With over 80 years of proud tradition and ranking among the world’s top 100 institutions, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) aspires to be a leading university with world-class research and education. It not only nurtures the much needed talents and professionals for the society, but also excels in research and innovation, and provides an expanding range of consultancy, professional training and services by turning innovative ideas into practical use, bringing benefits to mankind.

When the new four-year curriculum was implemented in Hong Kong in 2012, in alignment with PolyU’s goal of developing graduates into “responsible global citizens”, the University introduced the Service-Learning (SL) requirement into the undergraduate degree curriculum, with the aim of instilling a sense of Social Responsibility (SR) among its student. PolyU was the first local university to make SL courses credit-bearing and mandatory for all undergraduate degree students. “Service-learning” connects professional education with societal needs, providing students with exposure to complex social issues and the opportunity to make use of their knowledge to improve the quality of life of the less fortunate. To promote and support the institutionalization of SL at PolyU, the Office of Service-Learning (now renamed as the Service-Learning and Leadership Office) was established in 2012, supporting growth in the scope of SL activity.

Sustainable campus is also a focus in PolyU’s SR efforts. Environmentally-conscious practices are widely adopted to build a green campus, including but not limited to resource conservation. Green procurement, for example, is the guiding principle in the purchase of goods and services.

Further to the set up of the University Social Responsibility Network (USRN) in 2015, PolyU as the secretariat for the Network has been actively involving to facilitate the achievement of the Network’s vision and mission. PolyU is committed to advancing USR, not only within its own campus but also in the global higher education sector, collaborating with the Network members to address the economic, social, cultural and environmental challenges so as to make our world more just, inclusive, peaceful and sustainable.

University Website: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/