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Call for nominations | Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award of School of Fashion and Textiles 2026

Nominations for Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU School of Fashion and Textiles 2026 are now invited for submission. The Award aims to recognise alumni who have made contributions to the School of Fashion and Textiles (SFT, formerly known as the Institute of Textiles and Clothing, ITC), PolyU, and the wider community through their achievements in respective areas. Eligibility The nominated candidate must be a graduate who has successfully completed full-time or part-time programme offered by PolyU's SFT or its forerunner, ITC, which led to academic award. The proposer can be a PolyU graduate, Honorary Graduate, University Fellow, PolyU staff, PolyU Council and Court member and Advisory Committee member.  There is no limit to the number of nominations to be submitted by each proposer. However, the proposer cannot be the candidate himself/herself. Selection Criteria The selection of the Award considers two criteria: Support and Contributions to PolyU: This key criterion considers nominee’s support and contributions to PolyU, including his/her leadership and/or support in University event and/or alumni activities, support in advisory committee, teaching, research, or student development, as well as support rendered to PolyU initiatives including financial / in-kind donation, or sponsorship. Achievement Areas: Three achievement areas serve as a framework for assessing nominee’s achievements in the concerned areas. They include Professional Achievement, Entrepreneurial Achievement, and Scholarly Achievement. Professional Achievement: This achievement area recognises alumni who have attained distinguished achievements, demonstrated exemplary leadership, and made a strong impact on their profession / industry / society. Entrepreneurial Achievement: This achievement area recognises alumni who have demonstrated outstanding innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as founded or advanced business or technology ventures with impact. Scholarly Achievement: This achievement area recognises alumni scholars who have made notable scholarly or research contributions in their disciplines, with proven track record and excellent reputation in the field. Alumni who are aged at/under 40 in the award selection year would be eligible for the Outstanding Young Alumni Award. Award Selection Committee The Award Selection Committee of SFT will examine the nominations and assess candidates’ qualifications and performance for the awards. Nomination We cordially invite you to submit your nomination by completing the nomination form and returning it together with all required supporting documents to Ms Anne Hon at anne.hon@polyu.edu.hk on or before 30 June 2026. All information submitted on this nomination form will be kept strictly confidential and will only be used by the Award Selection Committee for the purpose of the selection process. 

MA Graduate Fashion Show 2026 debuts at Shanghai Fashion Week, showcasing diverse and inclusive designs with the theme “Unbroken Thread”

SFT held its “MA Graduate Fashion Show” on 1 April at the 800SHOW Creative Park in Shanghai. Themed “Unbroken Thread”, the show featured design collections that blend diverse aesthetics and emerging fashion technologies. Making its debut as part of the official Shanghai Fashion Week programme, the Show attracted over 300 industry experts, as well as members of the press and public from the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and around the globe. The theme, “Unbroken Thread”, drew upon the ancient belief that an invisible and infrangible thread connects those who are destined to meet, transcending the limitations of time, space and the physical world. Thirteen graduating students from the Master of Arts (MA) in Fashion and Textile Design presented a diverse collection of ingenious works, through which they revealed the unbroken bonds that have connected and guided them throughout their life journey. Their showcase also served as a nexus, inviting the audience to immerse themselves in the shared space connected by the same thread. With diversity and inclusion taking centre stage this year, students were encouraged to think beyond conventional industry standards and embrace broader representations of beauty. A highlight of the evening was a dedicated plus-size collection by graduate Coco Yang Ke, who boldly challenges the fashion industry’s longstanding size boundaries and celebrates body positivity in her designs. Through bold silhouettes and meticulous tailoring, Coco’s work demonstrated that innovative, sophisticated design is for everyone, regardless of body size, conveying a powerful vision where style knows no size. In addition to their distinctive design concepts, students also demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainability and technological innovation throughout the design process. Three-dimensional design software CLO3D and Blender were widely used by students to minimise material consumption during production and improve the sustainability of their designs. Programme leader Mr Ryan Scott Houlton, Lecturer of SFT, remarked, “Our programme aims to nurture future industry mavericks who are innovative and have a distinct point of view, and to equip students with comprehensive skillsets that bridge creative expression with traditional craftsmanship and cutting-edge digital technologies. The Show’s debut at Shanghai Fashion Week marks an important milestone, providing our graduates with an impactful international platform upon which to shine. I look forward to seeing these talented and ambitious young designers fully demonstrate their creative potential and become a new driving force in the global fashion industry.” The one-year MA in Fashion and Textile Design programme is committed to nurturing the next generation of fashion talents in the Asia Pacific region and beyond. The programme covers design practice, technology and theory, and establishes close collaborations with internationally renowned brands. These partnerships provide students with real-world experience that complements their academic development. In the upcoming academic year, the programme will launch a new Digital Fashion pathway, offering students the opportunities to master 3D design, virtual prototyping and technological craftsmanship.   Online coverage: Wen Wei Po (8 Apr 2026)

