History
The story of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University can be traced back to the founding of the Government Trade School in 1937. Situated in Wood Road, Wanchai, the School was the first publicly funded, post-secondary technical institution in Hong Kong. Under Mr G. White, the then principal, it ran classes in marine wireless operating, mechanical engineering and building construction.
Education
Innovation, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit are part of the PolyU DNA. Our specially-designed courses include internships and service learning. Every day, our students are gaining the skills and experiences they need to respond, adapt and identify applications for their knowledge in the real world.
Research
We work with university and industrial partners to develop strategic research projects across many disciplines. Our approach to research and development is grounded in solving real world challenges and creating innovative solutions.
Career
Our graduates leave PolyU with skills and knowledge required in their chosen fields. This translates to high employment rates of over 95% of PolyU graduates are employed after studies. Employers value highly the skill set that PolyU students have.
University Ranking
QS World University Rankings by TopUniversities
2025
57 8
2024
65
2023
65
QS World University Rankings is one of the top international rankings measuring the popularity and performance of universities all over the world. They measure university reputation based on the impressions of higher education experts, companies who hire graduates, and teaching quality. QS also considers the ratio of international teachers and students present at universities, as well as the times research papers were mentioned by researchers. After calculating and comparing these criteria, QS ranks the universities accordingly.
World University Rankings by Times Higher Education
2025
84 3
2024
87 -8
2023
79
World University Rankings is a vital resource that provides the definitive list of the world's best universities. They look at how often they're producing new ideas, what their reputation is around the world, and how much they're contributing to science and academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, THE ranks the universities accordingly.
Academic Ranking of World Universities by Shanghai Jiao Tong University
2024
151
2023
151
2022
151
ARWU World University rankings is the first world university ranking. It ranks the world's top 1000 colleges and universities based on objective indicator. They look at the number of award-winning (Fields Medals and Nobel Prize) scientists who are located there, how much of their research is cited and referenced around the world, and how much they've contributed to different academic fields. After calculating and comparing these criteria, ARWU ranks the universities accordingly.
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report
2025
-
2024
67 33
2023
100
Best Global Universities Rankings by U.S. News & World Report presents all the top universities from the U.S. and 60 other countries around the world. They measure the rate of students going to their second year of studies, as well as the rate of students who graduate. It also asks university representatives on the performance of universities, and evaluates university resources, teacher salaries, graduation rates, student academic achievements and satisfaction. After calculating and comparing these criteria, U.S. News ranks the top international universities accordingly.
Student services
The International Affairs Office (IAO)
IAO offers a variety of services to encourage the development of international relations and to assist students, academics, faculties and departments seeking quality international exchanges with their counterparts. They are responsible for the acceleration of internationalization of PolyU.Housing services
Living in our Student Halls of Residence is a great way to support your studies whilst enjoying a vibrant social life. The halls are clean, safe, modern and comfortable. Each hall has its own atmosphere and culture. All rooms are fully furnished, air-conditioned, equipped with broadband Internet access and have shared bathroom facilities. Better still, our Student Halls are located close to the city centre, making it easy to get around with buses and trains on your doorstep.
Medical services
Your physical and emotional wellbeing are important to succeed in your studies. Our ranges of student support services are there to support you. PolyU puts great emphasis on developing first- year experience programme to help you to settle in well. There is a campus clinic which provides primary healthcare to full-time students and there are PolyU’s experienced counsellors available on campus.
Campus life
- Our campus has everything you need to study hard, stay healthy and socialise. We have modern and high technology lecture theatres, classrooms and laboratories. You will find comfortable, open spaces for both studying and socialising and dozens of facilities designed to help you to achieve your best.
- The campus has convenience stores, banks, bookshop, affordable food outlets, recreation and study spaces, prayer rooms, sport facilities, exhibition venues, music practice rooms etc.
Sports facilities
PolyU’s sports facilities include an Olympic-sized swimming pool, natural grass soccer pitch, squash and tennis courts, modern gym and golf practice area. There are many clubs devoted to sports, including athletics, badminton, basketball, fencing, handball, karatedo, rugby, soccer, squash, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, volleyball and woodball.
Student clubs
There are dozens of clubs and groups on campus representing different cultural, entertainment, recreational and sporting interests. For example, there are Dancing Society, Drama Club, Excursion and Travel Affairs Association, Orchestra, Rugby Club, Rowing Club etc.