On-Going Research Projects

Title Funding Amount Funding Source Duration Principal Investigator/ Project Coordinator
Embracing the World of Industry 4.0: Career Learning through Virtual Knowledge Base (VKB) HK$5,925,200 Quality Enhancement Support Scheme (QESS) January 2023 – December 2025 Dr Wong, Macy
The Science of Design Thinking: Theories and Applications HK$488,519 Faculty Development Scheme (FDS), RGC Competitive Research Funding Schemes for Self-financing Degree Sector January 2023 – June 2024 Dr Lo, On-ting
Teaching Undergraduate Social Sciences and Business Writing: Integrating the Reader’s Perspective and Data-driven Teaching and Learning Approach HK$654,335 Faculty Development Scheme (FDS), RGC Competitive Research Funding Schemes for Self-financing Degree Sector January 2023 – January 2025 Dr Cheung, Eric
AI-Assisted Academic Writing Platform: An Interactive Cross-Disciplinary English Feedback System HK$2,399,996 Quality Enhancement Support Scheme (QESS) September 2022 – August 2025 Dr Deng, Jessica
Dr Tong, Esther
Dr Chen, Val
Development of a Web-based Remote Laboratory for Science and Engineering Education HK$2,399,200 Quality Enhancement Support Scheme (QESS) October 2021 – September 2024 Dr Loh, Anthony
Development of Virtual Reality (VR) Systems for Business and Tourism Education HK$6,176,000 Quality Enhancement Support Scheme (QESS) January 2022 – December 2023 Dr Ng, Peggy
Cantonese Abilities of Chinese Mainland University Students in Hong Kong: Testing Their Grammatical and Communicative Competence HK$619,143.80 Standing Committee on Language Education and Research (SCOLAR) September 2021 – August 2023 Dr Ding, Hongdi
International Experiential Learning and Application: Global Work-integrated Education (Global-WIE) and idea Generation Laboratory (iG-Lab) HK$5,971,600 Quality Enhancement Support Scheme (QESS) September 2020 – August 2023 Dr Wong, Macy

Embracing the World of Industry 4.0: Career Learning through Virtual Knowledge Base (VKB)

With the world entering Industry 4.0, technological advancements and developments have been very progressive. Numerous concepts such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, and Cloud Computing have been raised in different industries. This two-year project aims to create a synergy through the establishment of a Virtual Knowledge Base (VKB) dedicated in developing students’ career readiness with good utilization of the latest technologies. The VKB will cover mainly 4 areas to boost students’ applied educational skills, knowledge, and experience: (1) Knowledge of Industry 4.0, IoT; (2) R&D, I&T knowledge; (3) Cloud Computing & Big Data; and (4) Utilization of 5G. As a result, the VKB will nurture graduates into career-ready graduates equipped with the latest applied educational competencies and skills needed in the market.

AI-Assisted Academic Writing Platform: An Interactive Cross-Disciplinary English Feedback System

PolyU SPEED aims to support students’ English literacy development through cross-disciplinary cooperation. The proposed AI-Assisted Academic Writing platform aims to provide all-round supervisory support that is unconstrained by time and location for students to improve their disciplinary academic writing performance. One of the most useful features of the proposed platform is the incorporation of AI text analytics technology. The platform will feature diversified functions to support self-directed learning and feedback communication.

Development of a Web-based Remote Laboratory for Science and Engineering Education funded by Quality Enhancement Support Scheme

The learning and teaching of science/engineering subjects face a big challenge under the COVID-19 pandemic because all face-to-face laboratory works in school have been suspended. Since laboratory works are essential and critical elements to science and engineering education, teachers have to try other means such as performing demonstration, simulation or virtual laboratory to relief the effect. However, these alternative forms of teaching might not effectively provide students with real-time hands-on learning experience as they could not see and directly control the laboratory apparatus in “real” time. Hence, through developing a web-based remote laboratory for science and engineering education, this project aims to facilitate students’ independent learning, enhance their learning experience, and solve the adverse effect created by the suspension of face-to-face laboratory works.
The project team – (from left) Dr Ricky Mak, Dr Ken Tsang, Dr Anthony Loh, and Dr Kenneth Lo

Development of Virtual Reality (VR) Systems for Business and Tourism Education funded by Quality Enhancement Support Scheme

There is a genuine need for students to enrich their interactive and immersive learning as well as to equip their up-to-date knowledge of digital technologies. Aiming at enhancing students’ motivation and delivering quality education in the digital era, this theme-based project will establish immersive VR systems with virtual and augmented reality simulations for all business and tourism students of SPEED and HKCC, enabling them to learn their academic subjects in more interactive ways. For more details about the project, please visit the project website.


The seminar “Blockchain and Cryptocurrency Revolution in B2B Marketing” was successfully held on PolyU West Kowloon Campus on 1 June 2022.

Cantonese Abilities of Chinese Mainland University Students in Hong Kong: Testing Their Grammatical and Communicative Competence funded by Standing Committee on Language Education and Research

The project investigates the Cantonese abilities of non-Cantonese-speaking mainland university students in Hong Kong. It also aims to find out the threshold grammatical competence which the learners need to adequately support their communicative or conversational abilities.

International Experiential Learning and Application: Global Work-integrated Education (Global-WIE) and idea Generation Laboratory (iG-Lab) funded by Quality Enhancement Support Scheme

This project aims to offer students offshore internships and related activities to experience the working culture in the Chinese Mainland and the world, embark on new practical experiences and join regional/international events. The “idea Generation Laboratory” (iG-Lab) will be set up to foster international experiential learning and application; it will also act as a facilitator and a promoter to encourage students to proactively grasp and leverage future opportunities associated with world’s fast-growing economy. For more details about the project, please visit here.
A glance around the iG-Lab