News

Faculty Awards for Outstanding Achievement 2024

We are proud to announce that two of our professors, Prof. LUO Xiapu and Prof. XIAO Bin, have been honoured with the Faculty Awards for Outstanding Achievement 2024 in the category of Research and Scholarly Activities: Outstanding Researcher. Prof. LUO Xiapu has received the Outstanding Award. His pioneering research spans across Mobile/IoT/System Security and Privacy, Blockchain/Smart Contract, Software Engineering, Network Security and Privacy, and Internet Measurement. Prof. Luo's exceptional contributions to the field were also recognised with the prestigious BOCHK Science and Technology Innovation Prize 2023 in FinTech last year. Prof. XIAO Bin has been awarded the Merit Award. His significant research focuses on AI Security, Data Privacy, Web3 and Blockchain Systems. Prof. Xiao's dedication to advancing these fields earned him the Faculty of Engineering (FENG) Research Grant Achievement Award for 2022, and he was elected as an IEEE Fellow for 2024. The winners of the Faculty Awards for Outstanding Achievement are chosen by a Faculty Assessment Panel, comprising the Heads (or their delegates) and chaired by the Dean of Faculty of Engineering (FENG), from amongst a pool of well-qualified nominees put forward by individual departments under FENG. The selection is made with reference to the indicative criteria for assessment as laid down by the University for the exercise.

BlockSec Blockchain Security Award Presentation Ceremony 2023/2024

The BlockSec Blockchain Security Award Presentation Ceremony 2023/2024, organised by COMP, took place on 2 August 2024. Generously funded by BlockSec, this recognition celebrates the remarkable achievements of students in the MSc in Blockchain Technology programme. It particularly honours those who have made significant strides in the COMP5566 Blockchain and Smart Contract Security course, demonstrating outstanding academic abilities and a commitment to blockchain security.   Prof. Yajin ZHOU, co-founder and CEO of BlockSec, emphasised the importance of blockchain security and BlockSec’s role in supporting future leaders in this field. He stated, “At BlockSec, we are deeply committed to advancing the field of blockchain security. This award is a testament to our dedication to fostering the next generation of blockchain security experts.” He also highlighted the significance of supporting talented individuals at PolyU, aiming to empower innovators and leaders who will drive the advancement of blockchain technology and security.   Prof. Ken YIU, Professor and Associate Head (Teaching and Learning) of COMP, recognised the awardees for their dedication and effort, emphasising that the Department of Computing at PolyU is a pioneer in new technologies and committed to excellence in teaching and learning. Building on this vision, Prof. Daniel LUO, Professor of COMP and Programme Leader of the MSc in Blockchain Technology, thanked BlockSec for their support of the programme, which highlighted the integration of cutting-edge technology with real-world applications, ensuring that students gain practical experience alongside theoretical knowledge.   This year, COMP conferred the award on ten extraordinary students. Two of the awardees, LI Zitong and CAO Zhikun, shared their academic journey in the MSc in Blockchain Technology programme. They reflected on the fulfilling journey they embarked on as well as the experience and knowledge they gained from the programme.   LI Zitong conveyed appreciation to BlockSec and the programme, “receiving the BlockSec Blockchain Security Award Scholarship is not just a personal milestone but a beacon of encouragement that drives me to push the boundaries of knowledge and contribute meaningfully to the field of blockchain security. I am also deeply grateful to my school for providing an environment that nurtures curiosity, critical thinking, and innovation. The resources, facilities, and opportunities available here have played a crucial role in my academic journey.”   CAO Zhikun expressed his gratitude, “my study under the MSc in Blockchain Technology programme has been an unforgettable journey of exploration, and I am grateful to have been a part of it. This scholarship provided by BlockSec is not only a financial aid but also a recognition of our ability, which will encourage us to continue exploring the promising field of blockchain security and dedicating our strength to the community.”   COMP would like to express sincerest congratulations to all awardees of the BlockSec Blockchain Security Award. Their dedication and perseverance are admirable and will inspire their peers and future students. We are excited to witness their contributions to the blockchain field in the years ahead.   BlockSec was founded in 2021 and has been instrumental in advancing blockchain security infrastructure. Their research work and implementation have empowered countless individuals and organizations worldwide. Their dedication to fostering new talent and innovation in blockchain security is embodied in their sponsorship of this award.  

