Hong Kong Polytechnic University

About PolyU

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU or HKPU) is a public university located in Hung Hom, Hong Kong. The history of PolyU can be traced back to 1937, and it assumed full university status in 1994. It is one of the funded institutions of the territory'sUniversity Grants Committee (UGC).

PolyU takes pride in offering a wide range of quality programmes which nurture graduates who are critical thinkers, effective communicators, innovative problem solvers, lifelong learners and ethical leaders. 

There are more than 2,700 ongoing research projects conducting by PolyU's faculties and schools, with over HK$1,500 million funding from research grants and external funds. PolyU receives international recognition for its inventions. It has won more than 200 awards, including nearly 70 Gold Awards in international invention expos held in Belgium, the Chinese mainland, Germany, Korea, Switzerland and the United Kingdom since 2001.

In order to promote and encourage specialized research, various research centres have been set up at PolyU. Each faculty or school has its own centres, and institutes for public policy research and sustainable urban development operate under the Areas of Excellence Committee. With Boeing, PolyU established the Aviation Services Research Centre. It also hosts The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel.

PolyU's main campus has over 20 buildings, many of which are inter-connected. Apart from those named after donors, the buildings are identified in English letters (from blocks A to Z, without blocks K, O and I). In addition to classrooms, laboratories and other academic facilities, the university provides student hostels, a multi-purpose auditorium, sports, recreational and catering facilities, as well as a bookstore and banks.

The Jockey Club Innovation Tower is located at the northeastern side of the University campus. This 15-story building provides 15,000 square metres of net floor area. It houses facilities for design education including exhibition areas, multi-functional classrooms and lecture theatres, design studios and workshops, as well as a communal lounge. The tower was designed by Zaha Hadid.

The Jockey Club Auditorium began operation in 2000. Its balcony and main floor seating accommodate up to 1,084 persons.

Hotel ICON (Hong Kong) was officially opened in September 2011. Wholly owned by PolyU, Hotel ICON is the teaching and research hotel of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management.

• Faculty of Applied Science and Textiles

  The four Departments of our Faculty offer a comprehensive range of academic programmes from Higher Diploma level to Postgraduate studies by full-time and part-time modes of study. Our academic programmes are underpinned by research work, on which we dedicate great efforts.
  The emphasis on application is always at the core of our academic programmes as well as research activities. The four academic departments, unique in its own disciplines, share the common objectives: 
  Offering of quality programmes which are application-oriented within a holistic education context, thereby preparing students to serve the industries.

• Faculty of Business

  The Faculty has achieved accreditations from AACSB (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) and EQUIS (EFMD Quality Improvement System).

  Our community is dedicated to the pursuit of IDEAS (Innovation-driven Education and Scholarship) with a 3D focus on Discovery, Design and Delivery. We realize knowledge and technology transfer through high-quality educational programmes, as well as partnership and close links with industry and the professional community.

  The Faculty offers a comprehensive portfolio of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, many of which are recognized by professional bodies in the fields of accounting, finance, logistics, management, marketing and transport. Apart from the BBA, MBA, DBA and specialized master’s degrees, there are also research programmes leading to the MPhil and PhD awards. 

  To maintain the currency of our academic programmes and specialist consultancy, faculty members undertake application-oriented research, both within and across their disciplines, facilitated by the Faculty’s centres for research in branding and marketing, leadership and innovation, logistics, maritime studies, and sustainability management. Our research has been ranked 64th in the world (The UTD Top 100 Worldwide Business School Rankings Based on Research Contributions 2011-2015).

• Faculty of Construction and Environment

  Education for the construction industry has come a long way at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and its predecessors, from being little more than an idea before 1937 to the large and comprehensive unit embodied in the world-class Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE) of today. FCE is now the biggest higher education provider of professional manpower for the Hong Kong construction industry. Virtually all aspects of construction from land surveying to building and civil engineering design, to actual construction and its management, to repair, refurbishment as well as the operation and management of built facilities are covered by the Faculty's programmes and its research activities. The Faculty has four departments offering a wide range of programmes. Most of our programmes have received formal recognition by professional bodies of the construction industry. Graduates find good employment in a wide range of industrial, commercial, public and government organizations as professional engineers and builders, quantity surveyors, land surveyors, project managers, etc. Many of our graduates are leaders in the profession and society. The current Chief Executive of Hong Kong, Mr C.Y. Leung, is among the outstanding graduates of the Faculty.

