News and Achievements

PolyU 85th Anniversary Public Lecture Series - Splashing for Lights Chasing our Dreams

To mark the 85th anniversary of PolyU, the third talk of the “PolyU 85th Anniversary Public Lecture Series: Together We Dream, We Fly” was successfully held on 22 November 2022 at the Jockey Club Auditorium. Ms GUO Jingjing, the Olympic Gold Medallist was invited to speak on “Splashing for Lights, Chasing our Dreams撥水見光  追逐夢想”, sharing her path to becoming a Olympic Gold medallist and encouraging young people to pursue their dreams. The lecture was attended by more than 800 guests, staff, students, alumni and public face-to-face, and over 160,000 audiences  online. Ms Guo Jingjing shared highlights of her 22-year career as a professional diver. Despite experiencing a number of injuries during training, she never gave up but insisted on overcoming adversity and continuing to train hard. Before retiring, she competed in four Olympic Games and achieved exceptional success. Ms. Guo Jingjing said, “Success is not about persevering when you see hope, but about persevering to see hope. Success is to compel yourself to be perseverant.” Ms Guo also shared her ideas in discussion with PolyU students and encouraged them to be courageous in pursuit of their dreams and contribute to the Nation and society.  The event was brought to a close with extensive media coverage, including: Phoenix TV China Review News Agency The Standard Sing Tao Daily Ta Kung Pao Bauhinia magazine Inmediahk Bastille Post Orange News Dot Dot News Hong Kong China News Agency China News Service      

Student Talent Night

The Student Talent Night was successfully held last night on 25 October.  Over 230 guests, students and staff participated in the Night either face-to-face or online! PolyU’s talented students from the PolyU Rope Skipping Team, PolyU Chinese Orchestra, the Hong Kong Wushu Team, the choir and dance teams, Chinese Orchestra, Hong Kong Rope Skipping Team, Wushu Team and The PolyArts, Flamingo and other choir and dancing teams gathered and showcased their talents on stage.  The Night was also graced by the presence of the Council and Court members and the Central Management Team of the University.  In his welcome address, Prof. Jin-Guang Teng, the President, emphasised PolyU’s “proud tradition of promoting the whole-person development of our students, providing them with various opportunities to showcase and enhance their unique talents.”  Moreover, Mr Phoebus Ng, PolyU alumnus and current member of P1X3L, a popular local music group, performed and celebrated with us together as the guest performer at the Student Talent Night.   The Talent Night, which is part of the Student Talent Week (25-28 October), is a colourful celebration event for PolyU’s 85th Anniversary. Organised by the Student Affairs Office (SAO), PolyU’s talented students gather together and perform at their best for this celebration. Come and join us in the Talent Shows from 26 Oct to 28 Oct. PolyU students will continue to perform at the Global Student Hub and you are very welcome to support our talented students!

Student Talk Series on Deception and Anti-scam Alerts

In collaboration with the Chinese Mainland Student Association (CMSA), SAO once again, invited speakers from the Anti-deception Coordination Centre of the Hong Kong Police to deliver a talk on scam prevention on 13 October 2022. During the talk, the police unmasked the veil of the scam industry, including common deceptive tactics deployed and their main targets. Students interacted with the speakers through role plays at the Global Student Hub to gain a deeper understanding of how victims would feel and react in face of frauds.  Prof. Albert P.C. Chan, Dean of Students, encouraged CMSA to continue its effort in building a caring student network which is most appreciative as it is believed strengthened peer connections can minimise the chance from falling prey to scammers. Over the years, deceptive organisations have been more rampant than ever, with an increasing number of which targeting on mainland students in Hong Kong. Therefore, anti-deception talk series is regularly held to enhance the anti-scam awareness of this group of students. To combat fraudulent acts, the Anti-deception Coordination Centre has also set up a hotline especially for reports on scam crimes, and the effectiveness has proven to be highly applauded.

Student Representatives of University Committees and Institutional Service

2022-23 institutional-wide campaign for Student Representation at University Committees and Institutional Services was supported by Student Affairs Office. Applications were closed on 30 September. With the enhanced promotional efforts, the response was overwhelming with over 200 student applications from among local and non-local students of 11 places of origins.  Altogether 34 physical group interviews were conducted between 10 and 11 October. The Interview Panels, chaired by the Dean of Students or his delegates, consist of members of the Committees/Liaison Groups/Institutional Services concerned and a student representative.  Student representatives play vital roles to express views and serve as a bridge between the wide student community and the committees of catering, culture promotion, health & safety, industrial centre, library and student development and affairs.  Student representation and suggestions are most invaluable for the continuous advancement of campus life experience in all aspects from student affairs to health and dental services, from academic services and support to campus development, and so on. The selected candidates will be appointed as student representatives concerned for a one-year term of office from 1 November 2022 to 31 October 2023.   

