Hong Kong Polytechnic University facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (often called PolyU or HKPU) is a public research university in Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It's one of the eight universities in Hong Kong that get funding from the government and can grant degrees.

PolyU started in 1937 as the first Government Trade School. It was the first place in Hong Kong to offer technical education. In 1994, it officially became a university.

Today, PolyU has 8 main departments, called faculties and schools. They offer many different programs, like applied science, business, engineering, design, and hotel management. Each year, over 25,800 students study more than 160 different programs here.

Quick facts for kids
Hong Kong Polytechnic University

香港理工大學

Motto

開物成務勵學利民

Motto in English

To learn and to apply, for the benefit of mankind

Type

Public

Established

1937; 88 years ago, as Government Trade School
1947; 78 years ago, as Hong Kong Technical College
24 March 1972; 53 years ago, as Hong Kong Polytechnic
25 November 1994; 30 years ago, granted university status

Chairman

Lam Tai-fai

Chancellor

John Lee Ka-chiu (as Chief Executive of Hong Kong)

President

Teng Jin-guang

Vice-president

Miranda Lou
Kwok-yin Wong
Ben Young
Christopher Chao

Provost

Wing-tak Wong

Academic staff

1,230

Students

26,245 (2019/2020)

Location

11 Yuk Choi Road, Hung Hom

Kowloon

Hong Kong

22°18′18″N 114°10′48″E / 22.30500°N 114.18000°E

Campus

Urban
9.46 hectares (0.0946 km²)

Colours

Red and grey

Affiliations

BHUA; GHMUA; UASR

Website

polyu.edu.hk

Chinese name

Simplified Chinese

香港理工大学

Traditional Chinese

香港理工大學

Cantonese Yale

Hēunggóng Léihgūng Daaihhohk

Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu Pinyin	Xiānggǎng Lǐgōng Dàxué
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanization	Hēunggóng Léihgūng Daaihhohk
Jyutping	Hoeng1gong2 lei5gung1 daai6hok6

History of PolyU

Starting as a Trade School (1937–1947)

In 1937, the Government Trade School opened in Wan Chai. It was the first public school in Hong Kong to offer technical training after high school. The school taught subjects like marine wireless operations and mechanical engineering. Its campus was a three-story building, often called the "Red Brick House."

Becoming a Technical College (1947–1972)

After World War II, the Government Trade School changed its name to the Hong Kong Technical College in 1947. It offered both full-time and part-time courses. In 1957, a new campus for the college was built in Hung Hom.

The Hong Kong Polytechnic (1972–1994)

In 1965, people started suggesting that Hong Kong needed a "polytechnic" to offer more advanced technical education. So, on March 24, 1972, the Hong Kong Polytechnic was officially created. Its goal was to train skilled workers for different jobs. The Polytechnic started offering its first degree programs in 1983. Later, it added master's and PhD programs.

Becoming a University (1994–Present)

In 1994, the Polytechnic was allowed to approve its own degree programs. This meant it could become a full university. On November 25, 1994, it changed its name to "The Hong Kong Polytechnic University."

PolyU Campuses

Main Campus in Hung Hom

PolyU's main campus is in Hung Hom, Kowloon. It was designed in 1972 and has over 20 buildings. Many of these buildings have red-brick walls and are connected to each other. They are also raised one floor above the ground, creating open spaces below. This campus is one of the largest and most packed educational campuses in the world.

Block Z is a newer part of the campus. It's across the road from the main campus and can be reached by a tunnel or a long footbridge.

Besides classrooms and labs, the university has an auditorium for events, places to eat, and sports facilities. The Jockey Club Auditorium can hold over 1,000 people for shows and meetings.

There are also many sports areas. These include two swimming pools, two indoor sports halls, an outdoor sports field with basketball and soccer areas, tennis courts, and a jogging track.

Landscape of the main campus in Hung Hom in January 2016

Main Campus, PolyU
PolyU Main Campus aerial view, 2016
Miniature Model of the PolyU Main Campus, 2013
PolyU
Main Entrance, 2017
Choi Kai Yau Building, 2013

Li Ka Shing Tower (Faculty of Business), Main Campus, PolyU
LKS Tower 2013
LKS Tower
Lift Lobby, LKS Tower
LKS Tower standing inside the main campus

Block Z (Faculty of Construction and Environment), Main Campus, PolyU
Block Z
Block Z, view from Chatham Rd South, 2022
FCE, Block Z, 2018
Block Z, 2019

Pao Yue-kong Library

The PolyU Library opened in 1972. It was named after a generous businessman, Yue-Kong Pao, in 1995.

