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A common criticism of the higher education sector is that there is a disconnect between academic research and practical business applications. Aiming to bridge this gap, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) Graduate School has launched its new Master of Technology Entrepreneurship (MTE) programme to ensure its students have both technological expertise and business acumen. While many institutions around the world offer master’s programmes focused on either business administration or specific technologies, there is a lack of programmes that specifically merge technology and entrepreneurship.

“The primary purpose of the MTE programme is two-fold: to teach engineers how to approach business and to educate business-minded people to better understand technology,” says Mingguang He, MTE programme leader and PolyU’s chair professor of experimental ophthalmology. “This is crucial for creating a pathway for advanced university research to lead directly to practical, market-ready products and successful start-ups.”

PolyU is committed to aligning its academic output with China’s innovation start-up ecosystem, as is evident in the university’s establishment of more than 10 Mainland Translational Research Institutes (MTRIs) across Mainland China. These institutes, located in cities such as Wuhan, Nanjing, Hangzhou, Wenzhou and the Greater Bay Area, are designed to create a pipeline for PolyU’s interdisciplinary research to become targeted solutions for Mainland China.

“Although the MTRIs have helped promote the practical impact of our research, the professors and PhD students who develop the intellectual property may lack the business skills to turn their research into a viable company,” says He. “The MTE programme aims to solve this by training a new generation of entrepreneurs who can maximise the success and impact of any technology-driven ventures.”

The key aspect that sets the MTE programme apart from other entrepreneurship and technology degrees is its practice-based approach. For example, the programme’s curriculum is heavily focused on practical applications. Out of the 37 credits available, 21 are dedicated to practice-based learning, including a six-credit research project and a 15-credit start-up project. Students are expected to spend a significant amount of time at one of the MTRIs to develop their start-ups.

“Mentorship and supervision are important differentiators of the programme,” says He. The MTE programme employs a dual-supervision model. In addition to an academic supervisor, each student is assigned an entrepreneurial supervisor – usually experienced professors who have successfully launched start-ups or are in the process of doing so. The programme also features guest lecturers, including CEOs of large corporations and publicly listed companies.

MTE students can access various funding sources to develop their business ventures. For instance, the programme provides access to the PolyU Micro Fund, which offers seed funding of up to HKD 1.4 million (?130,000) for new start-ups. Students can also apply for competitive project grants from the MTRIs and local governments across Mainland China.

The MTE programme prepares graduates to achieve genuine impact within the tech innovation space, stretching into the world of work and beyond. “The programme does not prioritise graduate scores or the creation of new technology,” explains He. “It is more concerned with technology translation.” 

The programme aims to create entrepreneurs who build technology-driven businesses, training future leaders and entrepreneurs who can turn advanced technology developed at PolyU into marketable products, viable businesses and impactful solutions that benefit the wider community.

MTE information sessions

The graduate school will host a series of three information sessions. In addition to programme introductions and individual consultations, the in-person sessions will include a dedicated tour of PolyU’s MTRI.

• Online session: 23 Sep 2025 via Zoom.
• East China session: 26-27 Sep 2025 at PolyU-Hangzhou Technology and Innovation Research Institute
• Greater Bay session: 29-30 Sep 2025 at PolyU Shenzhen Research Institute

The MTE is now open for applications until October 2025 and will commence in January 2026. 

Candidates who complete and submit their MTE programme applications by 22 Sep 2025 will have the opportunity to participate in on-site interviews during the in-person information sessions.