News & Events

Dr Tan Tie-niu, Deputy Director of the Central Government’s Liaison Office in Hong Kong visits PolyU

Chinese version only.

PolyU-developed space instruments complete lunar sampling for Chang’e 5

In support of the Nation’s first lunar sample return mission, a research team at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) developed and manufactured one of the key systems for this historic undertaking, namely the “Surface Sampling and Packing System”, in collaboration with the China Academy of Space Technology. The PolyU-developed system accomplished the tasks of automatic sample collection and packaging on the lunar surface following the soft landing of the Chang’e 5 probe on 1 December 2020. The vehicle carrying the samples is currently on course back to Earth, and is expected to touch down in China’s Inner Mongolia region next week. Chang'e-5 is the world’s first lunar-sample return mission in more than 40 years, aiming to bring back a large amount of lunar samples of up to two kilograms via robotic means. The probe adopts two methods of moon surface sampling: one uses a robotic arm for multiple-point surface sample collections, and the other is to drill underground. The team led by Professor YUNG Kai-leung, Sir Sze-yuen Chung Professor in Precision Engineering, Chair Professor of Precision Engineering and Associate Head of Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, PolyU, was tasked in 2011 to develop the “Surface Sampling and Packing System”, a comprehensive system for lunar surface sampling, packaging and sealing.Dr LAM Tai-fai, Chairman of Council, PolyU, remarked, “The collection of lunar samples is a landmark occasion in the history of our Nation’s space exploration programme. It is a great testament to our University’s cutting-edge research capability that PolyU was the only tertiary institution in Hong Kong to contribute to the Chang'e 5 mission. Furthermore, the fact that Hong Kong-based scientists at PolyU developed some of the most critical components for the project is a fantastic accomplishment for the whole city, proving that Hong Kong can play an important role in supporting our Nation in making significant strides in the fields of space exploration and science.”Mr Alfred SIT, Secretary for Innovation and Technology of the HKSAR Government, said, “Over the years, PolyU has actively participated in our Nation's space exploration projects by developing highly sophisticated space instruments for our country. In the Chang'e 5 lunar exploration project, PolyU fully demonstrated its rich experience accumulated in national and international space projects, its cutting-edge technology as well as its innovative thinking. PolyU's efforts in research are in line with and complementary to the Government's goal of developing Hong Kong into an international innovation and technology hub.” Professor Jin-Guang TENG, PolyU President, said, “The Chang'e 5 lunar mission has been watched closely by the entire world, since it will help the scientific community uncover some of the Moon’s secrets and mysteries. I am immensely proud that PolyU researchers developed the pioneering ‘Surface Sampling and Packing System’ to facilitate the success of this milestone mission. By contributing to such a sophisticated national space project, the University has demonstrated its substantial research competence and commitment to producing breakthrough solutions that push forward the frontiers of technology and science. PolyU will continue to devote itself to the pursuit of research excellence and the creation of innovations that benefit Hong Kong, the Nation and our world.”

PolyU collaborates with Macau University of Science and Technology to advance diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia

COVID-19 is taking its toll on the world, affecting more than 200 countries and regions. In the face of a surge in cases, rapid diagnosis and identification of high-risk patients for early intervention is crucial for controlling the pandemic. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is committed to the fight against COVID-19 and has been collaborating with various partners in the prevention and control of the disease.  PolyU today announced the launch of a new AI system jointly developed with the Macau University of Science and Technology (M.U.S.T.) in conjunction with other Chinese institutions, to assist in the rapid diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia. This research was published in the prestigious international journal Cell, in a paper entitled “Clinically Applicable AI System for Accurate Diagnosis, Quantitative Measurements, and Prognosis of COVID-19 Pneumonia Using Computed Tomography” (link). The novel AI-assisted diagnostic system, based on computed tomography (CT) chest imaging, can efficiently distinguish COVID-19 pneumonia from other viral pneumonia, and predict the severity level in 20 seconds, with an accuracy of up to 90% or above. It assists radiologists and physicians in performing a quick diagnosis, especially when the health system is overloaded. According to Professor Kang ZHANG of the Faculty of Medicine of M.U.S.T. – the first author of the research paper, the research team used a large CT database of 3,777 patients to train and test the AI system to differentiate novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) from other common pneumonia and normal controls. This system is able to provide accurate clinical prognosis that can aid clinicians when considering appropriate early clinical management and appropriate resource allocation. It has been developed to assist global clinicians in combating COVID-19. Dr Johnson LAU, Adjunct Professor of the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology of PolyU, explained that the AI team uses deep learning, semantic segmentation and multiple neural network architectures to create an accurate AI diagnostic system comprising texture analysis, quantitative measurements and diagnosis classification. In addition, based on the international standard for related research on lung lesions, lung, liver damage and relevant clinical indicators, they have also developed a comprehensive rating system to project the emergence of pneumonia severe lesions accurately for the follow-up treatment.The scientists from PolyU and M.U.S.T. have also collaborated on other projects, including the seroconversion study in SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) patients in China, which helped pave the way for further diagnostic and therapeutic development to treat SARS-CoV-2. The study “Seroprevalence of immunoglobulin M and G antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in China” was also recently published in another prestigious scientific journal Nature Medicine (link).“Leveraging PolyU’s strengths and our collaborations with different research partners, we are able to contribute to the well-being of humankind. During the outbreak, we have developed a rapid automated diagnostic system to detect COVID-19 and have conducted various scientific experiments related to the pandemic,” said Professor Alexander WAI, Deputy President and Provost of PolyU. “Since the establishment of the biotechnology and translational medicine international collaborative platform in 2018, PolyU has been working closely with M.U.S.T. and other partners from the United States and the Greater Bay Area for high-impact research. Our long-term cooperation has paved the way for us to respond quickly, and to use our expertise to develop this new AI system for the diagnosis and prognosis of COVID-19.”Professor Manson FOK, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of M.U.S.T., remarked that this AI system had been implemented in many hospitals in different countries. M.U.S.T. is collaborating with several prominent universities including Baylor University, University of Buffalo and Stanford University to serve the US populations. He believed this application could soon be adopted in Hong Kong, more regions of Mainland China and worldwide. COVID-19 is a new and highly contagious virus with over 7 million people infected (as of June 10). Researchers from PolyU and M.U.S.T. with their supportive partners will continue their efforts in COVID-19 research to use scientific technologies to combat this pandemic through prevention, diagnosis, treatment and control.

PolyU Explores the Application of Peptides in Data Storage for Space Exploration in China’s Next-generation Manned Spacecraft

With the huge amount of digital data generated and recorded during space missions, the data storage devices currently used for this purpose reveal great limitations in terms of their data storage capacity and the durability of the retained data. To meet this challenge, a team of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) researchers has developed a novel technology for massive data management involving the use of peptides, which has been developed to optimise data storage for space exploration in China’s next-generation manned spacecraft in the new Long March-5B rocket.   Led by Dr YAO Zhong-ping, Associate Professor, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology and Prof. Francis LAU, Professor and Associate Head, Department of Electronic & Information Engineering, the team has used peptides for the storage of digital data and tandem mass spectrometry for its retrieval. Compared with existing commercial data storage devices and other developing technologies such as DNA data storage, peptides offer a much higher storage density and longer storage duration – with the data still viable for sequencing even after millions of years when DNA would have already degraded. As such, this new technology has very great potential for handling the enormous amount of data generated during space missions.   Dr Yao considers the peptide synthesis industry to be already well-developed, allowing fast peptide synthesis at a reasonable cost; with the development of proteomics, the process of sequencing thousands of peptides in a mixture can now be completed within a short period of time. Combining proteomics and data storage technology for the first time, this innovation has the potential to transform the data storage industry. Besides its application in data management for space missions, this technology has potentially wide applications, and could benefit governmental agencies and corporations that generate and archive large volumes of big data. Dr Yao adds that the further advancements in the peptide synthesis industry and sequencing technology would enable the peptide data storage to be applied at a more reasonable cost.   Launched on 5 May 2020, the manned spacecraft of the Long March-5B rocket, with the support of Space Biology Group, carried mixtures of peptides encoding a bilingual text file containing the PolyU motto ‘To learn and to apply, for the benefit of mankind’ and ‘PolyU 80th Anniversary’, as well as an audio file of the music ‘Silent Night’, prepared by the PolyU research team. The purpose of this space ride-share experiment is to test the reliability and stability of the peptides for data storage and retrieval after exposure to the space environment. Upon the safe return to Earth of the spacecraft along with the experimental materials, the PolyU team will decode and retrieve the data. It is expected that this technology will hold promise in supporting data management in space exploration in the coming future.    PolyU has a strong research track record in space technology, with its researchers having been involved in a number of national and international space exploration projects since the 1990s, and with this important space ride-share experiment, the University has now participated in the historic launch of the China’s Long March-5B rocket along with the next-generation manned spacecraft to support the nation’s plan for space exploration to Mars. PolyU looks forward to further collaboration with China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, Space Biology Group, China Resources Life Sciences Group and various other research partners to develop other forward-looking research projects for future space missions.