  A major part of the Faculty’s success lies in the cutting-edge research we undertake, which has led to major advances in knowledge in many areas and has thus earned the Faculty international renown.  With eight research centres, the Faculty has the largest concentration of research expertise in Hong Kong in construction-related disciplines.  It is home to 110 academic staff members at Lecturer and above levels, about 220 research staff, and roughly 260 research postgraduate students (including around 210 PhD students).  Many of our professors are world leaders in their own fields. Our research strengths and high-quality people underpin the Faculty’s commitment to providing an all-round education for our students and to contributing to socio-economic development of Hong Kong, our nation and the world.

• Faculty of Engineering

  The Faculty of Engineering has a long and distinguished history. Engineering was one of the three disciplines areas that The Hong Kong Polytechnic University offered during the inception phase in 1937 by its predecessor The Government Trade School, and has long been one of the major discipline areas of this Institution. The Faculty of Engineering was established in 1992 and currently comprises five academic departments, namely Department of Computing, Department of Electrical Engineering, Department of Electronic & Information Engineering, Department of Industrial & Systems Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Interdisciplinary Division of Biomedical Engineering.

  The Faculty is offering over 50 taught programmes/awards to nearly 6,000 students. The five departments offer a comprehensive range of academic programmes covering the areas of computing, enterprise information systems, information systems, information/software technology, electrical engineering, electronic and information engineering, internet and multimedia teachnologies, enterprise engineering, industrial and systems engineering, logistics engineering, product engineering, product analysis and engineering design, engineering and technology management, mechanical engineering, transportation systems engineering and biomedical engineering.

• Faculty of Health and Social Sciences

  Our Faculty has a long history of educating social and health care professionals to serve Hong Kong. Since its original inception in 1977 as the Institute of Medical and Health Care, our Faculty has graduated over 35,000 students.

  The student intake into many of our undergraduate programmes is planned by the government to serve the needs of our community. That means student places are limited. With an ageing population and improved standards of living, Hong Kong is now faced with a shortage of many professionals, including nurses, optometrists, radiographers, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, medical laboratory technologists and social workers. Apart from the personal satisfaction of helping people live better and healthier lives, career opportunities for those professions are likely to be excellent in the foreseeable future.

  For graduates wishing greater mastery of their disciplines, our taught postgraduate master's and doctorate programmes offer a wide range of specialization. They are designed to accommodate the busy working professional. Our flagship doctorates, the Doctor of Health Science and the Doctor of Social Work, are intended to challenge the most senior professionals.

  For graduates interested in creating new knowledge, our Faculty offers MPhil and PhD programmes in all the academic disciplines it hosts. Our primary goal is to come up with workable solutions that can be applied for the betterment of our community and beyond.

• Faculty of Humanities

  Faculty of Humanities (FH) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University is one of the youngest faculties of humanities in Hong Kong and full of energy in creating synergies among language, culture, and science in education and research.Our efforts are fast gaining international recognition. We are ranked top 100 in the world, and 17th in Asia 1 .The subjects of Linguistics and History are among the top of universities in Hong Kong 2 . In Linguistics, we are also ranked 41st in the world 3.

  The Faculty is also recognised internationally through our strong academic links. We have established joint research centres with Peking University, Tsinghua University, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Zhejiang University and University of Technology, Sydney, as well as exchange programmes with other leading universities in the world. In 2010 and 2011, we have been consecutively granted by the European Commission the first Erasmus Mundus mobility programme in Hong Kong for academic exchange between European higher education institutions with those from the South East Asia countries.

  Gaining strength in areas such as speech therapy and health communication, FH is emerging as a leader in tertiary education in the fields of applied language sciences and bilingual China studies in Asia Pacific and the world. Our programmes equip students with knowledge and practical application abilities essential in a wide range of professions.

  In addition to students studying in FH programmes, the Faculty also serves all PolyU students taking language and general education subjects. All five units in the Faculty work to help our students to enhance their language competence in both English and Chinese, and to develop skills in extensive reading, writing and critical thinking. The Confucius Institute of Hong Kong under the Faculty also offers a wide range of scholarly and cultural activities.

• School of Design

  PolyU Design has been an important hub of design education and research for Hong Kong since 1964. The School thrives on its geographical position in bridging the East and the West, allowing its students to develop their design strengths with a uniquely international cultural awareness at both professional and social levels. Rankings & Standings>>

  We stand at the junction of art and science, with a philosophy of offering high quality design education and producing high impact research and consultancy work in both pure and applied nature. While we appreciate the highest ideals of art, we believe in the creation of human-centric products, brands and services, which are relevant to industrial, commercial and community needs now and in the near future. Our approach provides a robust research foundation in design to support these ideas.

