News

New joiner - Dr Qiuyun LI

Dr Qiuyun Li obtained her Ph.D. degree from the University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China in 2021. She completed her BEng and MEng degrees at Tongji University, Shanghai, China in 2014 and 2017, respectively. Prior to joining PolyU as a Research Assistant Professor, Dr Li worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at PolyU from 2021 to 2023. Dr Li’s research interests are primarily focused on stability analysis of thin-walled structures, high performance steel structures, fire resistance of metal structures and machine learning in structural design. Dr Li has joined us on 1 July 2023.

New joiner - Dr Hongwei LI

Dr Li obtained his bachelor’s degree majored in Civil Engineering from Southeast University, China in 2014. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in 2021 under a joint supervision scheme of Southeast University (China) and Purdue University (USA). Prior to joining PolyU as a Research Assistant Professor, Dr Li worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at PolyU (August 2022 to June 2023). Dr Li’s research areas cover structural dynamics and control, damage identification, real-time hybrid simulation, and machine learning applications. Dr Li has joined us on 1 July 2023.

New joiner - Dr Yazan ALREFAEI

Dr Alrefaei obtained his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Civil Engineering at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) in 2021 as HKPFS awardee. He graduated with M.S. Degree (2016) and B.S. Degree (2013) from Kuwait University. Prior to joining PolyU as a Research Assistant Professor, he worked as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at PolyU. Further, he worked as Research Assistant and Teaching Assistant at Kuwait University prior to joining PolyU. His research interests primarily revolve around chemically-activated binders, such as one-part alkali-activated materials and silico-aluminophosphate geopolymers. His target is to functionalize such binders in practical engineering applications. In addition, the utilization of recycled materials in construction is his goal to promote sustainability and greener construction. Dr Alrefaei has joined us on 1 July 2023.

FCE Three-minute Thesis Competition

The Three-minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition hosted by FCE was successfully held on 14 June 2023. Five CEE PhD students were nominated by the Department to present their thesis and compete for the cash award on Faculty level and the opportunity to participate the competition on University level. The top three of the competition were all secured by CEE students, who have then been nominated to participate in the PolyU 3MT® Competition, which will be held on 30 June 2023. Congratulations to all the winners of the FCE 3MT® Competition 2023: Name Presentation Title Chief Supervisor Award WANG Manli TULINK: Transient Utilization for Leak Identification in pipe Networks Dr Huan-Feng Duan Champion & People’s Choice Award LI Danning How can we reclaim and repurpose rubberized asphalt pavement? Dr Zhen Leng First Runner-up YE Zhongnan Dynamic Rescue in Flames: Adaptive Indoor Path Planning with Real-time Structural Response Prediction Dr Mark Hsu Second Runner-up  

Transportation Planning & Infrastructure of New Era Half-Day Seminar 2023

The Transportation Planning & Infrastructure of New Era Half-Day Seminar 2023 co-organised by Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) of PolyU was successfully held on 24 June 2023 (Saturday). With the high-level support from various Government Departments and industry partners, the seminar attracted 180 participants to exchange their insights and connect will other professionals in the field of transportation and infrastructure development. The seminar was kick-started by Mr Raymond Pau, Chairman of CIHT-Hong Kong Region, and Prof. Anthony Chen, Associate Head (Teaching) of CEE, followed by a keynote speech by Mr Eddie Leung, Principal Assistant Secretary for Transport and Logistics 7 of Transport and Logistics Bureau. Other distinguished speakers included Mr Dennis Wan, Government Engineer of Highways Department, Mr Stephen Lee, Chief Engineer of Transport Department, Mr Walter Lam, Project Manager of TME & HSK of MTR Corporation Limited, Mr Wilson Wong, Associate Director of AECOM, and Mr Alan Yan, Vice Chairman of CIHT-Hong Kong region.

Prof. Tao Wang being Awarded Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Awards from the Ministry of Education

Congratulations to Prof. Tao Wang, Chair Professor of CEE, whose paper titled ‘Atmospheric Chemistry of Reactive Nitrogen Oxides and its Impacts on Regional Atmospheric Environment’ has received the Second-Class Award in Nature Science of the Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Awards (Science and Technology) 2022. The research study have enhanced the knowledge of atmospheric chemistry and advanced the air quality model for further application in air quality forecast and research worldwide, resulting in a significant impact on enhancing air quality in Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area and China. The award is set up by the Ministry of Education (MOE) of China to honor the outstanding contributions of researchers or units of higher education institutions nationwide in the areas of scientific discovery, technological innovation, science and technology advancement and implementation of patented technologies.

