In today’s globalised world, internationalisation is vital in helping a university sharpen its competitive edge.
One university that has been steadily increasing its global presence is The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, which had started out as a humble government trade school.
Today, the world-class institution combines its technical-oriented foundation with a focus on research that has application values.
Not only are its students challenged to possess the attributes of innovation and entrepreneurship, they are also encouraged to apply their knowledge in practice to address societal needs and improve the lives of the needy.
PolyU is the only university in Hong Kong that incorporates Work-Integrated Education and Service-Learning as components within the curriculum.
“We need to expose our students to the international dimensions of how this world functions, and to prepare our students for the new global era — a world where businesses, cultures and challenges transcend borders, and a global awareness is not simply encouraged but essential for success,” says PolyU president Professor Timothy W. Tong.
“And while we nurture and unleash our students’ creativity in preparing them to be leaders in their professions, we also imbue in them a serving heart for the community at large.”
Recently, PolyU held the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Global Student Challenge for the fourth time.
This is one of the ways for the university to increase its internationalisation process, while also providing students from around the world with a valuable opportunity to unleash their innovation and entrepreneurial potential.
Such initiative is meant to help widen the students’ horizons, develop their international mindset and perspective, thereby giving them a sustainable competitive advantage in the global economy.
Read more about the competition participated by students from the world over, as well as PolyU’s aspirations that are relevant to all educational institutions that share similar global visions, exclusively in the print edition of New Sunday Times on July 12.