  The School’s extraordinary 50-year legacy of scholarship and research in the midst of the dynamism of Asia assures us a bright future. Our highly diverse design expertise includes: Product Design, Communication Design, Advertising Design, Digital Media, Interior Design, Environment Design, Urban Design, International Design and Business Management, Design Management, Innovation Leadership, Design Strategy and Interaction Design.

  We nurture nearly 1,400 students yearly in a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes with some 50 of them being PhD students. The School provides a high level, well equipped environment that includes significant research infrastructure with eight laboratories and a variety of first class technical workshops in the Jockey Club Innovation Tower, a landmark building designed by Zaha Hadid (1950-2016). We believe new premises drives new thinking. That is why the School has launched the Jockey Club Design Institute for Social Innovation, the first of its kind in Asia, to actively foster new approaches and new fields of design expertise. 

• School of Hotel and Tourism Management

  As a global centre of excellence in hospitality and tourism education and research, we serve our industry and academic communities through the advancement of education and dissemination of knowledge.

  For over 35 years the SHTM has refined a distinctive vision of hospitality and tourism education and become a symbol of excellence in the field. From humble beginnings as a diploma-conferring department, the SHTM has risen to become one of the largest hospitality and tourism schools in Asia and amongst the top such schools worldwide. With 65 academics drawing from 20 countries and regions, the School is ranked No. 2 globally based on research and scholarship, according to a study published in theJournal of Hospitality and Tourism Research in 2009, exemplifying our motto of Leading Hospitality and Tourism.

  Over 2,100 students are enrolled in the SHTM, and our world-class academic staff members possess hospitality or tourism industry managerial experience – an important quality in an educational programme that provides practical and specialised business education.

  Our active Advisory Committees consisting of international industry leaders and educators provide us with advice on curriculum and development matters. This helps to ensure that our curricula mirror the realities and fulfil the needs of industry, both today and in the future.

  While we are committed to achieving global excellence in hospitality and tourism education, we continue to forge strong synergies between the industry, PolyU, students and academic staff, partnerships that are at the heart of our success.

  With the establishment of Hotel ICON, our one-of-a-kind teaching and research hotel, the SHTM’s leadership role in hospitality research is also enhanced. Research projects with different foci have already been implemented in the hotel. Three dedicated guestrooms – “Tomorrow’s Guestrooms” – are created to facilitate more in-depth research into the application of advanced concepts in the field of hotel management for the advancement of the entire industry.

  Together with Hotel ICON, our groundbreaking programmes inspire a new generation of passionate, pioneering professionals and students to take their positions as leaders in the hospitality and tourism industry. With it we are moving from pursuing a vision of hospitality and tourism education to being a truly global icon.

History of PolyU

The story of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University can be traced back to the founding of theGovernment Trade School in 1937. Situated in Wood Road, Wanchai, the School was the first publicly funded, post-secondary technical institution in Hong Kong. Under Mr G. White, the then principal, it ran classes in marine wireless operating, mechanical engineering and building construction.

After World War II, the School became the Hong Kong Technical College in 1947, offering both full-time and part-time courses. In 1956, backed by a $1 million donation from the Chinese Manufacturers’ Association, the Government provided a similar sum and a site in Kowloon to support the construction of a new building for the College. Officially opened in 1957 by Sir Alexander Grantham, the then Governor of Hong Kong, the college in Hung Hom started off a new phase of technical education in Hong Kong.

In 1965 Dr Sze-yuen Chung (now Sir Sze-yuen Chung), in a speech to the Legislative Council, said that the time has come to consider establishing a polytechnic-type institution in Hong Kong. A Polytechnic Planning Committee was later set up in May 1969 under the chairmanship of the late Dr Tang Ping-yuen.

Following the Government’s acceptance of the Committee’s Final Report, the Hong Kong Polytechnic Ordinance came into force on 24 March 1972, and the first Board of Directors of the Polytechnic (renamed “Polytechnic Council” in 1978) was formed under the chairmanship of Dr Chung. Upon the invitation of the Board, the Governor Sir Murray MacLehose agreed to be the first President of the Polytechnic. Mr Charles Old was appointed the Polytechnic’s first Director.

The Hong Kong Polytechnic was formally established on 1 August 1972, taking over the campus and staff of the Hong Kong Technical College. Its mandate was to provide application-oriented education to meet the community’s need for professional manpower resources. In the academic year 1971/72, before its handing over to the Polytechnic, the Technical College had just over 1,700 full-time day, 740 part-time day release and 9,340 part-time evening students in eight teaching departments.

