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.

RISA hosted Research Seminar- Tips for Publishing in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage

RISA Research Seminar- Tips for Publishing in Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, organized by the Research Institute for Smart Ageing (RISA) and the Department of Biomedical Engineering at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU BME), took place on 30 September 2025 at PolyU. The seminar attracted over 100 researchers from local and overseas universities attending onsite and online, achieving a resounding success.

Unlocking brain signals: Prof. George Malliaras explores frontiers of electrophysiology in PAIR Distinguished Lecture

Recent advances in cortical and cutaneous electrophysiological recordings are rapidly expanding our ability to decode neural information. On 30 September 2025, Prof. George MALLIARAS from University of Cambridge, United Kingdom, delivered a PAIR Distinguished Lecture titled “How Much Can We Learn from Cortical and Cutaneous Electrophysiology?” He shared insights into the recent studies that explore the boundaries of cortical and cutaneous electrophysiology. The lecture attracted nearly 100 in-person attendees, with more than 13,500 online viewers tuning in via various social media platforms.

RISA organized Research Seminar- Novel Therapies in Osteoarthritis

The Research Institute for Smart Ageing (RISA) and the Department of Biomedical Engineering at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU BME) successfully hosted the RISA Research Seminar- Novel Therapies in Osteoarthritis on 29 September 2025 at PolyU. We were honoured to have Prof. David HUNTER, Florance and Cope Chair of Rheumatology, Professor of Medicine, NHMRC Leadership Investigator Fellow, Sydney Musculoskeletal Health, Kolling Institute, University of Sydney and Rheumatology Department, Royal North Shore Hospital as the speaker to share his insights on improving current therapies of osteoarthritis (OA).

Revolutionising Sustainable Energy Through Catalytic Innovation

Catalysis can accelerate chemical reactions and plays a key role in producing cleaner and more economical fuels. On 17 September 2025, Prof. WANG Yong from Washington State University, USA, delivered a PAIR Distinguished Lecture titled “Catalysis: Driving Affordable Clean Energy”. He shared insights into the potential of advanced catalytic technologies in revolutionising fuel production and reducing emissions. The lecture attracted over 120 in-person attendees, with more than 17,900 online viewers tuning in via various social media platforms.

Robot metamorphosis: Prof. DAI Jiansheng of King’s College London delivers PAIR Distinguished Lecture

Metamorphosis is an innate natural attribute in the evolution and survival of species. The development of shape-shifting robots is a core area within the field of intelligent structures. By integrating computational intelligence, there is hope for achieving true embodied intelligence in today’s rapidly advancing world of artificial intelligence.

MHRC organises workshop on youth mental health

The Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC) organised the “Workshop on Youth Mental Health” on 9 September 2025 at Hotel ICON, bringing together leading scholars, healthcare professionals, and community stakeholders to discuss the current challenges and opportunities in youth mental health.

PolyU hosts Global Smart Cities Summit cum the 4th International Conference on Urban Informatics and unveils Smart City Index 2025

The three-day conference brings together over 240 speakers from around the world to share cutting-edge insights and innovations in urban informatics and smart city development, attracting over 600 scholars and industry professionals. It features keynote speeches by internationally renowned scientists, forums with government and industry leaders, and innovation and technology exhibitions, providing an excellent platform to foster collaborations among government, industry, academia, and research sectors in the field of smart cities.