理大領先的主題研究丨促進全球可持續發展·解決亞熱帶城市群區域大氣光化學污染

香港理工大學（理大）校長滕錦光教授說：「我們的研究人員專注在生物技術、可持續發展、新材料、人工智慧、機器人技術、資料科學和食品技術等領域的研究，不斷取得顯著的發展及重大突破。理大的研究團隊致力於解決迫切的全球性問題，並為建設更美好的世界作出貢獻。」 理大研究團隊取得的創新技術及成果，很多都獲得香港研究資助局（RGC）的大力支持及政府撥款資助。連續三年，理大在RGC主題研究計劃共獲得三個主要研究專案的撥款。這些研究專案將帶來突破性的改進，有助於智慧城市的可持續性發展。 光化學空氣污染（photochemical air pollution）是理大研究人員最關注的全球性問題之一。光化學空氣污染亦稱為煙霧，它是一種獨特的空氣污染類型，當空氣不流通時，由包括臭氧等幾種化合物混合而成的物質會充斥於空氣中。混合物降低能見度，引起眼睛不適，使橡膠輪胎破裂，並破壞植被，對農民和種植商造成經濟損失。光化學空氣污染亦會影響樹木及農作物進行光合作用，造成溫室效應，加速全球暖化，影響深遠。 在香港、洛杉磯及印度齋浦爾等城市，汽車依賴度高或高度工業化，空氣污染的問題最為常見。由於香港和鄰近的珠三角組成的地區，是中國其中一個人口最多，經濟最活躍的地區。區內化石燃料的大量消耗使空氣品質下降，儘管政府已努力降低污染水平，區內的光化學污染並沒有太大改善。 理大土木及環境工程學系王韜教授說：「解決這些問題對為亞熱帶複雜環境地區，制定有效的空氣污染控制策略至關重要。」王教授及其研究團隊正在研究由車輛排放、工業運作，以及陸地和海上其他排放源引致的混合排放物，期望引進減輕光化學污染的最有效策略。他們還嘗試開發更精準，具備更佳預測能力，並能夠在複雜地理環境中使用的建模系統。 這項由王教授統籌的研究專案，於研究資助局2017/18年度的主題研究計劃中獲得超過三千三百萬港元的資助。理大的團隊與來自德國、美國、中國科學院及其他香港高校的專家，共同開展為期5年的研究工作。專案題為「亞熱帶城市群區域大氣光化學污染：從微環境到城市－陸地－海洋的相互作用」。目標是開展世界前沿的基礎科學研究，以期解決香港和珠三角地區的光化學和路邊污染之問題，從而為建設綠色香港、中國乃至亞洲作出貢獻。  