The library has over 2.77 million items, including many online resources. It has 3,900 places for students to study. There's also a 24-hour study center. In 2017, parts of the library were turned into "i-space." This area has cool services like a VR Experience Zone, 3D scanning, and 3D printing. You can also find video production tools there.

Pao Yue Kong Library, Main Campus, PolyU
Exterior of PYK Library, 2013
Gate Entrance, PYK Library, 2013
PF, PYK Library, 2015
Exam Wishing Wall, PYK Library, 2019
GF Discussion Zone, PYK Library
3F, PYK Library, 2015
5F, PYK Library
Outside PYK Library, 2014

Innovation Tower

The Innovation Tower is a unique building on campus. It was designed by a famous architect named Zaha Hadid. This 15-story building is home to the School of Design. It has exhibition areas, classrooms, studios, and workshops. The School of Design is known as one of the best design schools in the world.

'''Jockey Club Innovation Tower (School of Design), Main Campus, PolyU'''
Jockey Club Innovation Tower
Jockey Club Innovation Tower
Jockey Club Innovation Tower
Jockey Club Innovation Tower interior
Jockey Club Innovation Tower interior
Jockey Club Innovation Tower podium
Jockey Club Innovation Tower and Block X
Jockey Club Innovation Tower, view from the Chatham Rd South 2018
Jockey Club Innovation Tower 2016

Teaching and Research Hotel

The Hotel Icon opened in 2011. This hotel is owned by the university. It's used as a teaching and research hotel for the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM). This school is consistently ranked among the top hotel and tourism management schools globally.

Hotel Icon (School of Hotel and Tourism Management)
Hotel Icon
Hotel ICON Lobby View1 201106
Hotel ICON Lobby View2 20110
Hotel Icon Logo
Hotel Icon Lobby

Other Campuses

PolyU also has two smaller campuses: Hung Hom Bay and West Kowloon. These campuses are home to the College of Professional and Continuing Education. This college offers programs like associate degrees and higher diplomas for students who have finished high school.

Academics at PolyU

University Structure

As of 2020, PolyU had many students:

Over 900 students in sub-degree programs.
Nearly 15,000 undergraduate students (working towards their first degree).
Over 10,000 postgraduate students (working on master's or PhD degrees).

The university offers more than 150 different programs. These are taught through its 8 main faculties and schools. Some of these include:

Faculty of Applied Science and Textiles
Faculty of Business
Faculty of Construction and Environment
Faculty of Engineering
Faculty of Health and Social Sciences
Faculty of Humanities
School of Design
School of Hotel and Tourism Management

PolyU also has a Graduate School, which helps manage the advanced research degrees. The College of Professional and Continuing Education (CPEC) offers other types of programs.

University Research

PolyU focuses its research on many important areas. These include:

Aerospace and aviation (things related to planes and space)
Big data and AI (Artificial Intelligence)
Food safety
Health science
Smart cities and making things sustainable (good for the environment long-term)

To do this research, PolyU has many special labs and centers. For example, it has an Aviation Services Research Centre that works with Boeing, a big airplane company. The university also has a research institute for textiles and clothing.

PolyU Rankings and Reputation

Universities are often ranked to show how well they are doing compared to others around the world.

Overall University Rankings

PolyU is highly ranked globally:

It's ranked #57 in the QS World University Rankings for 2025.
It's #87 in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings for 2024.
It's also ranked #100 by US News for 2022–2023.

In 2023, THE named PolyU the 6th most international university in the world. This means it has many students and staff from different countries.

Young University Rankings

PolyU is also recognized as a top "young" university (meaning it's less than 50 years old as a university).

It was ranked #6 worldwide in the QS "Top 50 Under 50" list in 2021.
It was ranked #4 worldwide in the Times Higher Education's Young University Rankings in 2023.

Top Subject Areas

PolyU is especially strong in certain subjects. Here are some of its top rankings:

Hospitality and Leisure Management: Ranked #10 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022.
Civil & Structural Engineering: Ranked #15 in QS 2022.
Architecture / Built Environment: Ranked #15 in QS 2022.
Art & Design: Ranked #16 in QS 2022.
Business and Economics: Ranked #27 in THE 2023.
Engineering: Ranked #40 in THE 2023.

