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Third ETI Salon showcases Peking University, Tianjin University and PolyU experts exploring AI-Driven strategies for education transformation

On 20 January 2026, the Third Education Transformation and Innovation (ETI) Salon was held, marking a transition from the theoretical foundations of Education 4.0 to the identification of practical measures for university-wide implementation. Hosted by Professor Jiannong CAO, Vice President (Education), the event featured a distinguished panel of experts from PolyU, Peking University, and Tianjin University, drawing over 100 participants for a deep dive into how technology can shift students from passive receivers of information to self-directed learners. Professor Shirley NGAI, Associate Head of PolyU’s Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and a UGC Teaching Award recipient, shared her successful model for transforming allied health education. To address the "clinical gap" where students struggle to apply knowledge in high-pressure hospital settings, Professor Ngai detailed a tiered technology approach: using VR/AR for early immersion, high-fidelity mannequin simulations for decision-making training, and specialised AI tutors to provide personalised feedback on complex anatomy cases. She emphasised that these tools allow teachers to evolve from content providers into mentors who focus on the "human touch" and quality assurance. Providing a broader institutional perspective, Professor Wenxin LI, Associate Dean of School of Electronics Engineering and Computer Science, Peking University, shared her University's comprehensive AI education framework. The model delivers AI literacy across three layers: specialised AI majors, AI-integrated Computer Science majors, and general AI literacy for all students, including those in the humanities. Professor Li highlighted PKU’s requirement for all undergraduates to learn Python since 2018 and introduced "Botzone," a gamified platform where students develop AI programs for competition. This approach, she noted, fosters an environment where students become creators of AI rather than mere users. Professor Yanli LIU, Associate professor of School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Tianjin University introduced the cutting-edge concept of the "Virtual Professor"—a high-level digital twin designed to assist in teaching. She explained how "AI for Science" (AI4S) is replacing complex calculations, thereby redefining the classroom’s purpose to focus on high-level human intelligence skills like imagination and critical thinking. Her system allows students to offload routine tasks, such as literature reviews, to a digital assistant, freeing them to pursue creative engineering solutions and interdisciplinary exploration. The salon concluded with a powerful reflection on the future of the teaching profession. The panel reached a consensus that while AI will not replace teachers, teachers who embrace AI will inevitably replace those who do not.  

PolyU develops “zero-hallucination” AI literature review system to usher in new era of super research brain

Literature review underpins all academic studies. Whether for governments formulating national strategies or corporations seeking to gain industry insights, this requires reading, screening, sorting and analysing a very considerable number of sources. Prof. LIU Yan, Associate Professor and Group Leader of the Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (AIR) Research Group at the Department of Computing of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), has led her team to develop the AI literature review system “Write For You”, which can conduct in-depth analysis across extensive bodies of literature and generate reports. Since its launch in the first quarter of this year, it has registered over 40,000 active users worldwide. The academic paper on this system was presented at the AI conference held by the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence in February this year. Prof. Liu Yan explained that the team was inspired by Prof. CAO Jiannong, PolyU Vice President (Education), who suggested in 2022 that AI could be utilised to automate educational research. Mr ZHANG Zhi, a PhD student of the department, then leveraged the latest techniques of intelligent agents to address the problem of generating inaccurate content due to AI “hallucination”, succeeding in achieving “zero-hallucination” literature reviews with reliable logical reasoning and the capability to integrate academic resources across languages. Meanwhile, Dr CHEN Gong, a PhD graduate of the same department, designed and developed a user-friendly system for literature review generation, enabling users across industries to obtain a comprehensive and in-depth report in a matter of minutes by simply describing their topic of interest. Prof. Liu Yan added, “Compared with traditional reading that requires considerable time and human resources, the ‘Write For You’ system can significantly enhance research efficiency while also reducing costs. It has therefore been well received by users around the world. In just a few months since its launch, users have spanned dozens of countries and regions.” Prof. Cao Jiannong noted, “With the trend of AI-empowered education and research, PolyU is committed to leveraging leading generative AI technologies to enhance research efficiency. Our team has successfully addressed the challenge of AI hallucination, substantially improving the system’s reliability and overcoming commonly faced technical hurdles. Looking ahead, the team will build on its literature review foundation, seizing the opportunity to boost new AI-powered quality productive forces. Committed to developing autonomous intelligent systems, the team seeks to construct an ‘AI Super Research Brain’ that covers all disciplines and the entire research process, helping humanity push the boundaries of knowledge while leading the development of a new global paradigm of technological innovation with Hong Kong-developed AI technologies.” Project website: https://www.writeforyou.net/