Anastasiya Rudakova - Outstanding Student Award and Bhalla Joshua Rishabh Malik - Presidential Student Leadership Award 2025/26

Congratulations to our final-year international Fashion Design student, Anastasiya Rudakova, on receiving the Outstanding Student Award of SFT. Meanwhile, our Year 2 Fashion Design student, Bhalla Joshua Rishabh Malik, was awarded the Presidential Student Leadership Award.  The Presentation Ceremony 2025/26 cum Luncheon was held on 19 March 2026 at Hotel ICON. PolyU President, Prof. Jin-Guang Teng, officiated the ceremony and presented the awards to the students. Anastasiya has been recognised for her numerous outstanding achievements, including her award track record with the HKSAR Government Scholarship Fund – Scholarship for Outstanding Performance (2023/24 & 2025/26); the Hong Kong, China – Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Scholarship (2023/24 & 2025/26); and the Louisa Mok Kwok & Albert Mok Scholarship (2023/24). Furthermore, Anastasiya was selected as the recipient of the Presidential Student Leadership Award (2024/25) of SFT and named to the Dean’s Honours List (2022/23 & 2024/25). Beyond academics, she has served as Mental Health Ambassador at Rest Hub X Mind HK (2024/25 & 2025/26), Marketing & Programme Executive Intern at Metier Minus Limited (2025), and Class Student Representative for the Fashion & Textiles (Design) Programme (2022/23 & 2024/25). Reflecting on her journey, Anastasiya shared this wisdom: “At PolyU, I learned to translate industry experience into research-led, human-centred design. My non-linear path was appreciated as a strength, and the professors helped me to hone my existing passions while discovering new ones in drawing, textile development, and materials research.” Joshua has been recognised for his exceptional achievements as a recipient of The Hong Kong Jockey Club Striding On Scholarship (2024/25 & 2025/26) and The Hong Kong Jockey Club Scholarships – Oxford Character and Leadership Programme at the University of Oxford, UK (2025). His passion and commitment to PolyU and SFT have also been recognised through his roles as Founder and President of the SFT Student Association (2025/26), Vice President of Global Volunteer Operations of AIESEC-LC-PolyU (2025/26), and Programme Officer of the Chatteris Educational Foundation (2024/25). “In my experience, ambition without action is simply anxiety. PolyU has provided a safe environment where I was supported with trust and resources to practice, refine, learn, and grow,” Joshua shared. SFT wants to give a big shoutout to Anastasiya and Joshua one more time and wishes them continued success and a bright future ahead as global fashion leaders. 

Prof. Fan Di receives 2026 Associate Editor Service Award from JOM

Prof. Fan Di, Associate Professor and Assistant Dean at SFT, has been honoured with the 2026 Journal of Operations Management (JOM) Associate Editor Service Award. The award was presented at the 2026 JOM Mini Conference in recognition of exemplary editorial service to the journal. The Associate Editor Service Award recognises sustained contributions to the editorial process, including the volume, quality, insightfulness, and timeliness of Associate Editor reports, which help to safeguard the journal’s scholarly standards and integrity. Prof Fan expressed his appreciation to the Co-Editors-in-Chief, Department Editors and reviewers of JOM, whose collective efforts support a rigorous and constructive review process. JOM is the flagship journal in operations management. It is included on the Financial Times 50 Journal List and the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) 24 journal list, rated A* on the Australian Business Deans Council (ABDC) Journal Quality List and ranked in the top tier (4*) of the Chartered Association of Business Schools (ABS) list. Prof Fan was the recipient of the Reviewer Service Award from JOM in 2023.

NewGen in Motion: AI-Driven Visualisation & Virtual Fashion Design

“NewGen in Motion: AI-Driven Visualisation & Virtual Fashion Design” is the second edition of our virtual exhibition series, showcasing the creative work of our 10 students in fashion design, knitwear design, contour fashion and activewear, on how AI is reshaping fashion creativity through motion.  The exhibition is curated by Dr Kitty Lam, Prof. Jin Lam and Dr Megan Li. This year, we move beyond AI-assisted ideation into dynamic virtual fashion experiences. Using AI-driven video generation, students bring their designs to life in movement and space, presenting not only final visuals but also themes, material boards and colour palettes. Together, these reveal a transparent creative journey—from narrative and inspiration to fabric choices, chromatic language and immersive visualisation. Please visit the virtual exhibition here: https://metasteps.com/viewer/32b6ab1f-fd1d-42b3-8679-043b5e203a79

