PAIR inaugurates its Advanced Education Programme

The PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR) held the Opening Ceremony for its Advanced Education Programme (AEP) on 5 September 2025.  The event was attended by over 70 senior management members, directors of PAIR’s constituent research units, lecturers, staff, students and alumni, and an online audience of over 250.

In his welcoming address, Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation), remarked, “Since the launch of the course ‘Healthy Life and Smart Living’, we have received over 1,000 enrolments.  We greatly appreciate your full support for this programme.  This encouraging result shows that we are moving in the right direction in promoting interdisciplinary collaboration.”  He further noted that the AEP represents a significant step forward in PAIR’s educational development, emphasising that fostering interdisciplinary thinking within communities to address real-world challenges is a valuable and responsible investment.  Such efforts, he said, will yield substantial long-term benefits, including increased productivity, improved health, and enhanced sustainability.

Prof. ZHANG Weixiong, Associate Director of PAIR, provided an overview of the programme.  He explained that the main objectives of the programme are to disseminate both foundational and advanced knowledge in science and technology, promote scientific advancement and technology innovation, support students’ career development, and nurture broader interdisciplinary collaboration.  All courses will be delivered by experts and academics from various disciplines, enabling students from diverse backgrounds to engage with the latest technological innovations across multiple fields and apply the knowledge they have learnt effectively in professional, research, clinical, or everyday contexts.

Launched in the first semester of the 2025/26 academic year, the inaugural course, “PAIR 6001: Healthy Life and Smart Living”, runs for 13 weeks from 5 September to 28 November 2025.  Each week features a three-hour teaching session. Students may attend classes in-person or online, with full access to course materials.  Learners fulfilling the attendance requirement are eligible to apply for a certificate of completion.