Dr Lydia Yu, Assistant Professor of Practice at the School of Optometry, has been honoured with a Fellowship from the Advance HE (FHEA). This prestigious accolade is a globally recognised benchmark of professional distinction and leadership in teaching and student support in higher education.
A Recognised Commitment to Teaching Excellence
A proud PolyU alumna with a PhD from HKU, Dr Yu is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO). Her dedication to pedagogical innovation is reflected in her recent honours, including the 2025 Faculty Award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching (Early Career Teacher - Individual), the 2023 Faculty Teaching Prize (Team), and multiple School of Optometry Teaching Excellence Awards. Her work encompasses clinical and public health optometry, vision rehabilitation, and the use of emerging technologies in education.
The Advance HE is a leading UK-based organization dedicated to driving teaching excellence and improving student outcomes worldwide. Fellowships are granted under the Professional Standards Framework (PSF), evaluating an educator’s commitment, leadership, and impact on teaching and learning support.
A Recognised Commitment to Teaching Excellence
A proud PolyU alumna with a PhD from HKU, Dr Yu is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO). Her dedication to pedagogical innovation is reflected in her recent honours, including the 2025 Faculty Award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching (Early Career Teacher - Individual), the 2023 Faculty Teaching Prize (Team), and multiple School of Optometry Teaching Excellence Awards. Her work encompasses clinical and public health optometry, vision rehabilitation, and the use of emerging technologies in education.
The Advance HE is a leading UK-based organization dedicated to driving teaching excellence and improving student outcomes worldwide. Fellowships are granted under the Professional Standards Framework (PSF), evaluating an educator’s commitment, leadership, and impact on teaching and learning support.
Receiving the Advance HE fellowship is a meaningful milestone that inspires me to keep refining my clinical and classroom teaching. Optometry education is about more than imparting knowledge; it is about cultivating empathy, critical thinking, and clinical confidence in our future eye care professionals. I am deeply grateful to my colleagues, mentors, and students at PolyU for their continuous support and inspiration along this rewarding journey.
Dr Lydia Yu
Assistant Professor of Practice, SO