Second ETI Salon highlights AI integration and student-staff collaboration in Education 4.0 by PolyU educators

On 8 December 2025, PolyU held the Second Education Transformation and Innovation (ETI) Salon continuing its mission to spearhead PolyU Education 4.0 (E4.0). Hosted by Professor Jiannong CAO, Vice President (Education), the session welcomed over 100 participants—including visiting students from City University of Hong Kong—to explore practical case studies of AI integration and student-staff partnerships. Professor Cao opened the salon by commending the growing momentum among staff in embracing digital transformation. He noted that the university’s pioneering role is being realised through the leadership of frontline educators who are moving beyond theory to implement tangible, AI-driven solutions in their classrooms. The first presentation by Professor Jeffrey LEUNG, Assistant Professor of School of Optometry demonstrated how AI can lower technical barriers to unlock student creativity. In his Year 4 clinical binocular vision course, students were traditionally tasked with designing hardware prototypes for vision therapy. By introducing AI coding assistants, Professor Leung enabled students (most of whom lacked programming backgrounds) to develop sophisticated software-based solutions and interactive games for clinical use. This shift allowed students to offload technical hurdles to AI and focus their energies on clinical reasoning and creative problem-solving, effectively transforming the educator’s role into that of a clinical coach and logical guide. Dr Rodney CHU, Senior Lecturer of Department of Applied Social Sciences then shifted the focus to the human element of technology through the TIMS framework (Technology Integration, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, Multimodal Assessment, and Student-Staff Partnership). Dr Chu introduced the Virtual Assistant TIMS (VAT), an AI-powered platform providing real-time lecture summaries, podcasts, and instant Q&A support. Central to his approach is the concept of "reciprocity," where students are not just consumers of AI but active partners in content creation and peer mentoring. This collaborative model has already seen successful cross-departmental adoption and international interest, proving that Education 4.0 is as much about partnership as it is about platforms. The potential for personalized learning at scale was addressed by Professor Haitian LU, Hong Kong Sustaintech Foundation Professor in Accounting and Finance, who introduced the AI Tutor Agent. Designed to tackle the limitations of "one-size-fits-all" teaching, this course-specific bot utilises syllabi, lecture notes, and past papers to provide bilingual, 24/7 support with built-in source-tracing for transparency. Professor Lu shared encouraging results from pilot implementations, noting that while the initial investment in data preparation is significant, the long-term benefit is a "human-in-the-loop" system that frees academics from repetitive administrative queries, allowing for more meaningful, higher-level interactions with students. In his closing remarks, Professor Cao emphasised that the future of higher education requires a fundamental shift in mindset. He encouraged staff to view AI not as a replacement, but as a catalyst for a more adaptive and resilient pedagogical framework. The second ETI Salon concluded with a call for continued interdisciplinary collaboration and the ongoing sharing of innovations to ensure PolyU remains at the cutting edge of the global educational landscape.

How artificial intelligence empowers education: The digital transformation of education - Prof. LI Zhimin, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China

On 8 December 2025, the “IHERD Distinguished Speaker Series” hosted an inaugural seminar titled "How Artificial Intelligence Empowers Education: The Digital Transformation of Education," featuring Professor LI Zhimin, Former Director of Science and Technology Development Centre, Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China; Executive Vice President and Director of the Talent Development Committee, Chinese Society of Educational Development Strategy. The event provided a deep dive into how the rapid advancement of the Internet and AI is reshaping the fundamental essence of learning and institutional structures. Professor LI began by establishing that the Internet has overturned traditional principles of information dissemination, moving from "centralised complexity" to "tail-end simplicity". This shift is not merely technological but cultural, ushering in an era of "human-machine coexistence" and universal access to information. Key insights from the presentation included: The Three-Tier Mission of Education: Professor LI emphasised that education must evolve beyond imparting knowledge to cultivating abilities and elevating the overall quality of life AI as a Personalisation Engine: For students, AI technology enables personalised learning paths and diverse resources, allowing learners to progress at their own pace with real-time feedback The Evolving Role of Educators: AI is shifting the teacher’s role from a primary "knowledge transmitter" to a "learning facilitator" who guides inquiry-based learning and critical thinking Digital Literacy for Teachers: The seminar highlighted five essential dimensions for modern educators: digital awareness, technical skills, digital applications, social responsibility, and professional development. A significant portion of the talk addressed the challenges facing traditional universities. Professor LI noted that "digital natives"—students who instinctively learn through screens—require a shift in institutional mindset. He argued that for AI-enhanced education to reach its full potential, we must reform policy mechanisms to include: Mutual recognition of credits and equivalent degree progression Online certification standards for teaching resources The issuance of micro-certificates for course completion The seminar concluded with a powerful reminder: the calibre of a nation is determined by the calibre of its universities. To maintain relevance in the information age, educational leaders must embrace digital transformation not just as a tool, but as a complete shift in mindset, moving from the standardised "industrial age" model to a flexible, personalised, and open educational ecosystem. We thank Professor LI for his visionary insights and all the faculty leaders who joined us for this critical conversation on the future of higher education.