CEE/CSE 50th Anniversary One-day Seminar - Civil Engineering In The Next 50 Years

The one-day professional seminar on the topic of "𝐂𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐱𝐭 50 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬" was successfully held on June 23, 2023, attracting an impressive crowd of around 380 attendees. The event was elevated by the participation of keynote speaker 𝐈𝐫 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐮, as well as our emeritus professor, 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟. 𝐉𝐚𝐧-𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐊𝐨, and seven distinguished speakers, including 𝐈𝐫 𝐃𝐫 𝐑𝐚𝐲𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐠, 𝐈𝐫 𝐃𝐫 𝐁𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐠, 𝐃𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧 𝐊𝐚𝐦, 𝐃𝐫 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐡 𝐊𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐡𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐬, 𝐃𝐫 𝐉𝐨𝐲 𝐋𝐢, 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟. 𝐑𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐋𝐢𝐞𝐰, and 𝐃𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐦.   Our keynote speaker, Ir Ricky Lau, provided attendees with a comprehensive understanding of the impact of the construction industry on infrastructure and urban development. His call to action encouraged all attendees to play an active role in shaping the future of the industry, with a focus on achieving carbon neutrality and embracing new opportunities for innovation and growth.   Other distinguished speakers shared their insights on their respective fields including 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 3𝐃 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐞-𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲, 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐈𝐌 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞. They emphasized the flexible adaptation to the increasingly complex and technology-driven community. The speakers also highlighted that the civil engineering industry will need to adapt to the changing landscape to overcome the challenges ahead and continue to serve the needs of society.   We were inspired by the passion and expertise of our speakers and were grateful for the opportunities to connect with other professionals in the field of civil engineering.   Look forward to seeing you all at our future events in 𝑺𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 & 𝑫𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓! Stay-tuned!

Opening Ceremony of PolyU-NAMI 3D Concrete Robotic Printing Research Centre cum Seminar of Pioneering Next-gen Construction Technology

The “Opening Ceremony of PolyU-NAMI 3D Concrete Robotic Printing Research Centre (RCC3D) cum Seminar of Pioneering Next-gen Construction Technology” was successfully held on 24 June 2023 (Saturday) at PolyU. The seminar was kicked off by the welcome address of Ir Prof. Christopher Chao, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, and Prof. Ching Pak Chung, Chairman of Nano and Advanced Materials Institute (NAMI). Prof. Chi Sun Poon, Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), highlighted that the vision of RCC3D is to become the forefront academic institution in Hong Kong for research and application of 3D concrete printing.   Other officiating guests and distinguished speakers included Mr Victor Tai, Under Secretary for Housing of HKSARG, Dr Behrokh Khoshnevis, Louise L. Dunn Distinguished Professor of Engineering of University of Southern California, Prof. Richard Liew, Professor and Head of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of National University of Singapore, Dr Gordon Leung, Associate Director of Research and Development (Construction) of NAMI, and Dr Jacky Chung, Senior Engineering Manager of Industrial Centre (IC) of PolyU.   Co-organized by NAMI, IC and CEE, RCC3D aims to promote the cutting-edge knowledge of 3D concrete printing, to foster the applications of 3D concrete printing for the Hong Kong construction industry and to nourish new talents in the field. Being the pioneer of 3D concrete printing research centre in Hong Kong, RCC3D’s continuous research excellence will definitely bring a new era of sustainable construction in the near future.

CEE Departmental Visit - Christian Alliance Cheng Wing Gee College (20 Jun)

A group of 33 students from Christian Alliance Cheng Wing Gee College visited CEE on 20 June 2023 (Tuesday). Dr Andy Y.F. Leung, Associate Head (Partnership) of CEE, introduced the recent development of the civil engineering industry and the admission information of BEng(Hons) Scheme in Civil Engineering and Sustainable Development. A sharing session by current undergraduate students was also arranged to them, allowing secondary students to learn more about university school life. The students then visited our Structural Engineering Research Laboratory, in which they found interesting and enjoyable.

Prof. Kwok-Fai Chung Received National Award for Excellence in Innovation

Congratulations to Prof. Kwok-Fai Chung, Director of CNERC, on winning the Individual Award of the National Award for Excellence in Innovation on the "Celebration of National Science and Technology Workers' Day and National Innovation Award Commendation Conference“ on 30 May 2023. Prof. Chung is the only Hong Kong party to be awarded this honour this year. The National Award for Excellence in Innovation is a state-level honour in China for science and technology, recognizing citizens who have made remarkable contributions to scientific research, key equipment development, and science popularizations. Having devoted nearly 12 years in carrying out scientific research on high-strength steel structures, Prof. Chung is an expert and scholar in the field of steel construction. His research outcome has brought societal impacts to the construction industry in Hong Kong and has been applied to major projects internationally, including the main span double-arch steel bridge in Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong and the Fourth Macau-Taipa Bridge etc., saving hundreds of millions of dollars in construction costs and producing significant economic and social benefits. Once again, we extend our warmest congratulations to Prof. Chung and we look forward to seeing more groundbreaking achievements from him in the future.