News

Prof. Zhang Lei Recognised in “Highly Cited Researchers 2024” List by Clarivate Analytics

We are proud to announce that Prof. ZHANG Lei, our Chair Professor of Computer Vision and Image Analysis, has been recognised in the prestigious “Highly Cited Researchers 2024” list by Clarivate Analytics. This accolade highlights his significant contributions to the field of engineering.   Since 2015, Prof. ZHANG has been named a Highly Cited Researcher (HCR) in Engineering nine times, underscoring his lasting impact and influence in the discipline. His research has been cited over 57,000 times in the Web of Science, with an impressive H-index of 110. Prof. Zhang’s research interests encompass image and video processing, computer vision, pattern recognition, and biometrics.   In addition to his research achievements, Prof. ZHANG is an IEEE Fellow and serves as the Director of the Joint Innovation Research Centre, further solidifying his role as a leader in the field.   This annual list recognises researchers for significant impact in their respective research fields. Each researcher selected has authored multiple highly-cited papers that have ranked in the top 1% by citations for their fields and publication year in the Web of Science over the past 11 years. This year, a total of 6,636 researchers from 59 countries and regions from a diverse range of fields have been named as Highly Cited Researchers.

HKXRA x PolyU MSc in Metaverse Technology Best Project Award Ceremony 2024

We are proud to announce the successful conclusion of the Master of Science in Metaverse Technology (MScMT) Best Project Award Competition, sponsored by the Hong Kong Extended Reality Association (HKXRA). An award presentation ceremony was held on 16 Nov to recognise the outstanding metaverse projects created by the students of this Master’s programme.   During the award presentation ceremony, Dr Peter NG, our assistant professor and programme leader of the MScMT programme, welcomed attendees and expressed appreciation for their hard work over the past year. This was followed by inspiring speeches from Mr Terry DAO, President of HKXRA, and Mr Terence LEUNG, Board Member of HKXRA.   Each metaverse project was developed by teams of 2-4 members over an intensive eight-month period, leveraged advanced technologies such as virtual reality (VR), artificial intelligence (AI), and blockchain. The top three projects, which demonstrated the most creativity and feasibility, were selected as the winners of this competition.   Champion (HK$ 50,000): Project: Metaverse Tourism (Hong Kong in a Click) Team Members: MA Jingran, MAO Haoran, ZHOU Yukai, ZHU Jun Supervisor: Dr Zackary SIN For the project video, please watch it here.   1st Runner-up (HK$ 30,000): Project: Virtual Horizons: Bridging Cultures through Realistic 3D Exploration Team Members: LI Zhuang, SANG Mingjian, WANG Hantao, WEN Yuxuan Supervisor: Dr Peter NG For the project video, please watch it here.   2nd Runner-up: Project: China’s Past and Present AR Team Members: CHEN Chen, JIANG Jinqiao, KOK Ray Yeung, LIN Jingxiang Supervisor: Dr Richard LI For the project video, please watch it here.   We congratulate all participants and eagerly anticipate their future contributions to the field of metaverse technology! For more projects from MScMT students, please watch here.

PolyU COMP 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner cum Distinguished Alumni Award Presentation Ceremony Concludes Year-long Programme of Celebration

