Past Events

New theory on tourist behaviour unveiled by Prof. Sara DOLNICAR at PAIR Seminar

At the PAIR Seminar on 14 October 2025, Prof. Sara DOLNICAR of The University of Queensland, Australia, shared her pioneering theory of consumer behaviour during leisure. Her presentation, titled “Habit-Enjoyment-Effort Theory – Changing Consumer Behaviour in Hedonic Contexts”, explored human behaviours in settings where the pursuit of pleasure is paramount. The seminar attracted over 170 in-person participants and an online audience of more than 13,800 across various social media platforms.

The Art of Achievement: Prof. David PUI’s Scientific Legacy

At the PAIR Seminar on 10 October 2025, Prof. David Y. H. PUI of University of Minnesota, USA, shared insights that have contributed to his career success in both academia and industry. His talk, titled “Preparing for a Successful Career Starting with Your Graduate Theses”, focused on the essential personal qualities and skill sets for completing university education and excelling as an educator or technologist. The seminar attracted over 100 in-person participants and an online audience of more than 15,000 across various social media platforms.

Prof. Iain McCULLOCH of Princeton highlights next-generation solar fuels at PAIR Seminar

Green hydrogen, produced from water using renewable energy, is anticipated to become a leading fuel of the future, offering clean, carbon-free energy for a wide range of industrial applications. It also has the potential to provide complementary energy storage when combined with intermittent solar power. However, achieving economically competitive, large-scale solar-generated hydrogen production remains a significant challenge. Photochemical water splitting, a process that uses light-absorbing nanoparticle semiconductors to drive redox reactions on their surface, offers a promising solution.

Unlocking potential applications in patient care and other key industries: Prof. HUANG Yonggang shares the latest development of bioelastic mechanoreceptors

The diverse array of mechanoreceptors found in human skin provides a versatile engineering interface for transmitting information and eliciting perceptions, with the potential to serve a wide range of applications in patient care and other key industries. However, targeted multisensory engagement of these afferent units continues to present significant challenges, particularly for wearable, programmable systems that must operate adaptively across the body.

Exploring New Frontiers in Nanotechnology: Prof. David PUI Unpacks Applications in Microelectronics and Environmental Health

Prof. David Y. H. PUI from the University of Minnesota, U.S.A., delivered the PAIR Seminar titled “Nanoparticle Technologies in Microelectronics, Air Quality, Health Effects, and Filtration” on 13 June 2025 on the PolyU campus. The seminar drew over 60 attendees in person and engaged an online audience of more than 13,100 from various countries and regions who joined the live broadcast on social media platforms.

Trailblazing PAIR Seminar by Prof. YAO Jianping on the Advancement of Microwave Photonic Systems

Prof. YAO Jianping from the University of Ottawa, Canada, delivered the PAIR Seminar titled “Photonic Integrated Circuits for Next-Generation Microwave Photonic Systems” on 11 June 2025 on the PolyU campus. The seminar drew over 70 attendees in person and engaged an online audience of more than 15,300 from various countries and regions who joined the live broadcast on social media platforms.

Prof. LIU Dikai from the University of Technology Sydney presented human-centred intelligent robotics in a seminar

Prof. LIU Dikai, Distinguished Professor and Strategic Research Director in the School of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, University of Technology Sydney, Australia, delivered a PAIR seminar titled “Human-Centred Intelligent Robotics: Case Studies, Lessons Learnt, and Opportunities” on 10 October 2024 at PolyU. The seminar attracted over 120 in-person participants and captivated an online audience of over 13,100 from various countries and regions, who watched the live broadcast on multiple social media platforms, including Bilibili, Weixin, Weibo, YouTube, etc.

Dr Roey TZEZANA of Tel Aviv University unmasks AI myths at PAIR seminar

Dr Roey TZEZANA, Fellow in Yuval Ne’eman Workshop for Science, Technology and Security, and Researcher at Blavatnik Interdisciplinary Cyber Research Center of Tel Aviv University, Israel, delivered the PAIR Seminar titled “What myths have been disrupted about AI in the last two years?” on 24 September 2024 at PolyU. The seminar attracted nearly 120 in-person participants and captivated an online audience of over 15,700 from various countries and regions, who watched the live broadcast on multiple social media platforms, including Bilibili, WeChat, Weibo, YouTube, etc.

Prof. LENG Jinsong of Harbin Institute of Technology delivers a PAIR seminar on shape memory polymer composites

Prof. LENG Jinsong, Dean of the School of Future Technology, Director of the Centre for Smart Materials and Structures (CSMS), Director of the International Center for Applied Mechanics at Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), China, and Deputy Director of the Academic Committee of HIT, delivered the PAIR Seminar titled “Shape Memory Polymer Composites: Programmability, 4D Printing and Applications” on 15 July 2024. The seminar attracted more than 90 participants in person and captured an online viewing audience of over 12,500 who watched the live broadcast on multiple social media platforms, including Bilibili, WeChat, and Weibo.

Prof. CAO Shi-Jie of Southeast University delivers a PAIR seminar on urban environment systems engineering for sustainable development

Prof. CAO Shi-Jie, Chief Professor of Southeast University (SEU) and Director for Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Urban Heat and Pollution Control, China, delivered the PAIR Seminar titled “Urban Environmental Systems Engineering for Sustainable Development: Digital Modelling and Intelligent Control” on 22 May 2024.