With most of the College’s courses at technician and craft levels already transferred to the Morrison Hill Technical Institute established in 1969, the new Polytechnic started off focusing on achieving teaching standards appropriate to a Polytechnic. Since then, the Polytechnic has undergone extensive development and rapid expansion. The Institution launched its first five degree programmes in 1983, and introduced its first MPhil and PhD programmes in 1986 and 1989 respectively.

With approval from the University and Polytechnic Grants Committee for self-accreditation of degree programmes, the Institution assumed full university status on 25 November 1994, changing its name to “The Hong Kong Polytechnic University”.

Accreditation

Institutional Accreditation or Recognition - Education Bureau, Hong Kong SAR

Rankings

World Rankings

• PolyU has been ranked
  • 6th in the QS Top 50 Under 50 2015 (a ranking of the world's top young universities)
  • 14th in the 2015 Ranking of Top Universities in Greater China (RTUGC) by Shanghai Jiao Tong University
  • 22nd in the Asia University Rankings 2016 by Times Higher Education
  • 27th in the 150 Under 50 World University Rankings 2016 by Times Higher Education
  • 27th in the QS Asian University Rankings 2015
  • 116th in the QS World University Rankings 2015/16
  • 120th in the Top 200 most international universities in the world 2016 by Times Higher Education
• The Faculty of Applied Science and Textiles has been ranked
  • 1st in the world on its research performance and citation impact and 2nd in the world in terms of the total number of papers published in the fields of textiles and clothingaccording to the survey by Thomson Reuters based on total research output of 16,313 papers published by top 500 institutions (in terms of research productivity) from 2009 to 2013 relating to textiles, fashion, clothing or apparel.
  • 46th in the subject of statistics & operational research according to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2016
• The Faculty of Business has been ranked
  • 6th in the subject of commerce, management, tourism and service according to the University Rankings by Academic Performance 2014-15
  • 39th in the subject of business & management studies according to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2016
  • 59th in the Top 100 World Rankings of Business Schools by University of Texas at Dallas, based on research contributions to 24 leading business journals from 2010-2014
• The Faculty of Construction and Environment has been ranked
  • 3rd in the subject of civil engineering according to the Academic Ranking of World Universities 2016 by Shanghai Jiao Tong University
  • 6th in the subject of civil engineering, according to the National Taiwan University Ranking 2014
  • 12th in the subject of civil and structural engineering and 16th in the subject ofarchitecture, according to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2016
• The Faculty of Engineering has been ranked
  • 15th in the subject of engineering according to the Best Global Universities Rankings 2016 by the U.S. News and World Report
  • 15th in the subject of computer science, according to the National Taiwan University Ranking 2014
  • 49th in the subject of computer science & information systems according to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2016
• The Faculty of Health and Social Sciences has been ranked
  • 42nd in the subject of nursing according to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2016
• The Faculty of Humanities has been ranked
  • 41st in the subject of linguistics according to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2016
• The School of Design has been ranked
  • among top 3 design schools in Greater China, according to BusinessWeek (Oct 2009 issue)
  • 21st in the subject of art & design according to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2016
  • among top 25 design schools in the world and is the only selected design school in Asia, according to Business Insider magazine (Dec 2012 issue)
• The School of Hotel and Tourism Management has been ranked
  • • 2nd in research and scholarly activities among institutions specializing in hospitality and tourism, according to the World Ranking of Top 100 Hospitality and Tourism Programs by Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research (Nov 2009 issue)
    • 6th in the subject of commerce, management, tourism and service according to the University Rankings by Academic Performance 2014-15

Student Life at PolyU

Sports & Wellness

The PolyU has different Sports Facilities provided to all students. They are Shaw Sports Complex, Fong Shu Chuen Hall, Keith Legg Sports Field, Kwong On Jubilee Sports Centre, Michael Clinton Swimming Pool, Hall Fitness Room etc. And there is a Joint Sports Centre in Kowloon Tong.

Besides Sport Facilities, Amenities Centre (which Located at the podium floor, 4/F and 5/F of Communal Building) provides Communal Facilities.

Aesthetics & Culture

The Culture Promotion Committee was established in mid-1999 with the aim of fostering an environment conducive to the promotion of culture and the arts on campus. Through its many activities, it aims to contribute to quality education and to the all-rounded development of PolyU students.

The Committee organizes over a hundred programmes and performances each year. These include dance, theatre, visual arts, film and video, orchestral music, literary arts, Chinese traditional chess games, carnival, artist-in-residence programme and Millenium talk series etc.

Personal Development & Awards

In order for student to have all-round development, Personal Development Programmes (PDP) is introduced. A SPECIAL framework has been worked out to facilitate students' personal fulfillment in the university years and also develop further their pathway towards success in future. Training content includes: creative & critical thinking, learning strategies, time management, love & dating, teamwork, EQ & AQ, stress management and personality testing.

