Awards and Achievements (Research)

1st Class Award went to Prof. Albert Chan’s Research Team in the Scientific Advancement Award 2016

The First Class Award(中國建築學會科技進步一等獎) went to Prof. Albert Chan’s research team  in  the‘Scientific  Advancement  Award  2016’of the Architecture Society of China.In the eight-year collaboration with South east University, Nanjing from 2008 to 2016, the two universities’ joint research was on ‘Life Cycle Analysis  of  Public-Private-Partnership  (PPP) Infrastructure Projects(基礎設施PPP項目全壽命期決策與管理關鍵技術研究與應用)’.   Launched in 2014, the Scientific Advancement Award aims to highly praise exceptional scholars and organizations for their innovative technology and applied studies in the construction sector in China.    

BRE Academic Staff, Dr Daniel Chan Winning HKIPM Project Management Achievement Awards (2016)

In  the  Project  Management  Achievement Awards (2017) organized by the Asia Pacific Federation of Project Management (apfpm 亞太區項目管理聯會), a team of academic staff of the Department of Building and Real Estate (BRE) of PolyU was rewarded for their research project announced on 18 October 2017. The application submitted by the research team led by Cr  Dr  Daniel  W.M.  Chan  (陳煒明博士營造師),  Associate  Head  (Teaching  and  Learning) and Associate Professor of BRE, was adjudicated as the Winner of the apfpm Project Management Achievement Awards (Category: Research) with their empirical study of Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) and Target Cost Contracting (TCC) Procurement Strategies in Hong Kong. They were  bestowed  an  award  certificate from the Judging Panel at the Australian Institute of Project Management (AIPM) National Conference 2017held on Tuesday, 24 October 2017 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Melbourne, Australia.   Project  Title:  An  Investigation  of  Guaranteed  Maximum  Price  (GMP)  and  Target  Cost Contracting (TCC) Procurement Strategies in Hong Kong Construction Industry Research  Team  Leader:  Cr  Dr  Daniel  W.M.  Chan,  Associate  Professor  and  Associate  Head(Teaching and Learning) of BRE, PolyU   Research  Team  Members:  (1)  Ir  Prof  Albert  P.C.  Chan,Chair  Professor  of  Construction Engineering and Management and Head of Department of BRE, PolyU; and (2) Sr Prof Patrick T.I. Lam, Professor of Construction Economics and Finance, BRE, PolyU   The awards were based on the quality of application submission and the practical outcomes of research  projects  conducted  by  academics  in  Hong  Kong  and  the  Asia  Pacific  Region,  the contents of which should be focused on the pertinent aspects of project management.    

Heat Stress Studies’ Impact on Industry

There commendations of heat stress studies of Prof.Albert Chan’s research team are promoted to the Industry bythenew booklet‘ Reference Materials on Construction Site Welfare, Health and Safety Measures’ of the Construction Industry Council(CIC). This  booklet will  be launched  in  the CIC Seminar and Luncheon this afternoon(17 March 2017).   In Hong Kong,it is common that construction workers work outdoor for long hours under hot and humid weather conditions. Workers’ health and safety is a matter of great concern for the industry. To alleviate their discomfort and  risk  of  heat  stroke,under Prof. Chan’s leadership,a  dedicated team of research members had painstaking studies and successfully came up with a couple of  practical measures,two of which are‘ an anti-heat stress construction  uniform’ and‘an  extra  15-minute  break during the afternoon work session for summer from May to September’. Both measures are every conducive to enhancing a strong culture of workers’ well-being, health and safety as well as an ideal achievement of higher productivity.   CIC recommends both measures to its stake holders as part of the good practices on site welfare, health and safety featured  on  the  new  booklet‘Reference   Materials on Construction Site Welfare, Health and Safety Measures’ that aims to promote the importance of the working environment at constructions sites to there real estate developers and the construction industry. This  new booklet comes in hardcopy and softcopy on the CIC website.   Tied up with a load of hard work, doing research is full of bittersweet feelings along the way.The positive impact of researchers’ studies on the community’s welfare is their greatest reward.Congratulations to Prof.Albert Chan and his research team!   More about Prof. Albert Chan : Ir Prof Albert PC CHAN

