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#WeArePolyU features stories of PolyU’s vibrant and diverse community in the form of text, photos and videos. Here you can discover fascinating reflections of our students, staff and alumni about their PolyU experience and the impact the University has had on their lives.

Story Highlights

Prof. Yung Kai-leung & Mr Ko Sui-man

PolyU has nurtured generations of research talents over the years. Check out the video to learn about the story of Prof. Yung Kai-leung, Chair Professor of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, and Mr Ko Sui-man, Senior Scientific Officer of Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, which demonstrates how two generations of PolyU researchers and alumni share the same sense of belonging and devotion to the University in their pursuit of research excellence.

“Chinese calligraphy entails planning and design, just like when we are doing research in data science. We have to research extensively and think every detail through as we design a framework.”

Prof. Cao Jiannong

“Energy crisis is a global problem. I’m interested in the conversion between light and electricity – to facilitate the efficient use of solar power which is a clean, sustainable energy source.”

Prof. Raymond Wong

The visually impaired experience the world mainly through the senses of touch and hearing. In view of the limited resources available for the visually impaired, PolyU alumnus Rico Chan founded a start-up social enterprise Beyond Vision Projects with support from the PolyU Micro Fund Scheme.

Rico Chan

Prof. Li Xiangdong

“No matter what we do, our activity inevitably has impacts on the environment, and these impacts are intensified in an urban setting. Pollution is an example.”

Smart buildings have the potential to use energy flexibly according to how much power is available from the power grid. “During peak hours or when the grid foresees a decrease in power supply, these buildings would cut back on energy usage smartly without disrupting essential services.”

Ir Prof. Wang Shengwei

Prof. Hector Tsang

“As professor of occupational therapy, I believe I was among the first researchers conducting scientific investigation on the psychological effects of the mind body exercise known as The Eight Section Brocades.”

Children with special educational needs often suffer from low self-esteem and tense family relationships, and struggle with their academic performance. PolyU alumnus Ernest Chan hopes to make a difference and bring positive impact to their lives.

Ernest Chan

Service-Learning is often a life-changing experience for PolyU students and staff. Watch the first episode of our Service-Learning series and be inspired by the story of Kenneth Lo who was a PolyU Year 1 undergraduate student when he…

Kenneth Lo

Watch the second episode in our Service-Learning series to learn about the inspirational stories of PolyU students Michelle Sandhika and George Siu, who took part in Service-Learning activities in the past two years.

Michelle Sandhika & George Siu

Ir Prof. H.C. Man

“Although Hong Kong has shifted to a service-based economy, manufacturing engineering is vital to foster our role as a regional hub for innovation and technology development.”

“In the future, it is our objective to make Hong Kong the hub of urban informatics. The HKSAR government is also committed to transfer Hong Kong into a world-class smart city.”

Prof. John Shi

“Energy is the world’s number one grand challenge. Smart conversion and storage of energy are crucial.”

Prof. Chen Guohua

“Hong Kong has its unique advantage to be an international design hub. Only 30 minutes away from Shenzhen where many of the world’s leading AI companies and production base are located, we have untapped resources and opportunities in our backyard.”

Prof. Lee Kun-pyo

Ir Prof. Albert Chan

“Infrastructure and real estate have been the cornerstone of Hong Kong’s economy, and construction workers are the unsung heroes silently contributing to our growth story.”

“The key to good mental health is social interaction, but this can be difficult for patients and older people with cognitive problems.”

Prof. David Shum

Mohammad Ismail Hossain

How were you able to realise your dream of pursuing your PhD studies abroad?

“I’ve never stopped dreaming of getting a PhD. With hard work and perseverance, I made it through the Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme…

“Renewable energy is crucial for sustainable development; and solar energy, in particular, is abundant and environmentally friendly. But so far, the sun just provides 2% of the world’s electricity.”

Prof. Li Gang

Given that you already had prior experience in running hostels and planned to open a boutique hotel, what motivated you to enrol in the MSc in International Hospitality Management programme offered by PolyU’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM)?

David Lau Ka-wai

What are some of your memories as one of the first-generation of alumni at PolyU?

“In my days, the School ran three classes only, with 20 students in each class, and the tuition fee was HK$5 per month. At that time, monthly rent for a room was about HK$8, while a rickshaw ride from Wanchai to Central cost about 50 cents.”

Cheung Tsang-wai

Prof. William Shiyuan Wang

As an internationally renowned figure in linguistics, what caused you to shift your research interest in the past decade to study the relationship between language and cognitive decline brought about by ageing?

“My friend, Charles (the late Nobel laureate in physics Prof. Charles Kao), succumbed…

What drives our PolyU students to continue striving for their dreams?

Watch the video to learn about the inspirational stories of the PolyU Sports Team members, Alan Kan, Hong Kong Men's Handball Team Member and Sophia Wu, full-time athlete of the Hong Kong Women’s Foil Team.

Alan Kan & Sophia Wu

Grace Liu

What made you come to PolyU to pursue your second Master’s degree?

“I have always had tremendous passion for learning simultaneous interpretation, despite already having an undergraduate degree in Chinese Language and Literature and a…

“Deep space exploration instruments have the most stringent requirements in terms of accuracy, efficiency, quality and stability.”

Ir Prof. Yung Kai-leung

What inspired you to conduct research related to renewable energy?

“As a scientist, I hope to make a positive impact on the world through the deployment of new technology. Prior to joining PolyU, I spent 10 years in the Middle East. The location’s abundant…

Dr Wang Peng

“After the outbreak of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), we have been committed to developing research in the area of medical diagnosis, with the aim of equipping frontline healthcare providers with advanced tools for on-site diagnosis."

Prof. Terence Lau

Prof. Kaye Chon

Why did you choose to be an educator instead of a hotelier?

“I hope to make impact on people’s lives. What could be more rewarding than watching my students grow professionally and become global leaders in the hotel industry?"

What makes you keep thinking out of the box?

“I’m always fascinated with exploring innovative ideas and making the world a better place.”

Prof. Johan Hoorn

Bosco Ng & Eva Wong

If you could change the world, what would you do?

“Build a closer connection among people of…

In what ways can augmented reality (AR) technology help diabetic patients?

“With this gamification design, we hope to encourage patients to make lifestyle changes so as to lower the risk of diabetes complications, while maintaining a positive attitude towards…

Keneth Ng & Cat Leung

Roy Chow Jiho Shin Rudra Someshwar666x4903

What got you through the trial-and-error process of building robots?

“We engineers should never give up on trying again, because our collective errors will ultimately lead to our goal…

Roy Chow, Ji-ho Shin & Rudra Someshwar

What motivated you to develop your research in fire safety engineering in Hong Kong?

“The high-density living environment in this city makes fire risk potentially great, so I hope to make a meaningful contribution to the safety and resilience of structures here.”

Prof. Asif Usmani