2019滬港大學聯盟年會暨行政人員工作坊（人力資源）

滬港大學聯盟於上海復旦大學舉辦2019年會, 討論加強推進香港及上海兩地大學資源整合和人才培養，並一連兩天舉行行政人員工作坊（人力資源）, 主題為“邁向世界一流大學── 人力資源管理”, 共有約30名來自15所大學, 包括理大的代表參與。滬港大學聯盟於2018年11月成立, 成員包括香港及上海16所大學,期望以聯盟作為知識交流平台, 建設世界一流大學及促進兩地行政人員互相學習，優勢互補。  

香港理工大學酒店及旅遊業管理學院第二十五屆畢業典禮

2019年10-11月，香港理工大學畢業季，酒店及旅遊業管理學院本年度共有752名畢業生，其中酒店及旅遊業管理碩士（HTM）畢業生共計85名。 11月5日，HTM畢業生從內地趕往香港，參加了學院在香港理工大學賽馬會綜藝館舉行的畢業典禮。教師代表、嘉賓、畢業生及其家屬參加了此次畢業典禮。下午點分，國歌聲中，全體畢業生起立，靜候畢業典禮的開啟，酒店及旅遊業管理學院院長及講座教授暨郭炳湘基金國際酒店服務業管理教授田桂成教授宣佈第二十五屆畢業典禮正式開始。 學院副院長及教授金博藍教授致辭並介紹主禮嘉賓。金博藍教授對SHTM的發展歷程做了簡要介紹：學院已有40年歷史，在2019上海軟科世界一流學科排名的“旅遊休閒管理”類別中位列全球第一；在2017世界大學排名中心的“酒店、休閒、體育與旅遊”類別中排名世界首位；並在2017/2018大學學術表現排名的“商業、管理、旅遊業及服務學科”領域中排列第一，是卓越教育的象徵，通過推動教育與傳授知識以服務業界及學術組織是學院一直以來的使命。金教授還對在場畢業生所取得的學術研究成就表示肯定，並對所有畢業生表示衷心的祝賀。 正愛慈善基金會董事陳子君女士作為主禮嘉賓致辭。陳女士是香港酒店業先驅陳澤富先生的孫女。陳澤富先生及其夫人以及其家族成員曾為推動理大酒店及旅遊業管理教育做出了突出貢獻，酒店及旅遊業管理學院大樓以“陳澤富伉儷樓”命名，學院副院長兼講座教授宋海岩教授亦被評為陳澤富伉儷國際旅遊教授。生於酒店業家族，陳子君女士寄語在座畢業生追求自己的理想，開拓眼界。給予別人，自己內心也會獲得變化，而這一變化將有助於改變家庭、社區、城市、國家乃至整個世界。 在學位授予儀式上，田院長親自為畢業生進行授帽儀式，值得一提的是，今年共有十位同學獲得優秀畢業生稱號，他們分別是趙倩婷、李苗欣、羅冰清、宋暁軍、王晶、吳芬、許盛甯、陳辰、李倩和曾霞。衷心祝賀！ 田院長代表酒店及旅遊業管理學院向所有畢業生致以熱烈的祝賀，畢業代表學業告了一個段落，但同時也代表著一種新的開始，並祝所有畢業生開啟人生的新篇章。 在全體畢業生吟唱畢業歌“Time Flies My Friends”後，田院長宣佈畢業典禮結束。祝願畢業生能在未來的路上，事業有成，一日千里！

Unique immersion programme teaches tertiary students about entrepreneurship and innovation in the Greater Bay Area