The 50th-anniversary programme of the Department of Computing (COMP) kicked off in January this year, with a series of events to celebrate this remarkable milestone. It has included a distinguished talk series, digital time capsule campaign, alumni homecoming dinner, research student conference, programming contest for secondary school students and other celebratory activities. On 8 November, COMP celebrated the successful conclusion of its 50th-anniversary programme—by hosting the Anniversary Gala Dinner and Distinguished Alumni Award Presentation Ceremony. This event brought together over 250 distinguished guests from government, the public sector, academia and industry, along with current and former faculty, alumni and students, marking the culmination of a year filled with festivities. The evening began with an opening ceremony symbolising the collective strength of PolyU and its collaborators which has fueled the Department’s excellence over the past five decades. The Ceremony was officiated by esteemed guests including Prof. Christopher CHAO, PolyU Vice President (Research and Innovation); Dr Xuedong HUANG, Chief Technology Officer of Zoom and Chairman of the COMP Departmental Advisory Committee; Prof. Qing LI, Chair Professor and Head of COMP; Mr Kar-Kan LING, PolyU Interim Vice President (Campus Development and Facilities); Dr Miranda LOU, PolyU Executive Vice President; Prof. H.C. MAN, Dean of the PolyU Faculty of Engineering; Ir WONG Chi Kwong, Tony, JP, Commissioner for Digital Policy of the HKSAR Government; and Prof. Hon. Kam-fai William WONG, MH, Hong Kong Legislative Council Member (listed in alphabetical order). In her opening address, Dr Miranda LOU, Executive Vice President of PolyU, reflected on the Department’s journey over the last 50 years and its significant contributions to computing technology and talent development. She expressed confidence that the Department of Computing was well-equipped moving forward to maintain its leadership in education and interdisciplinary research. Opening address by Dr Miranda LOU, Executive Vice President of PolyU.   Ir Tony WONG, JP, Commissioner for Digital Policy and a proud alumnus, shared insights on the vital roles of government, universities and industry in promoting innovation. He underscored the importance of ongoing collaboration and expressed heartfelt gratitude to his alma mater, reminiscing about his own student experiences at the University. Ir Tony WONG, JP, the Commissioner for Digital Policy and a proud alumnus, shared insights on the vital roles of government, universities and industry in promoting innovation. Prof. LI Qing, Chair Professor of Data Science and Head of COMP, spoke passionately about the Department’s emphasis on the future. He reaffirmed a solid commitment to innovation and excellence, outlining initiatives aimed at enhancing educational programmes, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration and advancing research efforts that promote social progress, thus positioning COMP as a leader in the field. Prof. LI Qing, Chair Professor of Data Science and Head of COMP, spoke about the Department’s emphasis on the future. Following the opening speeches, the recipient of the Departmental Outstanding Alumni Award, Mr Vincent MA, CEO of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park Limited, and Miss Bianca HO, Director of Information Technology (Global) of Swire Hotels Group, were honoured by Dr Lou. The event also recognised past awardees who joined this year’s honorees to receive an anniversary pin in acknowledgement of their unwavering support and outstanding accomplishments. Additionally, retired faculty and long-serving staff were presented with plaques to celebrate their invaluable contributions to the Department.   The evening continued with a joyful cake-cutting and toasting ceremony, where representatives from PolyU and the Anniversary organising committee joined in sharing good fortune with all attendees. The Gala Dinner was enlivened by an array of entertainment activities. A talented ensemble of staff, alumni and students performed a heartfelt original song titled “Hand in Hand,” composed in honour of the Department’s anniversary. A dazzling tron dance performance and engaging lucky draw sessions added to the festive spirit of the night. Additionally, four alumni from the Department’s very first cohort, including Dr Louis MA, former Director of CityU SCOPE, shared inspiring stories from their time at PolyU.

Establishment of the PolyU Embodied Artificial Intelligence Lab

We proudly announce the establishment of the PolyU Embodied Artificial Intelligence Lab at COMP, which was made possible through the generous support of Jinan Boyushenhang Information Technology Group Co., Ltd. and Jsmart Technologies Limited. This lab aims to be a pioneering platform in HKSAR and beyond, dedicated to advancing cutting-edge research in embodied artificial intelligence within complex real-world environments, ultimately fostering a world of harmonious human-machine coexistence.   The unveiling ceremony of the PolyU Embodied Artificial Intelligence Lab took place on 5 November 2024, as a significant part of the Shandong-HK College Talent Exchange and Connection Meeting. The event was graced by the presence of Ms WANG Yuyan, Deputy Secretary of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee and Minister of the Organization Department of the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee; Dr CHOI Yuk-Lin, JP, Secretary for Education of the HKSAR; Mr WANG Weiming, Minister of the Education Department at the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government; and Prof. WONG Wing-Tak, Deputy President and Provost of PolyU. Prof. AU Man Ho Allen, our Professor and Associate Head (Research and Development), and Mr JIANG Jinzhe, Chairman of Boyushenhang, jointly officiated the unveiling ceremony.   Following the unveiling ceremony, the officers from the Organization Department of the CPC Jinan Municipal Committee visited PolyU for an in-depth communication. During their visit, the lab presented a preliminary demonstration featuring a robotic dog capable of following human instructions in three languages: Putonghua, Cantonese, and English. The Project Investigator of the lab is Dr LI Jing, our Assistant Professor, and the demonstration is based on the lab members' impactful research work, AnglE (https://huggingface.co/WhereIsAI/UAE-Large-V1), an embedding model based on large language models used for action matching. Remarkably, the model has been downloaded over 5.16 million times on the Hugging Face platform within a year. The team will further advance the related research in the AIR Lab at the PolyU Industrial Centre (IC), thanks to their generous support in resources and space.   The establishment of the PolyU Embodied Artificial Intelligence Lab marks an important milestone in advancing PolyU's research in embodied intelligence. It has also created a collaborative platform for industry sectors and PolyU, fostering the deep integration of technological innovation with industry-academia research cooperation.  

