PolyU Summer Institute 2025: A Transformative Design Experience

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design welcomed 38 talented high school students from 35 schools across 9 countries to the PolyU Summer Institute 2025, held from 21 to 25 July 2025. This immersive programme, led by Mr Man To Yiu, Associate Professor of Practice and Dr Paul Lo, Teaching Fellow, offered participants a vibrant opportunity to experience life as a design student, fostering creativity, empathy, and teamwork through hands-on activities. Special thanks to our student assistants and JoBaMa (group fathers/ mothers) for their invaluable support in making this programme a success.   "To Be Someone" Design Empathy Workshop From 21 to 25 July 2025, all 38 participants engaged in the "To Be Someone" design empathy workshop. Using empathy toolkits at the Material Resource Centre, students worked in teams to adopt diverse personas through group reflection and empathy mapping. While some students experienced the toolkits, others observed, identifying challenges and difficulties faced, which informed group discussions to define design challenges. This process led to ideation, brainstorming, and prototyping sessions, where teams collaborated to craft and present innovative, user-centred design solutions, honing their skills to design with purpose and compassion. Company Visit: Worksheet Studio On 24 July 2025, 19 students visited Worksheet Studio, founded by our esteemed alums Carr Yeung and Jade Wong in 2015. Worksheet Studio focusses on regenerating community fibrous waste into valuable resources through material recycling. Collaborating with material scientists, engineers, manufacturers, NGOs, universities, and laboratories, the studio creates a holistic system for material R&D, waste collection, design, production, and public education. During the visit, students explored sustainable design by creating paper blocks from recycled paper pulp, gaining hands-on experience in eco-conscious design practices. The tour highlighted paper recycling, micro-factory systems, applications of recycled materials, and the studio’s social impact initiatives. About PolyU Summer Institute 2025 Organised by the Global Engagement Office, it is designed for Secondary 4 and Secondary 5 students, or equivalent, to have an immersive university experience at our campus and in Hong Kong. The whole event consists of 5 days, 4 nights Residential Camp, or together with an add-on program of a credit-bearing course.   Get Involved The PolyU Summer Institute 2025 inspired a diverse cohort of aspiring designers through empathy and sustainability. PolyU Design welcomes further opportunity exploration and collaborations to take creativity to the next level. Contact us at sdmktg@polyu.edu.hk!

Kick-Off of PolyU’s Digital Art Curation Talents Training Programme Supported by China National Arts Fund 2025

We are pleased to share that the Digital Art Curation Talents Training Programme, supported by the China National Arts Fund 2025, officially kicked off on 14 July with a ceremony at the Wong Man and Tang Kit Wah Global Student Hub, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Organised by the PolyU Research Centre for Cultural and Art Technology (CAT) and the PolyU-NVIDIA Joint Research Centre under PolyU School of Design, this initiative marks a historic milestone—PolyU is the first UGC-funded university in Hong Kong to receive funding from the prestigious China National Arts Fund 2025 under the art talents training category. Running from 14 July to 5 September 2025, the programme brings together 20 experienced professionals and scholars from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau, aiming to nurture future leaders in digital art curation and strengthen Hong Kong’s role as a hub for international cultural exchange. The kick-off ceremony featured distinguished educators and industry leaders from Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Beijing, including Dean Prof. Kun-Pyo Lee, Prof. Henry Duh, Dr Kan Tai-keung, and representatives from NVIDIA, West Kowloon, and leading art institutions. More about the Programme

PolyU Design Signs MOU with NIO to Establish PolyU SD–NIO Employment Internship Centre