A 50-day entrepreneurship programme organised by the Greater Bay Area International Institute for Innovations (GBA I3) concluded successfully last week. In this first-of-its-kind immersion programme, 76 students from Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas had the opportunity to widen their horizons in entrepreneurship and innovation, engage in cultural exchanges, share ideas and collaborate with one another. The students also participated in incubation and internship at start-ups in the region. Many felt that the knowledge they gained about the start-up ecosystem and market environment in the GBA will be helpful to them if they start a business in the region. The Shenzhen-Hong Kong Start-up Internship • Immersion Programme, launched by the      GBA I3, was jointly established by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Shenzhen University (SZU). Running from May to July, the programme hosted 17 PolyU students, 32 SZU students, and 27 students from the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Australia, Japan, and South Korea. This year's programme included a series of field trip studies at start-ups, incubators and multi-national technology companies in Hong Kong and Shenzhen. In the programme, students also learned from entrepreneurship coaches and capital venture heads on how to design business models and validate business plans. Additionally, the 17 PolyU students were able to participate in five-week internships at various Shenzhen start-ups. Dr Miranda LOU, Executive Vice President of PolyU, said, "The programme is one of the key projects for GBA I3 to promote entrepreneurship development. With a wide spectrum of learning models that combine field trips, internships, and exchange opportunities, we aimed to broaden the perspectives and experiences of the students from different countries, cultures and disciplines and inspire them to come up with innovative ideas. Through similar initiatives, we hope our young people embrace the tremendous opportunities made possible by the GBA, and that global talent is attracted to the region for career development." Professor WANG Hui, Vice President of SZU, said, "The programme is the first key initiative for developing talent in the GBA I3 established by the two universities. With full support and funding from the Ministry of Education, the programme aims to integrate the resources in innovation and technology across the region, develop technology professionals in Shenzhen and Hong Kong, encourage the exchange of creative talent within the GBA and the rest of the world. We also hope that the programme will give students in Hong Kong and Macau a better understanding of economic and social developments in the Mainland. The seven-week programme offers a wide range of activities including corporate visits, training courses, internships and roadshows for entrepreneurship projects. Through these activities, we hope to establish a distinctive brand for the programme that fully implements the spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship in the GBA." For LUO Yuxi, a year-2 student at SZU studying Business Management, the programme has widened his horizons by exposing him to first-hand experiences of the different learning and working cultures in the Mainland, Hong Kong and among overseas students. "In our business planning with PolyU peers, we were impressed by their very pragmatic approach, dedicated mindset and high efficiency in problem solving. On the other hand, we Mainland students are usually strong in research on the wider market trends taking place across the Nation. Learning how to integrate our complementary strengths and achieve common goals will certainly empower us for future cross-cultural career development and cooperation." A year-3 PolyU student in Product Design, Ivan WONG worked as an intern at a Shenzhen start-up providing smart caring solutions and products for the elderly. Working as a User Interface User Experience (UIUX) designer during his five-week internship, he was responsible for creating a functional and fashionable sneaker for the elderly. "The day-to-day real-life experience of working and living in Shenzhen strengthened my confidence about looking beyond Hong Kong to develop my career. I now think about realizing my dream of setting up a studio start-up with my classmates when I graduate and providing industrial design services targeted at the huge GBA market."  

