Two leading academics from the Faculty of Construction and Environment, Prof. Chow Wan Ki , Head of the Department of Building Services Engineering, and Prof. Poon Chi Sun of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, have been appointed Justices of the Peace by the HKSAR government since 1 July 2013. They are expected to serve on advisory panels, visit custodial institutions, and take and receive declarations under the Oaths and Declarations Ordinance. Prof. Chow is already a member of the Advisory Committee under the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance Cap. 572, and Prof. Poon is a member of the Council for Sustainable Development. Congratulations to both of them for this prestigious honor.

A book proposal by Prof. Albert Chan, Acting Dean of FCE, and Dr Carol Hon of the Department of Building and Real Estate, has been accepted for sponsorship by the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (HKIS), which will finance the publication of their book titled Safety of Repair, Maintenance, Minor Alteration, and Addition (RMAA) Works: A New Focus of Construction Safety with a grant of $80,000. It is the second time that Prof. Chan has received the HKIS sponsorship.  The co-authors hope to see their work in print by the spring of next year. Congratulations to both of them.

Dr Carol Hon, a 2012 PhD graduate of the Department of Building and Real Estate (BRE), has recently been offered a position as a Lecturer at the School of Civil Engineering and the Built Environment in the Science and Engineering Faculty of the Queensland University of Technology (QUT). Currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at BRE, Dr Hon will begin her academic career in Australia next year, teaching courses in construction project management. Her present supervisor, Prof. Albert Chan, is pleased that his former student has such a bright prospect ahead of her. We wish Dr Hon much success in her future.

Three PhD graduates in the Faculty of Construction and Environment have recently been approved for the Outstanding PhD Thesis Awards, which come with a cash prize of HK$10,000 and a certificate signed by the Acting Dean. Below are the details of the students and their respective supervisors.

Congratulations to the three of them, who will receive their awards at the 19th Congregation and Faculty Prize Presentation Ceremony in November 2013.

6 FCE students have made outstanding academic improvement after participating in the Learning Enhancement Programme (LEP) 2012/13 organized by the Student Affairs Office. In its sixth year, the programme helps students become efficient and independent learners by offering workshops on learning strategies, coaching sessions, peer tutoring, and individual counseling. Below are the details of the students who have benefited from the services provided by the LEP:

PolyU Education Info Day 2013

Building Your Life in the Construction Industry

The Construction Industry Council (CIC) is offering a half-day programme exclusively for university students to gain an insight into the construction industry. Participants will be introduced to the CIC, its training grounds and centre, the Zero Carbon Building, and the Construction Industry Resource Centre. Details are as follows:

Date: 31 October 2013
Venue: G/F, Construction Industry Council Training Centre, Kowloon Bay Centre, 44 Tai Yip Street, Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong
Enquiries: Ms. Peggy HO, at Tel. 2100 9042 or by e-mail at peggyho@hkcic.org
Details and registration: http://www.hkcic.org/BuildingYourLifeExperienceDay/PolyU

IStructE Conference on Structural Engineering in Hazard Mitigation 2013

The IStructE Conference on Structural Engineering in Hazard Mitigation (http://www.istructeconference.org/) is jointly organized by the Institution of Structural Engineers (www.istructe.org), Tongji University (www.tongji.edu.cn), Tsinghua University (www.tsinghua.edu.cn), and the IStructE China Group.  The Conference will be held in Beijing on 28 and 29 October 2013, and in Shanghai on 31 October and 1 November 2013 featuring keynote lectures as well as presentations in parallel theme-based sessions.