News

Open Education Resources (OERs) Competition – Learn to Learn

To further enhance students’ learning experiences, COMP organised an “Open Education Resources (OERs) Competition – Learn to Learn” from January to June 2020. There are many public domain e-learning materials and OERs such as short videos and websites available online, thus this competition consisted of two parts: Suggesting OERs and Creating OERs, to encourage students to search for and create good OERs. Students first identified a specific learning topic, suggested a good OER from the Internet and provided a learning reflection by indicating what they have learned and why the OER was useful. In phase 2, students created an OER based on their proposed topics. They were required to prepare some learning materials including presentation slides, an animation or a video to explain their topics and then make use of them to educate others as an OER. Shortlisted students were invited to give a presentation in the final assessment. “After the OER competition, I treasure the value of personifying abstract concepts,” said Miss Isabel Madeleine Kemp, the First Prize winner of Creating OER. “An intuitive and metaphorical explanation speaks for itself, intimidating computing concepts would dissolve into understandable knowledge, even in the eyes of a non-expertise.”  “This OER competition encouraged me to take the initiative in learning. I discovered more useful OERs which were helpful for my study and I would like to learn more after joining this contest,” shared Miss Cheuk Lam Leung, the Second Prize winner of Creating OER and Suggesting OER. The competition enabled students to be more responsive to the advancement in computing and its impact. It also provided them with the opportunities to apply the relevant computing tools and software, and successfully instilled their desire and ability to ‘learn to learn’.   Category Student Name Award Suggesting OER (Round 1) ZHANG Caiqi 1st Prize CHOY Hei Man LEUNG Cheuk Lam 2nd Prize SARTAYEVA Yerkezhan SRIVASTAVA Srijan 3rd Prize Suggesting OER (Round 2) MAK Siu Wang 1st Prize ZHANG Caiqi 2nd Prize SARTAYEVA Yerkezhan 3rd Prize Creating OER KEMP Isabel Madeleine 1st Prize Creating OER LEUNG Cheuk Lam 2nd Prize Creating OER CHOY Hei Man 3rd Prize  

COMP alumnus and scholar teamed up to win a Gold Medal at the 2nd Asia Exhibition of Inventions Hong Kong

Congratulations to Dr Abraham Lam, our alumnus and the Founder of MEGA Automation Ltd, and Dr Dan Wang, our Associate Professor, on receiving a Gold Medal in the 2ndAsia Exhibition of Inventions (AEI) Hong Kong with their project “Smart Air-conditioning Platform (SAP) for Optimizing Thermal Comfort & Energy Consumption in Buildings”. Air-conditioning system accounts for more than half of the energy consumption in a building. Thermal comfort is a subjective feeling. Occupants may find an indoor temperature too cold or too warm which is not good for health and productivity and it may lead to energy waste as well. In light of this, Dr Lam has developed an AI algorithm which enables SAP to quantitatively calculate and estimate the thermal comfort of any individuals based on the different environmental and weather conditions like time, outdoor and indoor temperatures, fan speed and ultraviolet index. The platform is also connected to the air-conditioning systems via the Internet of Things (IoT) to support proactive temperature setting mechanisms. It not only increases energy efficiency in a building but also improves the comfort of the indoor environment. Dr Lam obtained his Higher Diploma in Information Systems in 2007, Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Information Technology in 2009 and Doctor of Philosophy in Computing in 2015. During his ten years study at COMP, Dr Lam demonstrated his keen interest in applying cutting-edge technologies to green buildings and smart cities. Before his PhD graduation, Dr Lam won the Entrepreneurship Award of PolyU Micro Fund in 2012 with his outstanding business proposition “Sustainable iBuilding Management Platform”. He later established MEGA Automation Ltd with the support of PolyU startup fund and enhanced the initial model with Dr Wang, the supervisor of his PhD study. Exploiting research outcomes directly in real-world projects is always difficult as there are many unforeseeable factors at the development stage. Throughout the process, Dr Wang provided substantial support on the research side while Dr Lam played a key role in transforming the technology into real-world applications upon receiving the clients’ feedback and the deployment results. The team solved the challenges together and exemplified a close collaboration between academia and enterprise. “I plan to add more features on top of the existing model to further enrich the application scenarios of SAP. I will work with property management and land developers to deploy SAP in the new buildings, hope it becomes part of their smart building solutions,” said Dr Lam. Taking this opportunity, Dr Lam would like to encourage COMP students and alumni to “think big and start from small”. He believes that it is essential to understand a problem and to learn from experience. “There is no shortest path to success, but only by your persistence and patience to get things done.” AEI is the first exhibition cum competition exclusively devoted to inventions from Asia to be hosted in Hong Kong, by partnering with the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva. Through exhibition and competition under one roof, global experts, inventors in the industry showcase their breakthrough and versatile inventions and solutions to the world. AEI 2019 featured over 35 inventions that competed for the awards including Gold Medal, VC Choice of Award, Geneva Invention Award, IFIA Award and the Grand Award.