香港理大「希望旅程」服務學習 服務四川小學 學習防災減災

由香港理工大學(理大)的服務學習課程 -「促進青少年及兒童發展」今年7月首度到四川省與四川大學合作, 為成都西蜀實驗學校小學生舉辦「希望旅程」夏令營。60多名理大及10位香港聖三一堂中學學生,參訪了映秀鎮, 並參加四川大學-香港理工大學災後重建與管理學院(災管院)應急逃生與滅火體驗課程，親身領會災難的震撼及防災減災教育的重要，讓他們更深入認識災害及防災的重要。 7月5日, 「希望旅程」閉幕式于災管院舉行,  理大協理副校長石丹理教授致辭時表示, 這個服務學習課程於四川省首辦, 與四川大學公共衛生學院合作, 為成都西蜀實驗學校服務, 首次合作非常愉快,  期望服務學習計畫可以繼續在四川其他地方發展。出席閉幕式的嘉賓包括四川大學代表: 國際合作與交流處副處長楊光教授及項目主管鄧洪教授、公共衛生學院服務性學習專案負責人趙莉副教授、災管院院長柯瑞卿教授, 以及成都西蜀實驗學校于亞平校長。   培養「有能力」、「有盼望」及「抗逆力」的公民 今次到四川的服務學習團共60多名來自香港理大不同專業的學生及10位來自香港聖三一堂中學的學生, 一起為超過360名成都西蜀實驗學校的小三至小四學生舉辦五天夏令營, 透過「生活英語」、「科學學習」、「健康教育」、「自我成長」等充滿樂趣的課堂，培養「有能力」、「有盼望」及「抗逆力」的素質。此外, 今次也邀請了四川大學學生以觀察員身份參與,為服務學習的學生提供回饋。 來自香港的大學生及中學生們除了到四川參與這項服務學習外, 行程中更安排了以防災減災為主題的參訪活動, 包括參加災管院的應急逃生與滅火體驗課程，瞭解不同滅火設備的應用、在類比火警的房間學習逃生知識。並參觀映秀鎮, 與映秀小學董雪峰校長對談, 親身瞭解災後重建的實況。   對老師捨己救人的事蹟深受感動 理大學生洪嘉穎坦言, 應急逃生課程很重要:「意外沒法預知。我們只能多作練習，才能在危急的情況下作出適當的反應，所以防災教育很重要。」她亦難忘參觀映秀鎮的經驗: 「給我最大觸動的是校長的分享，他的描述非常清晰詳細，令我仿佛就置身在地震當中。其中讓我最感動的是老師捨己救人的事蹟，無私的精神實在很值得我們去學習。」   理大是香港首間把服務學習列入大學必修課程的學府，而「促進青少年及兒童發展」服務學習專案已分別在上海及杭州舉辦, 有很好的社會效益,  並曾獲得國際大學評級機構（QS）的“全球教學創新大獎”之“可持續性”組別金獎。

香港理大與西安交大合辦第六屆絲路國際暑期班開幕

2019年7月1日，香港理工大學（理大）和西安交通大學（西安交大）共同籌辦的絲路國際暑期班在兩校位於西安的合作基地正式拉開帷幕。 開幕典禮在兩校師生熱烈的掌聲中展開。本屆絲路國際暑期班的主題為服務領袖，亮點包括兩個新課程：服務領袖訓練營和服務有特殊需要的兒童及家庭服務學習計劃。課程旨在通過系統化的教學和實踐，培養學生具有服務領袖的核心素質，以應對不斷變化的社會需求。本次暑期班得到兩校校友的鼎力支持，在課程安排和內容上給予協助，使之更豐富充實，因而吸引了包括超過130名香港理大學生，約50名西安交大學生，以及10名香港中學生在內的近200名學生參與，來自不同專業和年級的學生將在暑期班一起體驗學習服務領袖素質。   服務領袖訓練營由西安交大人文社會科學學院青年領導力中心承辦，學生通過課堂、講座、企業考察及文化體驗等活動認識現今服務領袖的相關概念，以及學習服務領袖所需具備的條件和素質。   服務有特殊需要的兒童及家庭服務學習計劃由西安交大附屬小學金輝分校承辦，課程曾獲香港及國際教育獎項。學生將在老師的指導下，通過生動活潑的課堂活動，服務包括西安交大附小金輝分校的學生，以及來自陝西平利縣、柞水縣、旬邑縣、周至縣、衡山縣等地區的貧困生在內的逾260名小學生。   出席開幕典禮的主要領導包括：西安交大黨委常委、統戰部長張定紅女士、理大協理副校長（本科生課程）石丹理教授，以及西安交大人文社會科學學院院長李黎明教授。三位領導分別在典禮上致辭，勉勵同學積极參與和學習，日後將習得的知識和技能運用到生活當中，造福社會。香港理大和西安交大學生代表也在典禮上分享了學習經歷和對課程的期待。   為期一個月的絲路國際暑期班由2014年起已經連續舉辦了六屆，課程有助於促進不同文化和背景的學生之間相互了解，開拓視野，深受同學歡迎。