An Ordinary Dreamer: Live with a Dream in the Reality

Riding on the success of the first talk held in September, the second talk of the “PolyU 85th Anniversary Public Lecture Series: Together We Dream, We Fly”, titled “An Ordinary Dreamer: Live with a Dream in the Reality 平凡的尋夢者：在現實中活出夢想”, was held on 14 October 2022 in hybrid mode, with around 100 attendees in person and online. Mr Bayern Chui, partner of KPMG China, Hong Kong office, and our PolyU Alumnus, began to share his views on dreams after the welcome address delivered by Prof. Albert Chan, Dean of Students. With the stories of his personal experience, Bayern shared how chasing dreams can be realistic and how passion and determination is fundamental for achieving your goals in life. A Q&A session was conducted after Bayern’s fascinating sharing, with the facilitation of Prof. Chan. The audience and Bayern had a fruitful conversation on the accounting industry and working hard for your goals. At the end of the talk, Prof. Ben Young, Vice President (Student and Global Affairs), presented a souvenir to Bayern to express our appreciation.

Launch of Stage Management Training Scheme

Jointly presented by Exposure Studio Production (E.S.P) of Educational Development Centre (EDC) and Student Affairs Office (SAO), a brand-new Stage Management Training Scheme under the PolyU’s Got Talent programme of SAO provides golden training opportunities for students to grasp stage management knowledge at the E.S.P. studio and Global Student Hub in October 2022.  This first-ever student-focused programme aims to provide learning and practicing platform for event organisers who have keen interest about crew production behind the stage. On completion of this 9-hour training programme (6 sessions), participants will receive a certificate as a recognition of their effort in learning basic knowledge of video making, lighting, audio and sound control as well as stage management. The trained pool of stage crew will also be invited to render backstage support in upcoming PolyU’s Got Talent busking activities or other student events.  Special compliments to our EDC colleagues, for making this happen. A joint collaborative effort between SAO and EDC to advance student holistic development.

Campus Life Festival

To promote campus integration and facilitate students’ holistic development, around 40 student-run interest clubs and non-local student associations presented the “Campus Life Festival”. The event was held at FJ, FG and CF podium during 19-23 September 2022 in collaboration with the Student Affairs Office.  The 5-day festival attracted over 15,000 students who joined peers to explore arts, culture, sports, and leisure pursuits. The event fostered a sense of camaraderie among peers who share the same passion. There were also dance and musical performances during lunchtime.  

Dean’s Dialogue with Student Organisations - Enhancement of Communication with Student Organisations

Under the guidance of different PolyU hosting units, a rainbow of over 80 student-run organisations and interest groups hold hands with the University to create a vibrant and colourful campus culture. Nature of these student organisations ranges from academic, professional, cultural, recreational, sports, social to just fun interests.  Around 40 of these affiliated student organisations are working very closely with SAO to offer different kinds of extra-curricular advancement opportunities for PolyU students. Prof. Albert Chan, Dean of Students and colleagues from the Student Development Unit of SAO run regular communication sessions with the office-bearers of these student organisations to gather good suggestions and understand their needs. The first dialogue in 2022-23 academic year was held on 27 September 2022 at the Global Student Hub.

PolyU Blood Donation Campaign 2022

PolyU’s Student Affairs Office and Global Engagement Office, in collaboration with the Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service (BTS), organised the Blood Donation Campaign since 2018. Riding on the success of the previous campaigns, PolyU Blood Donation Campaign 2022 was held from 5 – 7 October. With over 330 students and staff members’ participation, 286 units of blood were collected successfully. Among these successful blood donation cases, 63% or 181 of them were first-time donors. In recognition of PolyU’s staunch support in driving blood donation on campus and promoting a positive message to the public, Dr C K Lee, Chief Executive and Medical Director of the Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service, presented the “Elite Partnership Award 2022” to Prof. Ben Young, Vice President (Students and Global Affairs). Newly launched in 2021, the award recognises the enthusiastic support and remarkable achievements of commercial and community partners. 

STARS Residential College Unveiling Ceremony

This academic year, PolyU has initiated the Special Talents Admission and Recognition Scheme (STARS). Secondary students who have demonstrated remarkable talents in sports, arts and culture, community service and leadership, as well as in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) are provided with special opportunities to receive quality tertiary education. Under the Scheme, the University will provide all-round support to students in the form of the STARS Residential College and the STARS Scholarship. Officiated by PolyU Outstanding Alumnus and Former Chairman of the Hong Kong Housing Society, Mr Marco Wu Moon-hoi, and PolyU’s Vice President (Student and Global Affairs) Prof. Ben Young, the STARS Residential College was officially unveiled last week, witnessed by PolyU staff and students. The plaque unveiled on the occasion was of Mr Wu’s Chinese calligraphy, a generous gift from Mr Wu to the College. Mr Wu’s professionalism as a surveyor and his dedication to serving society over the years are aspirational for STARS residents. Mr Wu also shared his personal experience of career development, making it a very meaningful night for our students.