PolyU hosted a webinar at “Hong Kong FinTech Week 2020”

Asia’s annual flagship fintech event, “Hong Kong FinTech Week”, was taken place from 2 to 6 November 2020, featuring a variety of online events which aim at connecting experts from around the world to discuss the future trends and challenges of the fintech industry. PolyU hosted a webinar titled “FinTech Development and Opportunities in the Greater Bay Area (GBA)” on the first day of Hong Kong FinTech Week, to explore ways to address the talent need of the fintech industry and support the fast-paced development in GBA. More than half of the 600 fintech companies in Hong Kong have indicated that they are operating in or plan to expand into other cities of the GBA. Given the huge demand for manpower by the rapidly growing fintech market, the Department of Computing (COMP) has launched fintech-related undergraduate and postgraduate programmes to provide fintech education and training at different levels to cope with the rising need for fintech talents. At the webinar, Dr Walter Fung, Teaching Fellow of COMP, and Dr Bin Xiao, Associate Professor of COMP, introduced our BSc (Hons) in Financial Technology & Artificial Intelligence and MSc in Information Technology respectively. The BSc (Hons) in FinTech & AI programme equips students with good fundamental computing knowledge with a focus in AI, sound finance concepts, strong intellectual and practical skills to apply computing technologies in finance and related areas. On the other hand, the MSc in IT provides a choice for students to concentrate their postgraduate studies with a Stream in AI & FinTech. Scholars and industry leaders were also invited to share their insights into the outlook of fintech in GBA. Dr Henry Chan, Associate Head of COMP, joined as one of the panelists in the roundtable discussion on how fintech shapes the future of financial services in GBA. The panel analysed the strategies to facilitate talent development and explored possible tactics to ride on the upcoming mega trend of fintech innovation and digital transformation.

The Mainland-Hong Kong Research Forum on the Advances in Cybersecurity

Co-organised by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre, and supported by PolyU’s Department of Computing (COMP) and Peng Cheng Laboratory, the Mainland-Hong Kong Research Forum on the Advances in Cybersecurity was successfully concluded in hybrid mode from 23 to 24 October 2020. The forum brought together over 140 cybersecurity experts to promote security technology for the cyberspace and strengthen the cooperation on scientific research and education. The opening of the forum was officiated by Dr Zhaotian Zhang and Dr Shige Zhan from NSFC; Mr Hoi Shan Hsu from Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre; Prof. Qing Li, Chair Professor of Data Science and Head of COMP, Prof. Hui Zhou from Peng Cheng Laboratory, and Prof. Binxing Fang, Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering. Scholars from prominent institutions were invited to discuss a wide range of security issues on different aspects including internet monitoring, blockchain, AI, multimedia, ICS/ IoT, cryptography and cloud computing. Prof. Jiannong Cao, Chair Professor of Distributed and Mobile Computing of COMP, shared his view on “Security and Privacy for Blockchain-based Big Data Sharing” while Prof. Song Guo, Professor of COMP, presented his research findings on “Deep Reinforcement Learning Empowered Blockchain: Security Challenges and Solutions”. Besides, there was a panel discussion which further stimulated rich and thought-provoking dialogues among the participants. Panelists engaged in the exploration of cross-region research collaboration; challenges and potential solutions for protecting the data, chips and networks in IoT and industrial control systems; possibility of achieving cryptography-like provable AI security; and difficulties faced by blockchain systems and applications. The two-day forum provided a constructive platform for local and the Mainland academia and researchers to analyse and exchange insightful perspectives on the latest development, challenges and opportunities of cybersecurity.

COMP Research Student Orientation 2020

To get our newly admitted research postgraduate (RPg) students familiar with their studies at PolyU, we organised an orientation session in hybrid mode on 28 October 2020 and it began with a warm welcome by Prof. Qing Li, Chair Professor of Data Science and Head of COMP. Dr Bin Xiao, the Chair of the Departmental Research Committee (DRC) gave an overview of the RPg education and key information such as programme structure and study path. He also highlighted different assistance and services provided by the Department. Prof. Ajay Kumar, Chair of the Departmental Learning & Teaching Committee (DLTC), introduced the responsibilities and ethics as teaching assistants to support the departmental teaching activities. Finally, Mr Wei Zhang from the Postgraduate Research Student Association (PRSA) of COMP shared his study experience and campus life. The orientation not only enabled our new RPg students to have a better understanding of their learning environment and the resources available to them but also offered them an opportunity to meet other fellow students.

