Dean's Message

Welcome to the Faculty of Science at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.

Our Faculty comprises four academic departments: the Department of Chemistry (CHEM), the Department of Food Science and Nutrition (FSN), the Department of Life Sciences (LS), and the Department of Physics and Materials (PM). We offer a comprehensive range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes designed to meet the diverse aspirations of students.

Starting from the 2025/26 academic year, PolyU has expanded its admission pathways through a faculty-based admission system. Students may apply directly to their preferred departmental scheme/programme or explore their academic interests through our new Bachelor’s Degree Scheme in Science (JS3008). This scheme gives students more time to discover different science disciplines and aims to cultivate future scientists through a holistic, pioneering, and science-based education.

The Faculty has fostered a dynamic research culture. Our research achievements include breakthroughs that have gained international recognition, thanks to the dedication of our Faculty members. Our distinguished research scholars play pivotal leadership roles in driving key research initiatives, including State Key Lab (Incubation) and Mainland Translational Research Institute, three PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR) Research Institutes and Centres, four University Research Facilities, and six Research Institutes/Centres. Each year, our academics and researchers secure hundreds of millions in funding through competitive grant schemes and collaborative funds for their research projects. These outstanding achievements reflect the collective efforts of our community and demonstrate the world-leading and internationally excellent quality of our research. We deeply appreciate the unwavering efforts and contributions of all our colleagues.

The Faculty has undergone significant transformation in recent years to better align with our evolving strengths and strategic priorities. Since 1 July 2022, our Faculty has been renamed the Faculty of Science (FS), formerly the Faculty of Applied Science and Textiles (FAST), with the former Institute of Textiles and Clothing becoming the independent School of Fashion and Textiles. We are also delighted to see the establishment of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition on 1 January 2023 in response to the growing importance of food safety and nutrition, as well as the detachment of the Department of Applied Mathematics to the Faculty of Computer and Mathematical Sciences with effect from 1 January 2025.

To better reflect our evolving research strengths and foster specialised academic growth, the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology (ABCT) is restructured into two new departments—the Department of Chemistry (CHEM) and the Department of Life Sciences (LS). In addition, the Department of Applied Physics (AP) is retitled as the Department of Physics and Materials (PM) to more accurately represent its expanding scope in materials science. These changes, effective from 1 July 2026, will further strengthen our capacity to deliver high-quality education and research activities across key scientific disciplines.

The repositioning of the Faculty not only sustains our growth and reputation but also enables us to take our development to the next level. We will strive to become a world-leading hub for impactful research, professional education, and vibrant knowledge transfer projects.

We hope you enjoy exploring our website, and we look forward to welcoming you to our community.

Prof. Wong Wai-yeung, Raymond
Dean of Faculty of Science