OPAA Master Class 2019/2020 Mentorship Programme: Call for Mentees

The OPAA Master Class 2019/2020 Mentorship Programme is now open for student application. This Mentorship Programme is a part of the annual signature event organized by the Outstanding PolyU Alumni Association with the aim to provide a platform for students to learn from outstanding PolyU alumni in respect of their invaluable expertise and experience. Please click here for more details, and submit your application on or before 7 October 2019. (Programme details are accessible by PolyU staff and students only.)

Applications for Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (2020/21)

The School is now inviting application for admission to PhD programmes at PolyU via the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) 2020/21. Fellowship Award Upon successful admission to our School's PhD programme via HKPFS, awardees will be offered: Amount of monthly stipend HK$25,800 for the entire normal study period Tuition Scholarship Waiving of tuition fees for the entire normal study period Conference and Research related travel allowance / Conference grant HK$12,900 per year for the entire normal study period Guaranteed hall accommodation 2 years Eligibility Those who are seeking admission as new full-time PhD students, irrespective of their country of origin and ethnic background, should be eligible to apply. Applicants should demonstrate outstanding qualities of academic performance, research ability / potential, communication and interpersonal skills, and leadership abilities. Application Deadline: 2 December 2019 at Hong Kong Time 12:00 (GMT +8 hours) Application Procedures^ To make one initial application to the Research Grants Council (RGC) through the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) Electronic System before the deadline; AND To submit a full application to PolyU via the Web Application System; AND Applicants are required to nominate two academic referees who can comment on their academic performances. ^The Hong Kong PhD Fellowship application is also regarded as a formal application for PhD admission to the institution. For more information, please refer to PolyU HKPFS page.

Student Award Ceremony 2018/19

The School of Optometry held the Student Award Ceremony 2018/19 on 29 August 2019 to present 22 awards to undergraduate students in recognition of their outstanding academic performance and dedication to serving the community. Speaking at the ceremony, Prof. Carly Lam, Interim Head of School, congratulated all the awardees and thanked all the donors for their unfailing support. With their generous contribution, students were able to take part in meaningful learning activities, which not only developed their excellent professional competence but also global outlook. Prof. Lam also shared the latest student admission information and students’ achievement at the ceremony. By the end of the award ceremony, two student representatives, Miss Christy Wing-yee Chow, Year 4 student in optometry and Miss Tempo Tsz-yan Kwok, Year 5 student in optometry shared their delightful learning experience in coordinating a screening project in mainland China, and at Aier Eye Hospital in Shenzhen, China respectively. Our warmest congratulations go to the scholarship and award recipients. More photos at Facebook .   Name of Award/ Scholarship Awardee FreshKon Award Miss KWOK Tsz-Yan Carl Zeiss Award for Young Researcher Mr CHEUNG Ka-Piu Essilor Ophthalmic Optics and Dispensing Scholarship Miss POON Hoi-Ying Cheryl Greg Wu Best Business Plan Award for Practice Management Miss KWOK Tsz-Yan Miss LI Hing-Yi Luxottica Best Clinical Performance Award for Final Year Student in BSc (Hons) in Optometry Miss MA Lok-Hang Luxottica Scholarship for Overseas Student Exchange Programme Mr CHUNG Hoi-Ching Johnson & Johnson Vision Scholarship for Overseas Student Exchange Programme Mr LAM Tsz-To Mr WONG Fan-Ki Vinci Joyce C. D. Leung Scholarship for Overseas Student Exchange Programme Miss CHOW Wing-Yee Mr TANG Tsz-Ko Queenie Yip Scholarship for Overseas Student Exchange Programme Mr CHEUNG Ho-Ching Rotary Club of Kowloon Golden Mile Scholarship for Overseas Student Exchange Programme Mr CHUNG Ching-Hong Skyview Optical Scholarship for Overseas Student Exchange Programme Miss CHUNG Hok-Yi United Optical Company Scholarship for Overseas Student Exchange Programme Mr NG Chit-Long PolyU Scholarship Miss CHENG Wing-Tung PolyVision Scholarship for the Best Year 4 Student in BSc (Hons) in Optometry Mr LAM Tsz-To Mr CHAN Kin-Ho Miss CHAN Seen-Hang School of Optometry Scholarship for the Best Year 2 Student in BSc (Hons) in Optometry Mr LIN Yan-Ki HOYA Excellence in Ophthalmic Optics and Dispensing Scholarship Miss CHAN Hiu-Tung Toby HOYA Scholarship for the Best Year 4 Student in BSc (Hons) in Optometry Mr LAM Tsz-To The Optometry (OPT) Centre Scholarship for the Best Year 3 Student in BSc (Hons) in Optometry Mr WO Wai-Man The Hong Kong Association of Private Practice Optometrists Best Community Project Award Mr CHAN Kin-Ho Miss CHOW Wing-Yee Miss LAM Pui-Kwan The Hong Kong Society of Professional Optometrists Prize for the Best Year 1 Student in BSc (Hons) in Optometry Mr WONG Tin-Wing The Hong Kong Society of Professional Optometrists Best Final Year Student Optometrist Award Miss POON Hoi-Ying Cheryl The Hong Kong Society of Professional Optometrists Academic Excellence Award for the Final Year Student in BSc (Hons) in Optometry Mr CHEUNG Ka-Piu