Python workshops for COMP MSc students

Co-organised by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre, and supported by PolyU’s Department of Computing (COMP) and Peng Cheng Laboratory, the Mainland-Hong Kong Research Forum on the Advances in Cybersecurity was successfully concluded in hybrid mode from 23 to 24 October 2020. The forum brought together over 140 cybersecurity experts to promote security technology for the cyberspace and strengthen the cooperation on scientific research and education. The opening of the forum was officiated by Dr Zhaotian Zhang and Dr Shige Zhan from NSFC; Mr Hoi Shan Hsu from Beijing-Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre; Prof. Qing Li, Chair Professor of Data Science and Head of COMP, Prof. Hui Zhou from Peng Cheng Laboratory, and Prof. Binxing Fang, Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering. Scholars from prominent institutions were invited to discuss a wide range of security issues on different aspects including internet monitoring, blockchain, AI, multimedia, ICS/ IoT, cryptography and cloud computing. Prof. Jiannong Cao, Chair Professor of Distributed and Mobile Computing of COMP, shared his view on “Security and Privacy for Blockchain-based Big Data Sharing” while Prof. Song Guo, Professor of COMP, presented his research findings on “Deep Reinforcement Learning Empowered Blockchain: Security Challenges and Solutions”. Besides, there was a panel discussion which further stimulated rich and thought-provoking dialogues among the participants. Panelists engaged in the exploration of cross-region research collaboration; challenges and potential solutions for protecting the data, chips and networks in IoT and industrial control systems; possibility of achieving cryptography-like provable AI security; and difficulties faced by blockchain systems and applications. The two-day forum provided a constructive platform for local and the Mainland academia and researchers to analyse and exchange insightful perspectives on the latest development, challenges and opportunities of cybersecurity.

Prof. Johan Hoorn won Huibregtsen Prize 2020 with his robotics research project ‘Alice’

We are proud to announce that Prof. Johan Hoorn received the Huibregtsen Prize 2020 at the award ceremony that took place on 5 October 2020 in Haarlem, The Netherlands, with a live stream available to the guests. Prof. Hoorn successfully outcompeted other scholars who perform scientific research on different social concerns, including COVID-19 new treatment options, malaria vaccine, adolescent overweight, and nitrogen threats to nature. He shared the honour with Prof. Elly Konijn of Vrije University Amsterdam for their robotics research project ‘Alice’. Social loneliness is a major problem in an ageing society. Prof. Hoorn and Prof. Konijn have therefore developed ‘Alice’, a robot girl that helps to cope with loneliness among older adults. ‘Alice’ is regarded as an electromechanical grandchild. She relieves loneliness and improves the quality of life by being a companion to older adults, chatting with them and responding empathically. Can robot friendship replace the human counterpart in a social relationship? How will people respond to an artificial object while they know it is not a real human being? What does a robot need to understand others and how to show empathy? Which social role should a robot play to counter loneliness among the elderly? How do we make a robot understand social-emotional language instead of just following instructions? These questions also are investigated in the project ‘Alice’. “As is, Alice’s performance is based on a mix of artificial intelligence and remote-controlled human interference when a conversation goes astray. Currently, we work on language understanding rather than processing,” said Prof. Hoorn. “Over time, we hope such robots can be used for many social challenges in healthcare, education, and services.” The special feature of ‘Alice’ is highly recognised by the jury of the Huibregtsen Prize. In the Jury Report, “The jury unanimously opted for an innovative approach with an impressive result. An integral success story. The particularly passionate approach to a pressing problem. An impressive combination of in-depth, fundamental research and application of knowledge with global impact. Teamwork that outside the scientific comfort zone answers questions and raises others. This scientific and social project is based on an impressive combination of disciplinary expertise and raises deep questions about possible relationships between humans and machines, but also about empathy and moral reasoning. ‘Alice’ is the product of team science, which stimulates the social discussion about social robotics with the use of citizen science and the impact on politics and business. Deep fundamental questions, a highly relevant application, and brilliant science communication.” Prof. Hoorn started his research in the humanities, focusing on fictional characters. After he joined the Department of Computer Sciences of Vrije University Amsterdam, he ventured into avatars and game characters. He later turned to social robots as the universal interface between the digital and the analogue world after implementing several cognitive models in artificial systems. At PolyU, Prof. Hoorn furthers the Robot Brain Server, which handles data, data security, artificial intelligence, and cloud access to make the robot a safe and trustworthy confidante to its user. The Huibregtsen Prize was established in 2005 by the board of the Stichting De Avond van Wetenschap & Maatschappij (The Evening of Science & Society Foundation) in The Netherlands and named after Ir. Wouter Huibregtsen. All public organizations for scientific research in The Netherlands are invited to submit entries. A minimum of four and a maximum of six projects are selected to enter the final stage annually and the prize ultimately goes to a recent groundbreaking research project that combines scientific quality and innovation with clear social relevance.