BRE Scholars Receiving Accolades in PTeC’s Outstanding Professional Services Awards 2016

Amid roaring applause,our academics including Dr Patrick Lam, Dr Ann Yu and Dr Johnny Wong were   granted there markable accolades in the Presentation Ceremony of the PTeC’s Outstanding Professional Services Awards in February 2017.This big function is a number of honours given annually to recognize great contributions of departments and staff members in the area of consultancy services.   Team Award–Multi-departmental Participation (Merit Award)   Dr Patrick  Lam,  Associate Professor and Dr Ann Yu, Associate Professor,together with two CEE academics got the Merit Award for their consultancy project,‘Strategy for Management and Reduction of Construction and Demolition Waste in  Hong  Kong  for  the Construction Industry Council’. This project was ranked the second highest contract value for the financial year of 2015/16.   Individual Award–Most Active New Consultant(Merit Award)   Dr Johnny  Wong, Assistant Professor who got the Merit Award in the individual category had an achievement  of  the  second  highest aggregate consultancy income earned for the first time during the financial year of 2015/16.  

Research Collaboration Beyond Boundaries

Dr. Patrick Fong, our Associate Head (Partnership)and Associate Professor,has been working with one of our visiting scholars, Prof. Li Ying for research collaboration from the perspective of knowledge management since June 2016.   With a wealth of expertise in the arena of ‘Knowledge Management’,Dr. Fong takes a leading role in  Prof.  Li’s sub-project on  the  literature of Dai, Wa, Jing po  Cross-border  Ethnic  Groups(傣族、佤族、景頗族文學研究成果資料集成)funded  under  major projects  from  the  National  Social  Science Foundation(國家社科基金重大招標項目).  This sub-project aims at preserving these   ethnic   minorities’ culture, literature, language and architecture in a comprehensive way to facilitate the sharing and connection with other like-minded researchers across the globe.   Prof.  Li  Ying is  currently a professor in the School of Ethnic Minorities Culture(民族文化學院) at Yunnan Minzu University(雲南民族大學)  and has successively won funding from the  National Social Science Foundation for  her  major  researches,  the  latest one of which is the above-mentioned sub-project led by Dr. Fong.

PolyU ranked 17th in Asia by Times Higher Education 2017 (up 5 places from 2016)

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is a world-class university with leading research in multiple disciplines, making bold advances to break new ground. We are in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. As a university with a strong focus on science, engineering and technology, PolyU responds to the challenges and opportunities brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution which is characterised by emerging technologies such as AI, data science, robotics, new materials, additive manufacturing and biotechnology. Our researchers uncover knowledge and transform research excellence into impactful innovation. Through our interdisciplinary efforts, we are solving pressing global problems and contributing to a better world. As a university with a strong emphasis on societal impact, we also develop innovations and technologies related to housing, health care, smart cities, the environment and energy in order to address major societal challenges. PolyU's education nurtures future-ready global leaders by implementing a broad-based curriculum for holistic academic development. The professional education model of PolyU adopts a unique experiential learning approach which comprises of Work-Integrated Education, Service-Learning, Overseas Exchange Opportunities and Leadership Programmes. As part of our commitment to offering lifelong learning opportunities globally, we use different formats including videos, quizzes, presentations, case studies, discussion forums, live events, knowledge check and exams to conduct our programmes. This proved to be a successful and effective strategy to broaden the form of our teaching offerings for reaching out to global life-long learners as well as embracing the needs and challenges in the 21st century. Situated in the heart of the city, PolyU’s campus features state-of-the-art teaching and research facilities, as well as a wide range of innovative undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD degree programs across eight faculties and schools: Applied Science and Textiles, Business, Construction and Environment, Engineering, Health and Social Sciences, Humanities, Design, and Hotel and Tourism Management. Please Click HERE for the ranking.