White Coat Ceremony 2019

The School of Optometry held the White Coat Ceremony 2019 on 29 August, in which 35 Year 4 students in optometry took the optometric oath to uphold professional ethics and conducts throughout their clinical placement and career. Under the witness of faculty members, mentors and peers, the Year 4 students were conferred white coats by their academic advisors, which signify their entrance into the eye care profession. Prof. Maurice Yap, Chair Professor of Optometry and K.B. Woo Family Professor in Optometry, remarked that the ceremony marks the beginning of clinical training where students would participate in looking after real patients. Students had been learning knowledge and skills. From now on, students would use these knowledge and skills to help people. By putting on this white coat, students would be seen as a member and a representative of the Optometry profession. This white coat attracts instant trust and respect. The White Coat Ceremony has been organized since 2015 which aims to highlight the symbolic importance of the white coat for a clinician. The fourth year optometry students will start their clinical training in future two years after the ceremony. More photos at Facebook .

SO Signs Memorandum of Understanding with The Hong Kong Society for the Blind to Enhance Collaboration

School of Optometry (SO) and The Hong Kong Society for the Blind (HKSB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 7 August 2019 on PolyU campus. SO and HKSB have established an abiding collaboration over the past years. The MoU will further enhance the clinical learning experience for SO students, promote joint effort in fund application to support more research studies in low vision, and develop close collaboration between SO and HKSB for developing optimal model for vision rehabilitation.

Summer Programme for Secondary School Student 2019

90 S5 and S6 students from 40 local secondary schools joined the Summer Programme 2019 on 16-17 July. The one-day experiential programme consisted of interactive activities, campus tour and workshop for students who are passionate about optometry and aiming to be a healthcare professional in the future. Participants toured the PolyU campus, optometry clinics and the clinical laboratories, as well as gained insights on optometry discipline and information on career prospects from the sharing by academic staff and resident optometrists. Interactive activities such as the use of eye examination stimulator and stereopsis workshop helped students to gain a better understanding of the eye care profession. 22 participants joined the extended hands-on activities on 19-20 July 2019. After the training, participants along with the students from the School of Optometry visited a non-governmental social welfare organization to provide community vision screening services to low-income families.

RGC General Research Fund (GRF/ECS) 2019-2020

The School is pleased to announce that our faculty member as principal investigators has secured funding from the General Research Fund (GRF/ECS). Principal Investigators Co-Investigators Project Title Funding Awarded Dr Thomas Lam Dr Qian Zhan (Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, PolyU, HK) Dr Dennis Tse (School of Optometry, PolyU, HK) Dr Wing Chi Chan (Department of Health Technology and Informatics, PolyU, HK) Prof Chi-ho To (School of Optometry, PolyU, HK) Dr Sally A McFadden (University of Newcastle, Australia) Dr Henry Chan (School of Optometry, PolyU, HK) Atropine mediated proteins in myopia control: Insights from a new mammalian guinea pig model using an integrated next generation proteomics strategy HK$1,041,432

Healthy Vision Day

The “Healthy Vision Day” was organized by the “Vision of Love Mobile Eye Care Project” under the School of Optometry of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and co-organized by the C.N.E.C. Lui Ming Choi Primary School. The event was successfully held on 29 June in the C.N.E.C. Lui Ming Choi Primary School and attracted over 200 parents and children. The participants enjoyed a pleasant and meaningful morning. The activities were of great varieties, including seminar, interactive workshop, exhibition and educational booths, to let students and parents learn about eye health knowledge, such as the basics of eye diseases, theories of binocular vision and duties of optometrists, and to remind them the daily eye care tips and the importance of protecting “the window of the soul”. Photo Album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/sWaGdjLaP5hUXCjJ7

Prof. George Woo receives Honorary Degree from University of Waterloo, Canada

Prof. George Woo, Emeritus Professor of Optometry and Senior Advisor of the School, received an honorary Doctor of Science degree, honoris causa, at the Spring Convocation ceremony of the University of Waterloo, Canada, on 13 June 2019. As former Head of PolyU’s School of Optometry and former Dean of Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Prof. Woo is also an alumnus of and a Professor Emeritus of Optometry at the University of Waterloo. The honorary degree was bestowed on Prof. Woo in recognition of his enormous academic and service contributions to his alma mater as well as for his distinguished accomplishments in optometry.

PolyU JUPAS Consultation Day 2019

PolyU JUPAS Consultation Day 2019 was successfully held on PolyU campus on 18 May. To provide updated admission strategies and programme information to JUPAS applicants, the School organized activities including an Info Seminar, guided visits and consultation sessions which attracted dozens of parents and students to participate. The Info Seminar was delivered by Dr Patrick Ting, Clinical Associate of our School. Audiences got to learn about the programme features and career prospect of the BSc (Hons) in Optometry Programme. To enhance participants' understanding in our programme, guided lab visits were arranged. Our enthusiastic students introduced and demonstrated the advanced equipment in the laboratory. After the guided visits, consultation sessions were held for participants to interact with our academic staff and students to know more about the entrance requirements, curriculum, programme characteristics and campus life. Photo Album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/Lm3uLEhmMdc1WFf16