PolyU’s Fun-Tech 2025 Fosters Future I&T Innovators

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), committed to fostering future I&T talent, concluded the “Fun-Tech Competition 2024/25” on June 21, 2025. The project, organised by PolyU’s Department of Applied Social Sciences (APSS) and supported by the Innovation and Technology Commission, ran from September 2024 to May 2025 and aimed to engage secondary school students in technology through education and hands-on competition. Over 1,000 students from 29 schools participated in various activities including an academic conference, online classes, guided tours, and workshops focused on emerging technologies like VR, AR, and RFID.

Prof. Wing-tak Wong and Prof. Eric Chui engaged in an exchange session with the winning students.

The competition, divided into junior and senior groups, encouraged participants to apply their digital skills to real-life and social challenges. Students created VR videos or proposed innovative RFID applications. The initiative concluded with an award ceremony hosted by APSS and PolyU’s Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology (PReCIT).

Dr Jeff Sze said that the Competition served as a robust platform for participants to unleash their creativity, gain a deeper understanding of cutting-edge technologies through practice and develop an interest in I&T

Dr. Jeff Sze, Under Secretary for Education, officiated the ceremony and emphasized how such programs complement the government’s STEAM and digital education agenda, helping students “unleash creativity” and develop problem-solving skills. Prof. Wing-tak Wong, PolyU Deputy President and Provost, highlighted how student innovations combined creativity and social value. Prof. Eric Chui added that the competition aligned with APSS’s mission to raise social awareness through technology. Dr. Rodney Chu, the project leader, praised students’ perseverance and teachers’ dedication throughout the project.

Award-winning schools included SKH Lui Ming Choi Secondary School, St. Stephen’s Church College, STFA Cheng Yu Tung Secondary School, and others. Post-ceremony, a Teaching and Learning Summit featured a keynote by Prof. Manuel Castro of Spain’s National University of Distance Education, who discussed remote STEM tools for schools.

The project exemplified how PolyU is integrating tech skills, educational collaboration, and societal values to prepare Hong Kong’s youth for leadership in innovation and technology.

Dr Rodney Chu, Senior Lecturer of APSS and Project Coordinator of the Fun-Tech Competition 2024/25, presented data and achievements related to the project.