25 November 2016

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) kicked off today (25 November) a series of celebration activities for its 80th anniversary. To mark the beginning of the year-long celebration, PolyU held in the morning the "International Forum: Nurturing Talent and Building Capacity in Supporting the Belt and Road Development" (the Forum) and in the evening "PolyU 80th Anniversary Launch Ceremony - A Prelude to the Celebrations".

Mrs Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, Chief Secretary for Administration, HKSAR Government, delivered a speech at the Launch Ceremony. She said that the development of PolyU over the decades is a remarkable story of academic growth and success.  PolyU's rising international recognition and standing not only testify to PolyU's regional and international impact, but also exemplify the rapid advancement of higher education in Hong Kong.

Chairman of the University Grants Council (UGC), Mr Carlson Tong, commended PolyU for its contribution to the development of Hong Kong and said, "Adhered to UGC-defined role statement, PolyU emphasises on application-oriented teaching, professional education and applied research and maintains strong links with various sectors, employers and the community."

Chairman of the Council, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Mr Chan Tze-ching, said PolyU has evolved from a post-secondary government trade school into an internationalised, comprehensive university with focuses on professional education, impactful research and knowledge transfer.

He said, "I take pride in not only our accomplishments and contributions, but also the dedication of all the university members in scaling new heights, as well as our strong connections with the community, the business and industrial sectors."

Professor Timothy W. Tong, President of PolyU, said, "PolyU has grown together with Hong Kong over the past eight decades in a fast-changing global landscape and answered to the call of the times appropriately. We not only embark on research to advance the frontiers of knowledge, but also create solutions to problems and change the world for the better."

He added that PolyU will continue to scale up excellence and meet the changing needs of the 21th century, benefiting Hong Kong, the nation and the world.

During the performance in the evening, an anniversary theme song "Shape the Future", was presented on stage by C AllStar, a pop music group. The song was written and composed by PolyU's alumni. There were also performances by groups of university students from the Mainland, Italy, Kazakhstan and Russia. PolyU Choir and Orchestra performed on stage too.

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