COMP@PolyU Education Info Day 2020

PolyU Education Info Day was successfully concluded online on 10 October 2020. This year, the Department of Computing (COMP) organised different live streaming and virtual activities including info seminar and consultation, virtual booth exhibition and lab tour. Dr Hong-va Leong, our Associate Professor and Associate Head (Teaching & Learning) hosted the info seminar of BSc (Hons) Scheme in Computing with comprehensive information including the programmes on offer, admission requirements, learning opportunities and career prospects. During the real-time consultation session, Dr Leong offered his professional advice on studying at COMP and attendees had a lively interaction with us. To further enable participants to understand more about COMP, we have also prepared a video covering the introduction of our teaching facilities, students’ sharing on learning experiences and the career options illustrated by our alumni. Some exhibition posters which showcase the development of the FinTech & AI profession, COMP graduate employment figures and alumni testimonials, as well as a virtual tour to our Virtual Reality & Game Lab, were also available. The BSc (Hons) Scheme in Computing that we offer includes three major degree programmes – BSc (Hons) in Computing, BSc (Hons) in Enterprise Information Systems, and BSc (Hons) in Financial Technology and Artificial Intelligence. These programmes are designed with diversified scopes of curriculum, allowing students to select the most suitable one for themselves in the second year of study after a unique common first year. PolyU Education Info Day is an annual event which provides an excellent platform for the prospective students, their parents and the public to obtain the most up-to-date information on a wide range of academic programmes and to gain useful tips about planning for the university life.

IFTA FinTech Achievement Awards 2019 PolyU Campus Sharing

To further promote the FinTech knowledge to our students and foster the future pillars of the society, the Department of Computing (COMP) and the Institute of Financial Technologists of Asia (IFTA) co-organised the IFTA FinTech Achievement Awards 2019 PolyU Campus Sharing on 24 September 2020. Mr Paul Pong, Chairman of IFTA, officiated the opening of this webinar with Dr Henry Chan, Associate Professor and Associate Head of COMP. They introduced the supports offered by IFTA and their views on the global trend of financial technology. Three IFTA FinTech Achievement Awardees including Mr Bob Lee, Chief Business Officer of BCT Group, Mr Joe Ng, Chief Technology Officer of Centaline Data Technology Limited, and Ms Ivy Tse, Co-founder & Director of FreightAmigo Services Limited, were invited to share their expertise and insight on FinTech in the field of MPF, PropTech and FreightTech respectively. IFTA is the only Certificate in Finance and Technology (CFT) certification body in Asia. It is also a non-profit organisation with a mission and a vision to nurture global FinTech talent with the highest standards of ethics, education, and professional conduct.

Dr Nan Guan received the Best Paper Award in EMSOFT 2020

Congratulations to our Associate Professor, Dr Nan Guan, on receiving the Best Paper Award in the ACM SIGBED International Conference on Embedded Software (EMSOFT) 2020 under the 16thACM/IEEE Embedded Systems Week held from 20 to 25 September 2020 with the paper titled “Efficient Feasibility Analysis for Graph-based Real-Time Task Systems”. Dr Guan’s paper was the only one selected among all EMSOFT accepted papers.   Many real-time systems are safe-critical, so it must be ensured that their run-time behaviours satisfy the pre-specified timing constraints under any circumstances. To provide such guarantees, one must describe the system behaviour with formal models, based on which properties of interest can be proved. It is a well-known trade-off between the expressiveness and the tractability of the models. In this paper, Dr Guan and his team have developed techniques to efficiently analyse DRT, the most expressive real-time task model of which the timing analysis problem remains in the pseudo-polynomial class. Their techniques can improve the efficiency by orders of magnitude in common cases comparing with the state-of-the-art, and thus making the online analysis and iterative analysis of models as expressive as DRT to be feasible. Dr Guan joined COMP in 2015 and his research interests include real-time embedded systems and cyber-physical systems. He received the ACM SIGBED Early Career Researcher Award in 2020, the Best Paper Award in ISORC 2019 and the Outstanding Paper Award in RTSS 2019. Dr Guan has also served on the TPC of RTSS, DAC, RTAS, EMSOFT, ECRTS, LCTES, RTCSA, ASP-DAC in recent years. EMSOFT is one of the three top conferences listed by CSRankings in the field of "Embedded and Real-Time Systems". Since 2001, EMSOFT brings together researchers and developers from academia, industry, and government to advance the science, engineering, and technology of embedded software development.