The School of Design is considered one of the top 3 design schools in Greater China. It's also among the top 25 design schools globally. The School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) is ranked #1 in its field by some measures.

Graduate Job Prospects

PolyU graduates are well-regarded by employers.

PolyU graduates ranked #71 worldwide in the QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022.
Employers in Hong Kong often choose PolyU graduates. In recent years, they were ranked among the top 2-4 most preferred university graduates.

University Leadership

The main group that runs PolyU is called the Council. It includes people from business, professionals, staff, and students. The President is the head of the university.

Past Presidents

Here are some of the past leaders of PolyU:

Keith Legg (1972–1985)
John Clark (1985–1991)
Poon Chung-kwong (1991–2008)
Timothy W. Tong (2009–2018)
Philip C. H. Chan (2019)
Teng Jin-guang (2019 – present)

Working with Others

PolyU works with over 280 universities and organizations in 39 different countries. They have signed many agreements for things like student exchange programs and joint research projects.

Student Life at PolyU

Student Organizations

Block VA, the building for the PolyU Students’ Union in March 2014.

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Students’ Union (HKPUSU) is run by students. It works to help full-time undergraduate students and look out for their interests.

Sports Teams

PolyU has many sports teams that students can join:

Athletics
Badminton
Basketball
Fencing
Handball
Karate-do
Rowing
Rugby
Soccer
Squash
Swimming
Table Tennis
Taekwondo
Tennis
Volleyball
Woodball

Student Dorms

PolyU offers two main student dorm buildings, one in Hung Hom Bay and one in Ho Man Tin. These halls have different floors for undergraduate and postgraduate students, and some floors are just for female residents.

The university also has three off-campus housing options in other parts of the city. These provide about 250 places for students who come from outside Hong Kong.

Student Halls, PolyU
Hung Hom Halls, 2013
Hung Hom Halls, 2012
Hung Hom Halls, 2013
Homantin Halls, 2021
Homantin Halls, 2019
Homantin Halls entrance, 2019

Campus Events

2019 Campus Standoff

In November 2019, the PolyU campus was involved in a major standoff. During this time, there was a confrontation between protesters and the police. The police blocked the university exits, and a standoff lasted for three days. Many people were injured, and over 1,000 were arrested. The university campus was later repaired.

Famous Alumni

Many successful people have studied at PolyU. Here are a few notable alumni:

Li Qiang, the current Premier of China
Leung Chun-ying, a former leader of Hong Kong
Rebecca Lee, an explorer
Wong Kar-wai, a film director
Raman Hui, a film director
Paul Wong, a musician
Gigi Leung, a singer
Vivienne Tam, a fashion designer

Notable Alumni of PolyU
Li Qiang, Premier of the State Council of China
CY Leung, former Chief Executive of Hong Kong SAR
Vivienne Tam, fashion designer
Wong Kar Wai, film director
Gigi Leung, singer and celebrity

Images for kids

Block VA, the building for the PolyU Students’ Union in March 2014.

Gallery

Architecture of PolyU
Hung Hom campus is located in the urban transportation hub. Taken in November 2005.
Cheong Wan Road Entrance in June 2017
Anita Chan Lai Ling Building and the grass in front of it in August 2013
Jockey Club Auditorium in May 2019
Block N and Logo Square in August 2013
The bell tower is one of the gathering places for students. Taken in May 2019.
A sitting-out area on campus in August 2013
Li Ka Shing Tower in October 2013
Communal Building in September 2018
Shirley Chan Building, Choi Kai Yau Building and Mong Mn Wai Building in February 2013
Ho Iu Kwong Building/Industrial Centre (Block W) in August 2018
Y Core in January 2013
Hotel Icon in July 2011
Chiang Chen Studio Theatre in May 2019
Aviation Services Research Centre 2019
Block Z and Link Bridge, 2022
School of Design Tower, 2018
X Core, 2019
Hung Hom Campus, 2020
A main entrance, 2020
PolyU Student Halls of Residence (Hung Hom)
PolyU Student Halls of Residence (Homantin)
PolyU West Kowloon Campus in February 2012