Prof. Cao Jiannong’s Project Received the Gold Medal at the 2024 Silicon Valley International Inventions Festival

PolyU research teams have achieved remarkable success at the 2024 Silicon Valley International Inventions Festival (SVIIF), garnering a total of nine prestigious awards. One of the gold medals goes to the project titled "Edge AI-Empowered Smart Devices and Robotics for AIoT Applications," led by our Chair Professor, Prof. Cao Jiannong, Dean of the Graduate School, Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Professor in Data Science, Chair Professor of Distributed and Mobile Computing, Director of RIAIoT, and Director of UBDA. Edge AI is an innovative technology that combines edge computing and artificial intelligence to enable real-time data processing and intelligent decision-making on IoT devices and robots. The research team has developed an edge AI platform that supports faster and collaborative model training and inference. Specifically, they have developed an edge-native task scheduling system to manage large-scale, geographically distributed, and heterogeneous edge resources. Atop this system, they have designed various resource-aware scheduling algorithms to optimise AI model training and inference, taking into account both AI model characteristics and underlying resources. Additionally, they offer easy-to-use programming APIs to streamline the development of edge-native AI applications. To further demonstrate the advantages of edge AI, the team has also designed and developed an edge AI robot to inspect pipelines. This robot stands out due to its three key features: its real-time AI-based defect detection, its deformable design, and its autonomous control. It uses advanced edge AI technology to enable compressed, optimised AI models, enabling it to detect pipeline defects in real time. This feature makes the robot effective in challenging environments, such as underground or underwater pipelines. The robot’s unique deformable design and self-control algorithm also enables it to adapt and navigate through various pipe structures. SVIIF is the largest event of its kind in the United States and drew participation from approximately 30 countries and regions this year. The event represented a wide array of academic institutions, research institutes, and enterprises. It was supported and attended by multinational corporations, investors, and entrepreneurs. SVIIF is a crucial platform for inventors and the business community to explore commercialization opportunities and seek partnerships.

PhD students HAO Xiang and MA Chenxiang received the Best Paper Award of IEEE CAI 2024

We are proud to announce that the paper titled "When Audio Denoising Meets Spiking Neural Network", authored by our PhD students, Mr HAO Xiang and Mr MA Chenxiang, and collaborated with Miss Qu YANG, National University of Singapore; Prof. Tan Kay Chen, Interim Head and Chair Professor of Computational Intelligence, DSAI, PolyU; and Dr Wu Jibin, Assistant Professor, COMP, received the Best Paper Award at the 2024 IEEE Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IEEE CAI 2024) held in Singapore from June 25 - 27, 2024.   The award-winning paper explores the application of spiking neural networks (SNNs) in audio denoising, leveraging brain-inspired architectures and computational principles to efficiently process and analyse audio signals. The paper introduces Spiking-FullSubNet, a cutting-edge, real-time audio denoising model based on SNN. The model incorporates a novel gated spiking neuron model (GSN) to effectively capture multi-scale temporal information, which is essential for achieving high-fidelity audio denoising. In addition to the architectural advancements, the authors propose the integration of GSNs within an optimised FullSubNet neural architecture, enabling efficient processing of full-band and sub-band frequencies while significantly reducing computational overhead. The paper also introduces a metric discriminator-based loss function that selectively enhances the desired performance metrics without compromising others. Empirical evaluations demonstrate the superior performance of Spiking-FullSubNet, which ranked as the winner of Track 1 (Algorithmic) of the Intel Neuromorphic Deep Noise Suppression Challenge.   The IEEE CAI 2024 is a prominent industry-organized event dedicated to artificial intelligence and its applications in various industries. The conference serves as a platform for connecting AI enterprise leaders, innovators, and stakeholders from industry, government, and start-ups, showcasing the latest advancements in AI research and applications.