Au Bak Ling Charity Trust Supports COMP with Scholarships and Service Competition

The Au Bak Ling Charity Trust (ABLCT) has made a significant commitment to the Department of Computing by providing scholarships last year. In the current academic year, ABLCT will donate HK$200,000 to further support our students' capstone projects and enhance teaching initiatives.   A key focus of this year's contribution will be a service-related competition that investigates the use of Apple Vision Pro technology to assist disabled students and learners. This project will be executed in collaboration with Octopus InfoTech Ltd., an innovative education technology company founded by our alumnus Mr Hillman Tam, who is a leader in integrating cutting-edge technology into education.  

Prof. CHEN Changwen Honoured with SIGMM Outstanding Technical Achievement Award

We are excited to announce that Prof. Chen Changwen, Chair Professor of Visual Computing, has been awarded the prestigious SIGMM Outstanding Technical Achievement Award by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), the world’s largest computing society. This award honours researchers who have made significant and lasting contributions to the field of multimedia computing, communication, and applications, and is the highest award of SIGMM and one of the most important awards in the international computer community.   Prof. Chen's research encompasses a wide range of impactful areas, including contemporary visual computing, multimedia communication and networking, mobile video streaming, computer vision, and multimodal generative AI. His innovative work continues to push the boundaries of technology and enhance our understanding of multimedia systems.   Congratulations, Prof. Chen, on this well-deserved recognition!

COMP Graduates Earn Gold and Bronze Awards at the HKEIA Innovation & Technology Project Competition Award 2024

We are thrilled to announce that two of our graduates, JIANG Yiyang and MOK Ka Kiu, have achieved remarkable success in the HKEIA Innovation & Technology Project Competition Awards 2024. JIANG has been awarded the Gold Award, while MOK has secured the Bronze Award for their outstanding final-year projects.   Gold Award – JIANG Yiyang Project: Video Moment Retrieval Using Deep Learning Models Supervisor: Prof. CHEN Changwen, Chair Professor of Visual Computing JIANG's innovative project focuses on enhancing video moment retrieval (VMR) by integrating large language models (LLMs). This approach effectively addresses challenges in generating continuous outputs for inter-frame relations, such as salience scores and inter-frame embeddings. By refining inter-concept relations in multimodal embeddings, JIANG's method enables precise retrieval without the need for textual training, marking a significant advancement in the field.   Bronze Award – MOK Ka Kiu Project: AI-based Computing System/ApplicationWhatsThing Supervisor: Dr CHAN Chun Bun Henry, Associate Professor and Associate Head (Partnership & Collaboration) MOK's award-winning project is an AI-based mobile application designed to assist users in remembering important information effortlessly. A key feature of the application is its advanced receipt digitization solution, which supports multiple languages. By leveraging cutting-edge computer vision technology for image processing and fine-tuning large language models like GPT for key information extraction, MOK's solution has achieved over 90% accuracy in extracting essential details from receipts.   The HKEIA Innovation & Technology Project Competition Awards are jointly organized by the Hong Kong Electronic Industries Association (HKEIA) and the Hong Kong Electronic Industries Association Education Foundation (HKEIAEF). The awards aim to recognize and reward students for their outstanding final-year projects that exemplify excellence in technology and innovation.

Prof. LUO Xiapu and His Team Bag Two Awards at ACM CCS 2024 in Recognition of Groundbreaking Blockchain Security Research