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University School of Design (PolyU Design) and NIO Co., Ltd (NIO) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the establishment of the PolyU SD–NIO Employment Internship Centre (the Centre). The Centre aims to nurture design talents, developing high-potential individuals into future leaders in the automotive industry. The MOU was signed by Prof. Stephen J. Wang, Master of Design (MDes) Scheme Leader, on behalf of Dean of School of Design, Prof. Kun-pyo Lee, and Mr Zhu Taiping, Department Head, Digital Product Experience of NIO, witnessed by Mr Chen Qian, Technology Planning Senior Director of NIO, to officially establish the PolyU SD–NIO Employment Internship Centre. During the first year, the Centre will focus on providing secure and consistent internship opportunities for postgraduate students in Intelligent Systems Design (MDes). Depending on availability, these opportunities may later extend to other MDes programmes. Prof. Stephen J. Wang said, “This MoU with NIO is particularly significant for enhancing our MDes students’ learning experience, as it provides them with direct internship opportunities at one of China’s leading electric vehicle manufacturers.” He also acknowledged the importance of the partnership in the current challenging employment landscape: “This structured partnership offers an invaluable platform for our students to gain practical industry experience, apply innovative design principles, and substantially enhance their employability in the rapidly evolving intelligent automotive sector.” Mr. Zhu Taiping highlighted the value of this partnership for the industry, stating, “We believe this collaboration with PolyU will bring cutting-edge design concepts to NIO and enable us to jointly cultivate high-quality talent for the intelligent electric vehicle (EV) industry.” He further explained how NIO’s vision underpins the partnership: “NIO embraces the concept of a ‘warm interactive lifeform’ and an ‘emotionally engaged cockpit,’ and has successfully developed a next-generation intelligent cabin featuring full-sensory immersion to deliver personalised driving experiences for users.” The Centre is designed to offer student interns practical, real-world experience that complements their MDes studies, helping them explore diverse career paths in the automotive industry. With guided supervision and constructive feedback from industry professionals, students will gain invaluable insights during the formative stages of their careers. Additionally, the internship programme may lead to future employment opportunities at NIO. The Centre will serve as a platform for academic and industry partnerships to cultivate talent even beyond the automotive sector and into the broader Innovative Design industries, such as User Experience (UX) Design, Interaction Design (IxD), Artificial Intelligence Design (AI Design), Human-Machine Interaction (HMI), and Interface Design.   理大設計學院與蔚來簽署合作備忘錄 成立「理大設計—蔚來就業實習中心」 香港理工大學設計學院（理大設計）與蔚來汽車有限公司（蔚來）簽署了合作備忘錄，共同在上海成立「理大設計—蔚來就業實習中心」（下稱「中心」）。該中心旨在培養設計人才，將高潛力的個人發展為汽車行業的未來領袖。 合作備忘錄由設計學碩士課程主任王佳教授，代表設計學院院長李健杓教授，與蔚來數字產品體驗部負責朱太平先生簽署，並由蔚來技術規劃資深總監陈骞先生見證，正式成立「理大設計—蔚來就業實習中心」。 在首年，中心將專注於為智能系統設計研究生提供穩定的實習機會。根據實際情況，這些機會日後亦有望擴展至其他設計學碩士課程。 王佳教授表示：「這次與蔚來簽署的合作備忘錄，對增強我們設計學碩士學生的學習體驗具有特別重要的意義，因為它為他們提供了在中國領先的電動汽車製造商之一的直接實習機會。」他同時指出，就當前充滿挑戰的就業環境情況下，「這個有結構性的合作夥伴關係為我們的學生提供了一個寶貴的平台，特別是在當前的大環境下，讓他們獲得實際行業經驗、應用創新設計理念，並在迅速發展的智能汽車行業中顯著提升就業競爭力，實屬難得。」 朱太平先生強調了這項合作對行業的價值，他表示：「我們相信，此次與理大的合作將為蔚來引入更前沿的設計理念，也希望可以與理大一起為智能電動汽車行業培養更多優質人才。」他進一步指出，蔚來的企業願景正好為是次合作提供支撐：「蔚來秉持『有溫度的交互生命體』與『情感化座艙』的願景，成功打造出新一代全感官沉浸式智能座艙，為用戶帶來個性化的駕乘體驗。」 中心旨在為學生提供將學術知識應用於現實環境的實習機會，補足設計學碩士課程的學習內容，協助他們探索汽車行業多元化的職業發展路向。在業界專業人士的指導及建設性反饋下，學生可於職業生涯初期獲得寶貴經驗。實習計劃亦有望為學生帶來未來於蔚來工作的機會。該中心將作為連繫學術與業界的平台，培育不限於汽車領域，而涵蓋更廣泛的創新設計產業的人才，包括用戶體驗（UX）設計、交互設計（IxD）、人工智能設計（AI Design）、人機交互（HMI）與界面設計等。 

PolyU Signs MOU with Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School to Establish a Double-Degree Programme for Master of Design