Ranked 15th in the subject ‘Architecture and Built Environment’ by QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017 (16th in 2016)

 PolyU climbed to the 15thin the world for the subject of ‘Architecture/Built Environment’ in ‘QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017’. In terms of the two objective contributors to the achievement, ‘Citations per Paper’ and ‘H-index Citations’, we got the respective scores, 96.9 and 100. More about the rankings: https://www.topuniversities.com/university-rankings/university-subject-rankings/2017/architecture https://www.topuniversities.com/universities/hong-kong-polytechnic-university#sub  

Ranked 4th in the subject ‘Construction & Building Technology’ by the Center World University Rankings (CWUR) 2017

 Please click HERE for more ranking information.

Zahoor, BRE PhD Student,receiving OSH Best Project Award

 Mr. Hafiz Zahoor Ahmad Khan, our PhD student, is awarded the Best Project Award 2016of the Occupational Safety and Health Council (OSHC)for his outstanding research project‘Investigating the Relationship between Safety Climate and Safety Performance in the Construction of Multi-storey Buildings in Pakistan’. This Best Project Award aims to promote the importance of occupational safety and health to the public, particularly,post-secondary students in Hong Kong. In 2013,under Ir Prof. Albert Chan’s supervision, Zahoor started his PhD study investigating ‘the relationship between safety climate and safety performance in the construction of multi-storey buildings in Pakistan’ in our Department. Also, the research topics ranging from construction health and safety, risk management, overseas construction to rehabilitation work are of great interest to Zahoor. Zahoor successfully defended his thesis in the oral examination in December 2016. We wish Zahoor a new chapter of challenges, achievements and happiness! More about Mr. Hafiz Zahoor Ahmad Khan: Research Personnel

New Book Publication on Target Cost Contracting Strategy by BRE Academic Staff (Dr Daniel Chan)

The problems inherent in the traditional design-bid-build procurement method often lead to adversarial working relationships within the construction industry. Target cost contracts, accompanied by a gain-share/pain-share arrangement serving as a cost incentive mechanism, have emerged in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Hong Kong with the aim of achieving better value for money and more satisfactory overall project performance under a collaborative working relationship. Based on 10 years of research and teaching experience of the authors in target cost contracts, this book presents the underlying principles and practicalities of applying the target cost contracting strategy, along with a series of short case studies. Principles begin with the fundamentals, then cover the development of target cost contracting in major countries/cities, definitions of target cost contracting, perceived benefits, potential difficulties and critical success factors for implementation. Practices include the target cost contracting approach and process in general, and the key risk factors, risk assessment model, risk allocation and risk mitigation measures for target cost contracts in particular, together with a conceptual framework for the performance measurement of target cost contracts. Several short real-life case studies from the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand are provided for further illustration. Since the book draws on a combination of research outcomes from academia and practical case studies from the industry, a wide spectrum of readers will find it useful and informative, from undergraduate students to industrial practitioners. Dr Daniel W.M. Chan is an Associate Professor in Construction Project Management and the Associate Head (Teaching and Learning) at the Department of Building and Real Estate of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He has published over 200 research papers on the broad theme of project management in leading construction management journals and international conference proceedings. Dr Joseph H.L. Chan is a Lecturer in Housing Management at the School of Professional Education and Executive Development (SPEED) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. To date, he has produced over twenty publications, including journal papers, international conference papers, consultancy reports and other written outputs related to construction procurement management. New Book Title: Target Cost Contracting Strategy in Construction - Principles, Practices and Case Studies" (Published on 19 October 2016)  https://www.routledge.com/Target-Cost-Contracting-Strategy-in-Construction-Principles-Practices/Chan-Chan/p/book/9781138651906