Inaugural ETI Salon showcases PolyU’s strategic vision for Education 4.0 and AI-Driven pedagogy

On 31 October 2025, the inaugural Education Transformation and Innovation (ETI) Salon was held at the PolyU campus, marking a significant milestone in the University’s journey toward Education 4.0 (E4.0). Moderated by Professor CAO Jiannong, Vice President (Education), the event attracted 100 in-person participants from various departments, reflecting a strong cross-disciplinary interest in the future of AI-driven pedagogy. Professor Cao opened the session by outlining the strategic vision for PolyU E4.0, a major initiative designed to harness AI and smart technologies to enhance student competitiveness. He emphasised that as Generation Alpha—the first truly AI-native cohort—enters higher education, the University must undergo a fundamental paradigm shift from teacher-centered to student-centered learning. This transformation involves not only adopting new tools but also reimagining curriculum, pedagogy, and infrastructure. Professor Cao introduced a staged six-year roadmap for full digital and AI integration, supported by newly established units such as the Education Innovation Committee (EIC) and the Institute for Higher Education Research and Development (IHERD). The salon featured a panel of experts who shared diverse perspectives on implementing this transformation. Mr Edward SHEN, Registrar, provided a comprehensive stock-taking of PolyU’s pioneering role in AI education, highlighting the compulsory Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics (AIDA) component and the reduction of credit requirements in Majors to allow students more flexibility for interdisciplinary exploration. Dr Jane ROBBINS, Interim Director of the English Language Centre (ELC), discussed the upcoming "AI-as-a-Tool for Language Learning" subject. She emphasised that while AI can assist in drafting, students must develop critical language awareness and ethical literacy to refine AI-generated content—a model that shifts the teacher’s role toward that of a facilitator and mentor. Disciplinary applications of these innovations were further explored by Professor Jing CAI, Head of the Department of Health Technology and Informatics (HTI), and Professor Wu CHEN, Head of the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI). Professor Cai showcased how VR simulations and AI-driven personalisation are revolutionising clinical healthcare education. Meanwhile, Professor Chen addressed the challenges of data governance and ethics in geomatics, noting that students often adopt AI tools faster than staff, which necessitates a collaborative approach to learning and the integration of AI-powered spatial data tools into the curriculum. The session concluded with a lively question-and-answer period, where participants discussed the complexities of moving toward competence-based education in the AI era. Professor Cao underscored that the success of PolyU E4.0 depends on a unified ecosystem where academic departments and administrative units work in tandem. He called for continued collaboration across the University to ensure that PolyU remains at the forefront of educational innovation, transforming university operations to better serve the needs of a rapidly evolving digital landscape.

Prof. Cao Jiannong Interviewed by The Standard: PolyU to introduce compulsory AI language course next academic year

Professor CAO Jiannong, Vice President (Education) was recently interviewed regarding the university’s strategic integration of AI into the undergraduate curriculum. He announced the introduction of a compulsory course, “AI as a Tool for Language Learning,” for all incoming students starting next academic year. Prof. Cao highlighted that as AI transforms higher education, traditional teaching models must evolve to meet students' changing learning needs. The new course, developed jointly by AI and language specialists, aims to enhance students’ proficiency in reading, writing, and professional interviewing through the use of advanced technologies. Prof. Cao also detailed the launch of a pioneering five-level “AI-powered” examination to assess students’ ability to integrate AI into their studies. Under this framework, students must achieve at least Level 3 to fulfill graduation requirements. To encourage continual improvement, the university will allow unlimited attempts, with only the highest level attained recorded on the students' transcripts. Furthermore, PolyU is developing a dedicated platform to consolidate various AI learning tools, with plans to launch AI-based debate and job training programmes within the current semester. This initiative reinforces the university’s Language and Communication Requirements (LCR), ensuring graduates possess the critical AI literacy required in the modern professional landscape.   Online coverage: The Standard - https://www.thestandard.com.hk/hong-kong-news/article/313541/