SFT staff members honoured with Long Service Award

A total of 20 staff members received the Long Service Award 2025 in recognition of their years of services at the University. The awardees have been serving in PolyU for 5 years or more, some even for 35 years: Ms Cherry Chan, Senior Executive Officer Miss Iris Cheung, Assistant Marketing Officer Mr Choi Kwan-on, Technician Prof. Fan Di, Assistant Dean and Associate Professor Dr Fang Bo, Research Assistant Professor Prof. Huang Tsai-chun, Assistant Professor Ms Shirley Hung, Administrative Assistant Dr Ji Ying, Research Assistant Professor Prof. Kinor Jiang, Professor Dr Pau Ki, Research Fellow Prof. Magnum Lam, Assistant Professor Miss Lee Yan-yee, Research Assistant Miss Mizu Leung, Research Assistant Prof. Liu Rong Sally, Associate Professor Prof. Haze Ng, Assistant Professor Ms Suki Siu, Scientific Officer Prof. Jeanne Tan, Professor Prof. Joanne Yip, Associate Dean and Professor Dr Yu Jiali, Postdoctoral Fellow Dr Zhou Jinyun, Lecturer SFT would like to thank these staff members for their dedicated and loyal service to PolyU. The Long Service Award Scheme has been introduced since 1990 to foster a sense of belongings among PolyU staff.

Prof. Tao Xiaoming receives President’s Awards for Outstanding Achievement 2025

SFT is delighted to announce that Prof. Tao Xiaoming, Chair Professor, Vincent and Lily Woo Endowed Professorship in Textile Technology, and Director of the Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems, has been honoured with the prestigious President’s Awards for Outstanding Achievement 2025 (Research & Scholarly Activities), the highest institutional accolade recognising outstanding achievements of staff. Her name will be displayed on a plaque on the podium near Li Ka Shing Tower of PolyU. The President's Award symbolises the highest form of institutional recognition, honoring the unwavering dedication and outstanding accomplishments of PolyU staff. Please join us in extending our warmest congratulations to Prof. Tao. Her dedication to excellence in research and scholarly activities truly embodies the essence of this distinguished award.

Recipients of the School Awards for Outstanding Achievements 2025

SFT is proud to announce that  ten SFT members are the recipients of the School Awards 2025 which testifies their outstanding teaching, research performance and services.  Category of Award Awardee  Teaching  Prof. Haze Ng, Assistant Professor Teaching (Early Career Teacher) Dr Kitty Lam, Lecturer Research & Scholarly Activities Prof. Tao Xiaoming, Vincent and Lily Woo Professor in Textile Technology and Chair Professor Research & Scholarly Activities (Early Career Researcher) Prof. Fan Di, Associate Professor Research Student Supervision Prof. Kinor Jiang, Professor Knowledge Transfer: Society Prof. Joanne Yip, Professor Services (Team) Leader | Dr Kawai Lo, Lecturer Members | Dr Nico Liu (Instructor), Dr Carrie Wong (Lecturer), Ms Amana Wu (Instructor) Congratulations to all of the awardees for their remarkable achievements which have greatly contributed to the success of the School. 

PolyU confers University Fellowships on eminent leaders in the fashion and textile industry

PolyU conferred the title of University Fellow on four outstanding individuals in recognition of their significant contributions to the University and the community in their respective fields. Presided over by Dr Lam Tai-fai, PolyU Council Chairman, the Conferment Ceremony was held at the Jockey Club Auditorium on campus on 21 January 2026. The recipients, Ms Shirley Chan Suk-ling, Prof. Richard Leung Tim-chiu, Mr Jason Wu Shang-hong and Mr Yeung Fan, were warmly greeted by Prof. Jin-Guang Teng, PolyU President, and members of the University’s senior management team. In his welcoming speech, Prof. Teng said, “Our University Fellows have contributed to PolyU’s development in many meaningful ways and we are truly grateful for their steadfast support as we pursue academic and research excellence for the benefit of society. I look forward to even closer collaboration between PolyU and our Fellows. Together, we can make greater contributions to the advancement of PolyU, to the sustainable development of Hong Kong, and to the continued progress of our Nation.” Among the four fellowship recipients, two are eminent leaders in the fashion and textile industry and have strong ties with SFT. They are (in alphabetical order of last name): Ms Shirley Chan Suk-ling, BBS, JP Ms Chan, Vice Chairman of YGM Trading Limited and Director of Yangtzekiang Garment Limited. A trailblazer in the fashion and garment industr-y for decades, she has driven female-led innovations and advanced industry development. Devoted to public service, youth well-being and education, Ms Chan serves as PolyU Court Member, Chairlady of the School Advisory Committee, and Member of the International Advisory Committee of the Research Centre of Textile for Future Fashion, generously sharing her expertise and making significant philanthropic contributions to advance the University’s development and nurture the next generation of talents. Mr Yeung Fan, BBS (Full-name: Yeung Chun-fan) Mr Yeung is the Vice Chairman and General Manager of Glorious Sun Group, and Chairman of Jeanswest International (Hong Kong) Limited, a legendary entrepreneur dedicated to philanthropy. He significantly supports PolyU’s development by fostering academia-industry collaboration for fashion and textile sustainability. He also supports AI-related research at SFT to enhance industry competitiveness and sponsors the PolyU International Future Challenge, inspiring global youth creativity. Mr Yeung is active in public affairs and has received numerous honours for his extraordinary philanthropic contributions. SFT is deeply grateful for the steadfast support and counsel of Ms Chan and Mr Yeung. Their contributions have strengthened our endeavours, while deepening SFT's engagement with the industry. Since its introduction in 2000, PolyU has conferred University Fellowship on a total of 135 distinguished persons.

