11 PolyU Students Awarded Sun Hung Kai Scholarship; Kwok Kai-fai Vows to Nurture Construction Talent
AM730 · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago3 MIN
Summary
Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHK, stock code: 016) and Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have deepened their industry-academia collaboration through the "Sun Hung Kai Properties Kwok's Foundation X PolyU Hearts Build Homes Scholarship" initiative. The fourth cohort ceremony awarded scholarships to 11 students from real estate, surveying and civil engineering programmes, bringing the total number of recipients to over 42 with combined grants of approximately HK$1.5 million over the four-year partnership. SHK Executive Director Kwok Kai-fai expressed pride in supporting students facing financial hardship, noting that several alumni have already joined the company's workforce. The developer has contributed HK$12.5 million to fund PolyU's construction innovation research, with concrete applications including green building materials and a digital energy-efficient system deployed at the International Gateway Centre (IGC), a flagship commercial development atop the West Kowloon High Speed Rail Terminus. The project recently received a University Grants Committee research matching grant and became the first office building in the Greater Bay Area to achieve a BREEAM "Excellent" rating.
Key Points
- Eleven PolyU students received scholarships under the fourth "Hearts Build Homes Scholarship" cohort, with recipients studying real estate, surveying and civil engineering disciplines
- Since its 2022 launch, the scholarship programme has awarded over 42 recipients totalling approximately HK$1.5 million in financial support
- Sun Hung Kai Properties donated HK$12.5 million to advance PolyU's construction innovation research, including studies on low-carbon concrete using carbon excitation technology
- The International Gateway Centre (IGC) at the West Kowloon High Speed Rail Terminus is the first office project in the Greater Bay Area to receive BREEAM "Excellent" certification
- Education Bureau Under Secretary Shi Junhui encouraged scholarship recipients to embrace lifelong learning and stay updated on green building and carbon reduction policies
Why It Matters
The scholarship programme addresses a critical talent pipeline challenge in Hong Kong's construction sector, which faces ongoing skilled labour shortages. By combining financial support with internship opportunities and hands-on exposure to flagship projects like the IGC, the initiative helps attract promising students to an industry vital to the city's infrastructure development. The successful integration of PolyU's research into commercial applications demonstrates how industry-academia partnerships can accelerate innovation in sustainable construction, supporting Hong Kong's broader carbon neutrality and smart city objectives .
The scholarship programme addresses a critical talent pipeline challenge in Hong Kong's construction sector, which faces ongoing skilled labour shortages. By combining financial support with internship opportunities and hands-on exposure to flagship projects like the IGC, the initiative helps attract promising students to an industry vital to the city's infrastructure development. The successful integration of PolyU's research into commercial applications demonstrates how industry-academia partnerships can accelerate innovation in sustainable construction, supporting Hong Kong's broader carbon neutrality and smart city objectives .