sites in Hong Kong by utilising advanced geospatial technologies. These technologies include geo-referencing and mapping techniques, airborne and terrestrial laser scanning, and geophysical technologies, enhancing the understanding of Hong Kong’s battlefields and cultural heritage sites. The research is being conducted in collaboration with Prof. Chi-Man KWONG, Associate Professor of the Department of History of Hong Kong Baptist University, and local amateur war historians. PolyU research team has collaborated with the Government, universities and industry partners, while also working closely with National Geographic Magazine, Scientific American, as well as the Pokfulam Farm, a collaboration between NGO and community in Pokfulam village, to promote public engagement and the use of advanced geospatial technologies in uncovering Hong Kong’s hidden stories. Utilising geospatial and geophysical technologies to reconstruct and revive Hong Kong’s history, the team has recently uncovered “lost and found” stories from five cultural and wartime heritage sites. These include the Gin Drinkers Line; Mount Davis Battery, the East Brigade Headquarters in Tai Tam; Pokulam Village and the Old Dairy Farm; Fan Lau Fort on Lantau Island, and Tung Chung Fort. To promote technology-driven historical interpretation, geo-spatial mapping and conservation, and STEAM education, the PolyU team will provide a range of education programmes including field visits to cultural and wartime heritage sites in Hong Kong, STEAM-focused seminars and talks, interactive workshops, and immersive learning exhibitions. The project has been supported by advanced facilities at the PolyU Industrial Centre, including its Hybrid Immersive Virtual Environment (HiVE) and 3D printing facilities, to enable an immersive learning experience for secondary and tertiary students on combining art-tech with history to depict Hong Kong’s hidden stories. This initiative is expected to leverage 21st Century geospatial technologies to enrich STEAM education, deepen public appreciation for cultural heritage, foster widespread community participation, and promote effective knowledge sharing. Prof. Wallace Lai said, “The project combines cutting-edge technology with historical investigation, uncovering and preserving cultural legacies. More than just an educational platform, it also serves as a vital reminder to safeguard our collective memories in humanities. Through advanced technologies, interactive education, and innovative approaches that blend art, technology, and historical interpretation, we aim to ignite a passion for learning in the next generation. Our mission is to preserve and revitalise Hong Kong’s rich history, ensuring it remains a vibrant and enduring presence in their hearts and minds.” With support from the PolyU Research Institute for Land and Space, Prof. Lai is expanding this study to Southeast Asia, building on Hong Kong’s experience in applying geo-spatial technologies. In May of this year, the team embarked on its first expedition to Malacca, where they conducted 3D-scanning and mapping of the iconic fortification gate and St. Paul Church, both dating back to the Portuguese and Dutch colonial periods. Using digitised old maps alongside advanced scanning and mapping techniques, they also uncovered traces of lost and buried colonial fortification walls. Further expeditions are planned for other regions in Malaysia To raise public awareness and deepen understanding of the importance of innovation and technology, the ITF-GSP aims to support non-research and development projects that contribute to the upgrading and development of Hong Kong’s industries, the fostering of an innovation and technology culture in Hong Kong, as well as promoting popular science. ***END***

PolyU signs strategic cooperation agreement with HICOOL Global Entrepreneurship Competition organiser, promoting innovation and entrepreneurship collaboration between Beijing and Hong Kong

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