Academicians and Distinguished Scholars
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Meet Our Academicians

Professor WANG Zuankai
PolyU Scholars Hub

Professor WANG Zuankai

Associate Vice President (Research and Innovation)
Chair Professor of Nature-Inspired Engineering

  • Founding Member of the Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences
  • Croucher Senior Research Fellow
  • RGC Senior Research Fellow
  • Xplorer Prize
  • Laureate of BOCHK Science and Technology Innovation Prize

PolyU Scholars Hub
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Professor WANG Zuankai is Associate Vice President (Research and Innovation) and Chair Professor of Nature-inspired Engineering in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He is a distinguished academic and expert in nature-inspired engineering and surface science.

Indeed, he has made seminal contributions to the field of surface science by discovering new phenomena, revealing mechanisms, as well as designing and constructing nature-inspired innovative surfaces with high scalability and durability that impart the efficient conversion and utilization of kinetic energy, latent heat and surface tension of liquids for various high-performance applications such as energy harvesting and thermal management. Professor Wang's work has been featured in esteemed publications such as Nature (2020, 2022) and Science (2021).

My long-term research goals are to develop a general framework for the Surface of Things. By designing and manufacturing surfaces with high efficiency, durability and environmental friendliness, we can regulate the exchange of mass, energy, and information more efficiently and effectively.

Professor WANG Zuankai

WANG Zuan-Kai_text_pic4

A notable achievement of Professor Wang's team is the fundamental resolution of the 265-year-old scientific and technical challenge known as the Leidenfrost effect. This breakthrough opens up many promising applications, especially in the highly efficient cooling of electronic devices, data centres, and nuclear power plants.

WANG Zuan-Kai_text_pic4 Professor Wang has received numerous accolades, including the BOCHK Science and Technology Innovation Prize (2022), Green Tech Award (2021), and Xplorer Prize (2020). His work has also been acknowledged by the Guinness World Records and his innovations have won the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva Gold Medal with Congratulations of Jury and Gold Medal, as well as the Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs of the Year 2023 (Engineering and Technology). In recognition of his research excellence, he was selected as a founding member of the Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences, an RGC Senior Research Fellow and a Croucher Senior Research Fellow.

In addition to his research, Professor Wang is the Executive Editor-in-Chief of the journal Droplet (Wiley) and serves as associate editor and advisory board member for over 10 prestigious journals, showcasing his dedication to advancing knowledge within the academic community.

Research Interests

Fluid Mechanics

Nature-inspired Engineering

Soft Matter

Manufacturing

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