The SPECIAL programmes will be organized throughout the academic year to help students develop the transferable skills. We may also offer tailor-made programmes for you if you can find a group of 10 students who share a common topic.

Co-curricular Achievement Transcript (CAT) was established with the aims to (i) assist you to keep track of your own co-curricular development; (ii) motivate you to set up goals in pursuit of excellence; (iii) serve as a quick reference of your all-round potential as a 'preferred graduate'; and (iv) serve as a certificate in recognition of your achievements and contributions. 

Community Engagement

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is committed to establishing a close link with society and serving the community at large. PolyU students have been actively involved in community services through the Community Service Learning Programme (CSLP), launched by the Student Affairs Office (SAO) together with over 20 academic departments. It aims to encourage PolyU students and staff to serve the community by applying their professional knowledge and skills. You are encouraged to participate actively in community services, which can help develop a right attitude in life, strengthen a sense of social responsibility and explore potentials in different aspects.

Global Experience

The International Affairs Office (IAO) offers a variety of services to encourage the development of international relations and to assist students, academics, faculties and departments seeking quality international exchanges with their counterparts. They are responsible for the acceleration of internationalization of PolyU.

The Chinese Mainland Affairs Office (CMAO) is a designated unit of PolyU to facilitate academic collaboration, student and scholarly exchanges, as well as the recruitment of mainland students for PolyU undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. It provides a gateway through which institutions and organizations on Chinese mainland, Taiwan and Macao can effectively communicate and forge partnership with different PolyU departments. 

Services of PolyU

Student Halls

• Student Halls of Residence (Hung Hom Bay) - Located at 1 Hung Lai Road in Hung Hom, Student Halls of Residence (Hung Hom Bay) has 9 Halls altogether in a 22-storey building. Boyan Hall is for Research Postgraduate students only. The other halls are Kaiyuan Hall, Wuhua Hall, Chengde Hall, Wuxian Hall, Lizhi Hall, Lisheng Hall, Minyin Hall and Xuemin Hall are for undergraduates, with Xuemin Hall designated for female residents only.
• Student Halls of Residence (Homantin) - Located at 15 Fat Kwong Street in Homantin, Student Hall of Residence (Homantin) has 6 Halls altogether in a 26-storey building. Named in colours, all Halls are co-ed halls for both research postgraduate and undergraduate students.
• Off-Campus Housing - The University-managed off-campus housing sites offer some 250 residential places at prime urban areas, as an accommodation option, for non-local students, pursuing self-financed taught postgraduate or SYSU undergraduate programmes.

1. Siuching Mansion, 201-207 Yu Chau Street, Sham Shui Po
2. Hung Kwan House, 76 Shan Tung Street, Mongkok
3. Chun Fook Mansion, 1 Hillwood Road, Tsimshatsui

Student Organization

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Students’ Union (HKPUSU) is a student-run organization that is autonomous from the University administration for promoting the interests and welfare of full-time undergraduates (excluding postgraduate and College of Professional and Continuing Education students).

PolyU Sports Teams

• Athletics
• Badminton
• Basketball
• Fencing
• Handball
• Karatedo
• Rowing
• Ruby
• Soccer
• Squash
• Swimming
• Table Tennis
• Taekwondo
• Tennis
• Volleyball
• Woodball

Pao Yue-kong Library

The library was established on 1 August 1972. Two centres operated until 1976 at Hung Hom and Quarry Bay, merging into the present building in 1976. The library was named after shipping entrepreneur and philanthropist Yue-Kong Pao in 1995.

In 2014, there are over 2.77 million of library holdings in total, with nearly 600,000 electronic resources. The six-story library provides 3,900 study spaces and is equipped with a 24-hour study centre and audio-visual information areas. It opens from 8:30am to 11pm from Mondays to Saturdays and 12:00nn to 10pm on Sundays.

Hong Kong Community College Campuses (HKCC)

Established in 2001 under the auspices of PolyU, the Hong Kong Community College (HKCC) is a self-financed post-secondary institution which offers associate degree and higher diploma programmes spanning the domains of arts, science, social sciences, business, health care and design for senior secondary school leavers. HKCC classes are conducted on Hung Hom Bay Campus and West KowloonCampus. With a floor area totalling over 57,000 square metres, the two campuses provide teaching and recreational facilities, including lecture theatres, classrooms, a library, a computer centre, multi-purpose rooms and halls, sky gardens, a cafeteria and communal areas. Since its establishment, HKCC has helped over 13,700 graduates matriculate into bachelor’s degree programmes.