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School (Tsinghua SIGS) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish a double-degree programme between the PolyU Master of Design and Tsinghua SIGS's Interactive Media Design and Technology Center. This partnership marks the first official collaboration in teaching between PolyU and Tsinghua University. The MoU outlines a framework to facilitate ongoing discussions on talent cultivation, professional practice, research development, and faculty and student exchanges in the field of interactive media. The signing ceremony took place on 27 June 2025, with Prof. Kun-pyo LEE, Dean of the School of Design, on behalf of PolyU, and Prof. OUYANG Zheng, Dean of Tsinghua SIGS on behalf of Tsinghua University, in the witness of Dr LAM Tai-fai of PolyU Council Chairman, and Mr QIU Yong of Secretary of the CPC Tsinghua University Committee, underscoring the significance of this collaboration. This inaugural double-degree programme marks a milestone partnership between PolyU and Tsinghua University—two of the region’s top universities, particularly in subject of Art & Design. This partnership aims to elevate the standard of design education in China and globally through the joint efforts of two of the world's leading design institutions, nurturing future leaders who will make impactful contributions across diverse industries. This double-degree was initiated in 2022 by Prof. LI Xiu and Prof. HUANG Wei of the Interactive Media Design and Technology Center at Tsinghua SIGS and Prof. Stephen J. WANG, Scheme Leader of the PolyU Master of Design and Chairman of the School of Design Postgraduate Programme Committee. Prof. LI and Prof. WANG continue to serve as the programme directors for this collaborative master's programme between PolyU and Tsinghua University. The programme is also supported by Tencent, which will contribute to selected programme modules. Double-degree students will benefit from corporate lectures and company visits organised by Tencent, further enriching their learning experience. Established in 2004, the PolyU Master of Design Scheme is the University’s first scheme-based postgraduate programme and is widely recognised for its contribution to Hong Kong’s creative industries. Upon formalising the partnership with a written agreement, the double-degree programme will provide students with the opportunity to earn two prestigious qualifications within the normal study period, further supporting talent development and contributing to the high value-added growth of the creative industries in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area.   理大與清華大學深圳國際研究生院簽署合作備忘錄：共建設計學雙學位碩士課程 香港理工大學（理大）與清華大學深圳國際研究生院（清華SIGS）簽署合作備忘錄（MoU），共同建立理大設計學碩士與清華SIGS互動媒體設計與技術中心之間的雙學位碩士課程。這次合作標誌著理大與清華大學在教學領域的首次正式合作。備忘錄為雙方在互動媒體領域的人才培養、專業實踐、科研發展以及師生交流等方面的持續討論提供了框架。 簽署儀式於2025年6月27日舉行，由理大設計學院院長李健杓教授代表理大，清華SIGS院長欧阳证代表清華大學簽署，並由理大校董會主席林大輝博士及清華大學黨委書記邱勇院士見證，彰顯此合作的重要意義。 這項首創的雙學位碩士課程標誌著理大及清華大學，兩所區域頂尖大學—特別是在藝術與設計領域—之間的重要合作里程碑。這項合作旨在提升中國及全球設計教育的水平，培育能夠在各行各業作出重要貢獻的未來領袖。 雙學位課程項目由清華大學深圳國際研究生院互動媒體設計與技術中心的李秀教授及黃維教授，與香港理工大學設計學碩士課程主任及設計學院研究生課程委員會主席王佳教授合作發起，王佳教授將與李秀教授一起作為課程主任主持此雙學位課程项目工作。課程同時獲得騰訊的支持，參與提供部分課程教學支持。此外，雙學位學生將參與由騰訊舉辦的企業講座及企業參訪，進一步豐富他們的學習體驗。 理大設計學碩士課程於2004年創立，是大學首個以課程組合形式設計的研究生課程，並因其對香港創意產業的貢獻而廣受認可。隨著雙方正式簽署協議，雙學位課程將讓學生在正常修業期內獲得兩個享負盛名的學位，進一步支持人才發展，並促進香港及大灣區創意產業的高增值發展。    

