Profiles of FCE recipients

Ir Ricky Wong Chi-pan, a civil engineer by profession, has over 30 years of experience in Hong Kong in both the design and practical aspects of various engineering fields, including civil, coastal, and building engineering. His expertise spans project management, feasibility studies, design and construction supervision for urban development, environmental protection, site formation, drainage, sewerage, roads, and historic building revitalisation. In 2017, Ir Wong became Chief Engineer/Port Works, overseeing the construction and maintenance of port facilities and technical studies related to reclamation projects. While in this role, he was also involved in research and development aimed at enhancing marine structure design standards and maintenance, and their resilience under the effects of climate change. In June 2018, Ir Wong was appointed Deputy Head of the Civil Engineering Office (Port and Land) of the Civil Engineering and Development Department (CEDD). He is now Head of the CEDD’s Civil Engineering Office. 

After earning two master’s degrees from Imperial College London and Columbia University, Ir Dr Kwok Tai-wai went on to pursue a doctorate in International Real Estate and Construction at PolyU. He completed the programme in 2023 as its youngest graduate. Dr Kwok has worked extensively in both civil and building engineering projects. A fascination with prefabrication and modular integrated construction (MiC) led him to the position of Head of Operations at Wah Tung Façade, where he was tasked with overseeing the company’s façade and MiC business. Iconic façade projects such as the Hong Kong Palace Museum and the  Fullerton Ocean Park Hotel were among the outcomes of his supervision. Currently, Dr Kwok leads the technology start-up InnoWah, which is developing a digitalised fabrication process for building materials to enhance operational efficiency and product quality. He has also been the lead author of several papers published in international journals, helping drive Hong Kong’s adoption of prefabrication and digital technology. At Insquare, a registered charity, Dr Kwok cultivates young people’s knowledge of programming languages, encourages their participation in the community, and provides STEAM education for underprivileged students. Previously, he was a volunteer teacher at Principal Chan Free Tutorial World.

Prof. Song Mengjie is Head of the Frost Laboratory at the Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT), China. He also serves as a Guest Professor at Tomas Bata University in Zlín, Czech Republic. He holds bachelor’s, master’s, and PhD degrees from Hunan University, Harbin Institute of Technology, and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, respectively. Before joining BIT, Prof. Song worked at Nanyang Technological University, the University of Tokyo, and the University of Wollongong. His engineering experience includes roles as an Engineer at the Central–South Architectural Design Institute Company Limited, and as President’s Assistant at Beijing District Heating Group Company Limited. Prof. Song’s expertise spans 16 years, focusing on the study of heat and mass transfer flows. He has authored 199 journal articles and six books, and holds more than 20 patents. His 28 research projects have received funding of more than RMB40 million and span China, Japan, and Australia. Notably, in the field of frosting and defrosting, Prof. Song held the top scholar position worldwide from 2016 to 2023 according to Elsevier’s Find Reviewer database. He was also included in the World’s Top 2% Scientists list (Career & Singleyr) from 2020 to 2023, the National Youth Talent Project in 2021, the China–South Korea Young Scientists Exchange Program in 2023, and appears on Elsevier’s Chinese Highly Cited Scholars 2024.