Prof. Tao Xiaoming and Dr Pu Junhong develop new human-safe magnetorheological fibres, leading innovations in smart wearable textiles

A research team led by Prof. Tao Xiaoming, Director of the PolyU Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems, Vincent and Lily Woo Professor in Textiles Technology and Chair Professor of Textile Technology, together with Dr Pu Junhong, Research Assistant Professor, has achieved a revolutionary breakthrough in smart materials, successfully developing soft magnetorheological textiles that can flexibly deform and modulate their mechanical properties under a human-safe magnetic field. Driven by electricity and programmable control, these new materials combine lightweight, flexible and breathable textile characteristics, making them widely applicable in smart wearables, soft robotics, virtual reality and metaverse haptic experiences. Traditional magnetorheological materials have long faced two major drawbacks: heavy magnetic powders and the potential health risks posed by high-strength magnetic fields to the human body. Prof. Tao, who led the research, elaborated, “The core objective of our research team is to overcome the application limits of traditional magnetorheological technology, extending it to fibre form, and enabling precise intelligent modulation while remaining compatible with textile properties such as softness and breathability.” The team fabricated soft magnetic polymer composite fibres – just 57 micrometers in diameter – by uniformly dispersing magnetic powders in a plastic material (a low-density polyethylene matrix). These fibres not only achieve precise control under low-strength magnetic fields but also solve the problem of heavy magnetic powders. Furthermore, they can be spun into yarns and multi-layer fabrics to realise large-area, controllable deformation. This groundbreaking research was awarded HK$62.37 million under the Research Grants Council’s 2024/25 Theme-based Research Scheme, and has been published in the international journal Nature, in the paper titled “Vector-Stimuli-Responsive Magnetorheological Fibrous Materials”. Unlike traditional smart materials that respond to scalar stimuli such as voltage, current or temperature, these in-house-developed magnetorheological textiles offer unique directionally controllable responses, enabling the development of the following three innovative fabric materials. Flexible Smart Gripper: With electric current controlling the fabric stiffness, the gripper can flexibly grasp soft, fragile or irregularly shaped items – such as worms, tofu, blueberries, mung bean cake, potato chips and fusilli – just like human fingers, significantly reducing the risk of damage or deformation during operation. Remote Emulation Haptic Finger Glove: The all-fabric materials can accurately replicate the surface textures and tactile hardness of different objects. Lightweight and comfortable to wear, they are suitable for diverse applications ranging from remote surgical training, stroke rehabilitation training and virtual fitting, addressing the common drawbacks of bulkiness and heaviness in similar haptic gloves available on the market. Active Ventilation and Thermal-Regulation Fabrics: Addressing the moisture and thermal management challenges in textile clothing, these fabrics can intelligently adjust air permeability by driving fibre structure deformation through electronically controlled magnetic fields, thereby significantly enhancing wearer thermal and moisture comfort. The Active Ventilation and Thermal-Regulation Fabrics can intelligently adjust air permeability by driving fibre structure deformation through electronically controlled magnetic fields.    Prof. Tao explained the materials’ potential, “The key breakthrough of this research lies in converting traditional rigid magnetic devices into flexible alternatives. This success can be extended to the development of hard magnetic fibre materials, laying a foundation for the next generation of soft robotics, electromagnetic devices and wearable technologies.” Regarding the prospects for industrialisation, Dr Pu added, “From raw material selection to processing technology, we have taken industrialisation needs into consideration. We adopt commodity-grade, mass production-ready raw materials and mature processing techniques, paving the way for rapid translation in fields such as food production, medical rehabilitation and metaverse interaction.”    Selected media coverage: Hong Kong Economic Times Hong Kong Commercial Daily Headline for HK