We are excited to announce that our professor, Prof. LUO Xiapu Daniel, and his research team have recently received the “Distinguished Paper Award” and the “Best DeFi Papers Award” from ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security (CCS 2024), in recognition of their groundbreaking contributions to the field of blockchain security.   Distinguished Paper Award at CCS 2024 The research paper “DoubleUp Roll: Double-spending in Arbitrum by Rolling It Back”, authored by Prof. LUO and Mr Zhiyuan SUN, our PhD student, won the Distinguished Paper Award at CCS 2024. Other collaborator of this paper comes from Southern University of Science and Technology.   This research paper identifies critical vulnerabilities in widely-used optimistic rollup protocols, specifically Arbitrum and Optimism. It reveals three novel double-spending attacks, including overtime attack, queuecut attack, and zip-bomb attack, which could allow attackers to steal funds from cross-chain applications at no cost. These severe vulnerabilities were promptly reported to the Arbitrum and Optimism teams, who recognised the contributions with significant bug bounties and resolved the issues. This research prevented potential damages that could have escalated to billions.   The ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security (CCS) is the flagship annual conference of ACM’s Special Interest Group on Security, Audit and Control (SIGSAC), underscoring the significance of this recognition. Read more: https://www.sigsac.org/ccs/CCS2024   Best DeFi Papers Award 2023 at ACM CCS Workshop on Decentralized Finance and Security 2024 (DeFi’24) In addition to the Distinguished Paper Award, Prof. LUO and Mr Zihao LI, our PhD student, also won the “Best DeFi Papers Award 2023” from the DeFi’24, which was co-located with CCS 2024. This award-winning paper entitled “Demystifying DeFi MEV Activities in Flashbots Bundle” was published at CCS 2023.This award is presented to authors whose published work in 2023 represents outstanding and groundbreaking research in all essential aspects of DeFi. Other collaborators of this paper come from Xi'an Jiaotong University, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, and Pennsylvania State University.   This work presents an innovative methodology for discovering previously unknown DeFi miner extractable value (MEV) activities, featuring two new tools: ActLifter and ActCluster. ActLifter excels in identifying DeFi actions in transactions of each bundle with nearly 100% precision and recall, outperforming existing technologies. ActCluster uses iterative clustering to help analysts discover DeFi MEV activities. The team has discovered 17 new types of DeFi MEV activities, which occur in over 53% of bundles. This work also demonstrates how their new approach can enhance existing MEV studies, like improving MEV countermeasures, assessing forking and reorganisation risks posed by bundle MEV activities, and evaluating the impact of bundle MEV activities on the economic security of blockchain.   The ACM CCS Workshop on Decentralized Finance and Security (DeFi) stands as the premier research symposium in Decentralized Finance, aimed at fostering the development of a secure and trustworthy DeFi ecosystem. Read More: https://defi.security/#best-papers

PolyU Info Day 2024 Showcased Interactive Navigation Application Designed by COMP UG Students

PolyU Info Day 2024, organised on 12 October, achieved remarkable success with a record-breaking visitor number of over 40,000. The event catered to secondary school students, parents, and individuals interested in further studies, providing them with the latest information about admission and academic programmes.   Our department showcased a variety of engaging activities during Info Day, highlighted by the launch of an interactive navigation application developed by our undergraduate students in less than a month. With guidance from academic staff, this application features an interactive map that helps visitors navigate various campus locations and engage in different activities such as info seminars and on-site consultation. Over 2,300 visitors used the application on the event day. This application effectively demonstrates how our students apply techniques learned in class, including 3D modelling, database integration, and user interface design.      

COMP Graduates shine in the IEEE (HK) Computational Intelligence Chapter Final Year Project Competition

We are pleased to announce that two of our graduates, JIANG Yiyang and YANG Zhanpeng, achieved outstanding results in the Final Year Project Competition 2023-2024, organised by the IEEE (Hong Kong) Computational Intelligence Chapter. This competition is open to all tertiary institutions in Hong Kong, with participants submitting their final-year undergraduate projects for evaluation.   JIANG Yiyang won the Champion award for his project, "Video Moment Retrieval Using Deep Learning Models." This project enhances video moment retrieval (VMR) by integrating large language models (LLMs) to address challenges in generating continuous outputs for inter-frame relations, such as salience scores and inter-frame embeddings. His approach refines inter-concept relations in multimodal embeddings, enabling effective retrieval without relying on textual training. “Winning this award has been an incredibly rewarding experience that has taught me valuable lessons about independent research, exploration, and the application of academic research to real-world scenarios,” Yiyang said. He extends his gratitude to his supervisor, Prof. CHEN Changwen, Chair Professor of Visual Computing, as well as Prof. LI Qing, Chair Professor of Data Science and Head, Prof. WEI Xiaoyong, Visiting Professor of COMP, for their guidance and invaluable support.   YANG Zhanpeng received the Merit award for his project, "Generating Attributes for Knowledge Graphs with ChatGPT - Distant Supervision for Sentence Classification", supervised by Dr HUANG Xiao, Assistant Professor. This project explores sentence classification using distant supervision methods to aid knowledge graph construction. It classifies sentences into categories like definitions and examples, utilising ChatGPT to generate noisy labels for training. The project shows promising results in improving classification accuracy. Zhanpeng supplemented that future work could focus on improving data diversity and classification robustness, and addressing ethical considerations, such as cultural differences and information integrity. This research contributes to automating knowledge graph enrichment, with potential applications in educational technology and content organisation.