PolyU Design Hatch Awards 2025 Winners Announced

The PolyU Design Hatch Awards 2025 concluded with the Final Presentation and Award Ceremony on 24 May 2025. 28 teams showcased their creative solutions across various media on this year's theme - Hong Kong's Rural Culture.  Hosted by the School of Design of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the Hatch Awards is a 3-month unique design incubation programme tailored for secondary school students in Hong Kong. Following the First Round, where 28 teams were selected out of nearly 160 students, finalists engaged in a two-day Hatch Programme on 12 and 19 April 2025, with design lectures, exercises, and ideation consultations to refine their project entries before pitching their final design solutions at the Final Presentation.    DESIGN LECTURE   Ms Kate Wong, a Landscape Architect of 2 Square Metres, was invited to host a lecture covering the fundamentals of design thinking. Her lecture, titled “The Process – Multiple Approaches to Design,” has presented five major methodologies for students to explore and address their design queries at the initial stages of their iterations. IDEATION CONSULTATIONS   A team of mentors (Mr Roberto Vilchis, Mr Ben To, and Ms Chen Xing-Tong) and 10 senior student ambassadors facilitated these consultations. The consultation served as a bilateral dialogue where mentors from PolyU Design shared bespoke advice to refine students' design iterations. These design clinics provided tailored discussions to help participants enhance their design projects before the final presentation.     PITCHING WORKSHOP   Continuing their design solution development, students engaged in a pitching workshop led by distinguished alumnus of Communication Design, Thomas Wong from Studiotx Design, specialising in graphic presentation and pitching skills. Through a series of pitching exercises, students learned key strategies for delivering successful and engaging presentations.  The Hatch Programme is not merely a series of design lectures and workshops, but also a tailored design day camp that provides students with a unique opportunity to experience design education firsthand, guided by esteemed faculty members and student mentors. Engaging in this dynamic setting fosters a learning experience that goes beyond traditional competitions.    WINNERS ANNOUNCED  6 teams were honoured with different awards in recognition of their achievements in the projects. The award-winning teams captivated the audience not only with their innovative approaches but also with their creativity. Awardees are entitled to a public exhibition at the Hong Kong Central Library in September.  CHAMPION  Team: 山蠔Paciral  Member(s): CHAN Cheuk Lam, CHEN Yin Tung and CHAN Chun Kit   School: Queen Elizabeth School Old Students’ Association Secondary School  Project: Book Design of the Lau Fau Shan Rural Culture    FIRST RUNNERS-UP   Team: Village Echoes  Member(s): CHAN Hei Yui Adna, Amelia BAY & CHEN Delphia Xinnan  School: Malvern College Hong Kong  Project: Villagescape    *Village Echoes is also the winner of “THE MOST INNOVATIVE” prize.  Team: 紫田文化棋跡  Member(s): CHUN Hei Tung and LIU Wai Yin   School: Madam Lau Kam Lung Secondary School of Miu Fat Buddhist Monastery  Project: The Adventure of Tze Tin Culture    SECOND RUNNERS-UP  Team: Wendie  Member(s): LAM Wing Yee Wendie   School: Youth College (International)  Project: Music from Hong Kong Rural Culture  Team: 客氣之人  Member(s): TSANG Wing Tung Angel, YEE Ka Yung & LEE Tsz Yiu   School: Po On Commercial Association Wong Siu Ching Secondary School  Project: Hakka Candle   THE PEOPLE’S CHOICE  Team: Kaylee  Member(s): CHOI Cheuk Tung   School: Youth College (International)  Project: Rural Plant in Hong Kong   Congratulations to all the awardees! Winners’ exceptional performance not only showcases their competence in design thinking, innovation, and creativity but also reflects their dedication and passion in design. The school wishes them the best of luck in all their future endeavours!   

PolyU Design Show 2025 highlights students’ technology-driven innovations

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s School of Design (PolyU Design) is hosting the PolyU Design Show 2025 from 6 June to 8 August. The Show features over 250 innovative solutions developed by undergraduate and master’s students, many of which integrate technology to address challenges arising from the evolving global landscape. The projects focus on a diverse range of topics, including those related to community, environment, culture and business solutions. The opening ceremony was held on 6 June, bringing together government and corporate representatives, industry partners, alumni, academics and innovators. Prof. Kun-pyo LEE, Dean of PolyU Design, remarked, “This year’s Show highlights how a new generation of young designers is breaking traditional boundaries—integrating product design with healthcare, industrial design with urban planning, and exploring AI ethical issues through communication design. These works not only highlight the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration but also strike a balance between commercial pragmatism and social responsibility, offering compelling creative solutions to address some of the most pressing global challenges and social issues.” Mr Steve LEUNG, Chairman of the School’s Advisory Committee and world-renowned architect, interior and product designer, added, “Design shapes how we live, work, and connect, driving innovation and solving humanity’s greatest challenges. More than ever, we need visionary designers who can foresee and solve complex problems, creating impactful, human-centred solutions.” He believed that young designers are the pioneers shaping our future. The Show’s visual theme, “Zero Anew - Journey Unfolds”, has been crafted by a cross-disciplinary group of graduating students. The vibrant spring embodies design as a cycle of renewal — a dynamic process where experiences are distilled, visions refined, and new creative territories explored, with each exhibit reflecting this journey. The showcased projects include graduating bachelor students’ capstone projects, master students’ advanced research and foundation-year students’ design exploration projects. They demonstrate how PolyU Design students adopt core future skills, such as AI and technological literacy, creative thinking and environmental stewardship in their solutions to contribute to society. Highlighted projects include an AI-driven human-robot system to explore the possibility of further enhancing safety of traditional bamboo scaffolding in Hong Kong; a drone-based medical delivery system integrated with public health networks for deployment in remote areas; a comprehensive CPR-AED system with dual training and emergency modes; a one-stop social enterprise app offering AI-assisted live-streaming for novice users; cat boxes and houses for stray cats in the Yau Ma Tei community as safe spaces to gather and temporary stay, while offering greater convenience for caretakers and volunteers to provide regular care; and a zero-waste solution that extracts natural food colouring and freeze-dried pulp from “ugly” fruits and vegetables waste to make healthy biscuits.   Ranked 22nd in the QS World University Rankings by Subject - Art and Design in 2025, PolyU Design has organised its annual design show of student works for over 60 years. The exhibition is open to the public free of charge. Online registration is required. A virtual show is also available on website. For more details, please visit: 2025.polyudesignshow.com.   RePulse, a dual-mode CPR-AED training and emergency kit was designed by CHAN Yi Chun Joyce, a graduating student from BA(Hons) in Product Design programme. This comprehensive system with dual training and emergency modes combines muscle-memory training with foolproof emergency tools to empower more bystanders to deliver lifesaving first-aid effectively. Voices of the Voiceless is a project initiated by CHAU Ching Ngai Harry, a graduating student from the BA(Hons) in Social Design programme. Through in-depth research into the Yau Ma Tei community, the student gained valuable insights into the situation of stray cats. As a result, he developed the “Transitional Housing for Stray Cats” initiative, which provides innovative cat boxes and houses as safe spaces for stray cats to gather and temporary stay. The design also offers greater convenience for caretakers and volunteers to provide regular care.   VEGO is a project led by a group of students from the Master of Design (Innovative Business Design) programme. They extract natural food colouring and freeze-dried pulp from “ugly” fruits and vegetables to make healthy biscuits, while the remaining inedible materials are turned into painting pigments. The project aims to help create a zero-waste economy.   ***END***  

