PAIR is officially inaugurated on 16 July 2022
The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) celebrated the inauguration of the PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR) at the Opening Ceremony of PolyU InnoTech Open Day on 16 July 2022. The Academy was jointly inaugurated by officiating guests, Prof. Sun Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry of the HKSAR Government; Ms Rebecca Pun, Commissioner for Innovation and Technology of the HKSAR Government; Dr Lam Tai-fai, PolyU Council Chairman; Prof. Teng Jin-guang, President of PolyU; Prof. Wong Wing-tak, Deputy President and Provost of PolyU; Prof. Christopher Chao, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU; Prof. Tao Xiaoming, Acting Director of PAIR; and leaders of PAIR’s 16 constituent research units.
At the ceremony, Prof. Christopher Chao highlighted the contributory role of PolyU towards achieving the United Nations (UN) sustainable development goals: “Interdisciplinary research provides solutions to many complex global challenges. We need to leverage PolyU’s research competitiveness to conduct interdisciplinary research, in which we draw experts from different fields of study to overcome disciplinary barriers for the advancement of knowledge and generation of practical solutions.”
PAIR envisions becoming the largest interdisciplinary research platform in the Greater Bay Area for interdisciplinary solutions to major societal challenges through advanced research, partnership with worldrenowned scholars, and knowledge transfer activities.
Comprising 16 research institutes and centres with over 400 experienced PolyU senior researchers from all over the world, PAIR focuses on research in frontier areas with the major objectives of boosting new technologies and innovation, expediting infrastructural connectivity, furthering ecological conservation, and developing a high-quality life circle.
