PAIR Conference to promote interdisciplinary research excellence

(Front row) Dr Lam Tai-fai, PolyU Council Chairman (third from left); Prof. Jin-Guang Teng, President of PolyU (second from right); Prof. Christopher Chao, Vice President (Research and Innovation) (second from left); Prof. Wang Zuankai, Associate Vice President (Research and Innovation) (first from right); Prof. Chen Qingyan, Director of PAIR (first from left), and Prof. Yan Nieng, Founding President of the Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation (third from right); attended the opening ceremony of the PAIR Conference. They were joined by PAIR’s International Advisory Committee and Management Committee members.

PolyU inaugurated the PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR) Conference, the first and largest interdisciplinary research and development conference in Hong Kong, in May. Around 100 internationally renowned experts shared theirknowledge and insights with over 2,500 participants from around the world during the four-day conference.

Themed “Research Excellence for Societal Impacts”, the Conference held discussions focusing on three core areas: advanced technologies and manufacturing, good health and well-being, and smart and sustainable cities.

Professor Yan Nieng, Founding President of the Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation and a world-leading structural biologist, gave a plenary speech on the frontier research of proteins that may play a key role in the pharmaceutical development of pain relief solutions.

Professor Jin-Guang Teng, President of PolyU, said, “This academic conference is specifically dedicated to interdisciplinary research and emerging technologies, which are especially relevant in today's complex world. Tackling pressing societal issues such as climate change, ageing population, poverty, energy shortages and so forth requires game-changing interdisciplinary solutions that transcend the boundaries of individual disciplines.”