Social Design Students' Findings on Subdivided Flats in Hong Kong

Hong Kong's condensed living spaces pose unique challenges for designers. A group of Social Design (BA) students explored this topic by interviewing Tsuen Wan's subdivided flat residents. They discovered how residents overcome challenges through building networks, sharing resources, and participating in community activities. By utilising second-hand goods, repair practices, and mutual support, these residents demonstrate resilience and creativity, transforming limited spaces into opportunities for connection, adaptability, and growth. In Sunday’s Ming Pao, the students shared their insights on improving the lives of those living in these small flats, offering valuable ideas for better living. Click to read full story now.     

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PolyU Design Unveils Creative Technology Centre in Beijing, Signs MOUs to Boost HK-Beijing Innovation and Talent Exchange

PolyU held the unveiling ceremony for two key centres in Chaoyang District, Beijing on 30 April 2025 — The PolyU Creative Technology Centre (Beijing) and the PolyU PReCIT (Beijing). These centres mark a major step forward in HK-Beijing collaboration across various aspects of creative technology with a focus on AI, the metaverse, professional support, industry-academic partnerships, talent exchange, bringing together top I&T talent to conduct in-depth studies on frontier technology development trends and policymaking in I&T etc. On the same occasion, two MOUs were signed between the School of Design (SD) and the Industrial Culture Development Centre of MIIT (ICDC), as well as the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA). These collaborations will drive innovation by integrating advanced technologies with design and culture, empower SMEs, fostering talent exchange across regions, and strengthening collaborations in research, education, and cultural initiatives. This milestone will advance innovation, talent development, and technology commercialisation between Beijing and Hong Kong, fostering a dynamic ecosystem of collaboration and growth!   Learn more: China News Service - https://polyu.me/4iDKncI Hong Kong Commercial Daily - https://polyu.me/3ERQpbW ifeng.com - https://polyu.me/3Sdflhb BJ News - https://polyu.me/4d5ltBN China.com - https://polyu.me/438x6V9 Sina HK - https://polyu.me/44hNfsr NetEase - https://polyu.me/4cRkKUy Eastday - https://polyu.me/4cSxo5L Sina - https://polyu.me/3SdOGkk Sohu - https://polyu.me/4362QKy qq - https://polyu.me/4d7bcoH

劏房雖小：今天煮什麼菜？ 食好一點的想像

Our Service Design Cluster year 2 students collaborated with Caritas Community Centre in Tsuen Wan to address the issue of subdivided flats, aiming to design a comprehensive and interscalar intervention strategy from a systemic viewpoint. During the research process, our students inquire into the everyday lives of residents in subdivided flats, working together to explore opportunities for innovative design responses. Read the full article to explore the design story shared by Leung Yuen Tung Constance, who is one of the Service Design cluster year 2 students. Read the full article here(Chinese version available only, Mingpao, 20 April 2025)