Senior Secondary Python Programming Contest

From 4 – 6 July 2024, COMP successfully organised the Senior Secondary Python Programming Contest ("Contest"). The Contest received an overwhelming response, with applications from over 210 secondary schools. To accommodate more students, we increased the participant quota from 35 to 48 teams.   The Contest consists of three training sessions conducted by Dr LEONG Hong Va, our Senior Lecturer, followed by a 3-hour coding contest. The format of the Contest draws inspiration from the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest (ACM ICPC), a renowned annual global programming competition for university students.   The contest was conducted in a team-based format, with each team comprising three members. Participating teams were tasked with solving a series of programming problems by developing Python programs from scratch within a 3-hour time limit, using a single shared computer. This format challenged the participants' problem-solving abilities, as well as their teamwork and collaboration skills.   The contest was so intense and dramatic that some teams had very close scores, with the ranking of the teams constantly changing until the last moment. We were deeply impressed by the passion and hard work displayed by the participants.   The top seven teams that solved the highest number of problems were declared the winners. However, to recognize the exceptional talents of the students, we decided to add 10 additional Merit awards to the contest. The award ceremony was held right after the contest. We are honoured to have the following COMP Staff and distinguished guests present the awards: Prof. AU Man Ho Allen, Professor and Associate Head (Research and Development), COMP Mr LEE Hoi Chun, Vice Chairman, The Hong Kong Association for Computer Education (HKACE) Dr LEONG Hong Va, Senior Lecturer, COMP Mr Albert WONG, Chairman, Association of I.T. Leaders in Education (AiTLE) (In alphabetical order of surnames)   The full award list is as follows: Champion ($12,000) Buddhist Sin Tak College Luo Tsz Fung, Chin Ka Wang and Chan Sing Yu 1st Runner-up ($6,000) Wah Yan College, Kowloon Lau Pok Man, Siu Lok Yin and Chang Tsz Fung 2nd Runner-up ($3,000) Diocesan Girls' School Ma Hei Wun Apple, Lam Elizabeth and Cheung Alice Hiu Yu Distinction Award ($1,000) N.T. Heung Yee Kuk Yuen Long District Secondary School Lam Chi Hang, Kwok Chun Hang And Louie Chun Hin NLSI Peace Evangelical Secondary School Qi Gongfu, Yang Man Kit and Ngai Ming Hang Kwun Tong Maryknoll College Lee Luca, Wong Sai Kwan and Lau Vic Earthy Heep Yunn School Chan Tsz Ching, Ma Tsin Chin and Fung Wan Wai Merit Award Kau Yan College Shek Man Kin, Tam King Yeung Oscar and Li Wang The Hong Kong Management Association K S Lo College Chen Yee Fung, Lo King Shan and Li Zizhang Tsuen Wan Government Secondary School Lo Chap Hin, Chen Bai-An and Chow Hoi Chun, Adrian Chiu Chow Association Secondary School Yeung King Him, Chow Tsz Chun, Kwan Cheuk Nam Maryknoll Fathers' School Tse Hang Man, Yu Liu Laam and Tang Tsz Ho HKSYCIA Wong Tai Shan Memorial College Lam Chak Kuen, Szeto Tsz Hin and Lau Hoi Chun Shun Lee Catholic Secondary School Chee King Hei, Shing Wai Chuen and Chan Sheung Yeung S.K.H. Leung Kwai Yee Secondary School Lin Shao Bo, Cheng Chun Hei and Yang Kam Yan Anita Heung To Middle School (Tin Shui Wai) Kwok Ka Him, Wu Kin Long and Yu Tsun Hin PLK Wu Chung College Wong Chi Hin, Tse Cheuk Hang and Chan Kwun Man James

COMP 50th Anniversary Research Student Conference: Fostering Academic Excellence

COMP 50th Anniversary Research Student Conference was successfully held on 24 June 2024 at the New World Millennium Hong Kong Hotel. The event, themed "Fostering Academic Excellence," brought together an impressive array of speakers, academics, and research students for a day of knowledge-sharing and recognition of outstanding scholarly work.   The conference was inaugurated with a warm welcome speech and opening speech from Prof. LI Qing, Chair Professor of Data Science and Head of COMP and Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation), respectively.   The first highlight of the conference was the keynote speech delivered by Prof. LI Baochun from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Toronto. His speech, titled "Writing Great Papers in the Era of Generative AI," provided attendees with invaluable insights into the evolving trend of academic publishing and how to conduct impactful research with the aid of generative AI.   The event also featured a thought-provoking panel discussion on "How to do good research and have a successful career in Research?" Esteemed panel members included Prof. DONG Guozhu (Wright State University), Prof. Sean WANG (Fudan University) and Prof. SU Jianwen (University of California, Santa Barbara). Their collective wisdom offered a deep exploration of the challenges and strategies for building a successful academic career and how researchers can deal with psychological changes and manage their emotions during challenges at different career stages.   In line with the conference's objectives to honour research students' hard work and facilitate the exchange of knowledge, there were eight oral presentation sessions featuring 48 students and 54 poster presentations, allowing COMP research students to showcase their research, engage in scholarly dialogue, and gain feedback from their peers and guests. Eight students have been selected for the Best Presentation Award by the panels, while 11 students have been voted by all the participants for the Best Poster Award. Below are the awardee lists.   Best Presentation Award (Cash prize of $5,000 for each awardee) Awardees Paper Title MA Chenxiang Scaling Supervised Local Learning with Augmented Auxiliary Networks HONG Zicong Optimus: Warming Serverless ML Inference via Inter-Function Model Transformation MEI Zhimin Repurposing Optical Mice for Acoustic Eavesdropping LI Yiran Efficient and Effective Attributed Networks Clustering via K-Nearest Neighbor Augmentation YU Shiming Revolutionizing LoRa Gateway with XGate: Scalable Concurrent Transmission across Massive Logical Channels ZHANG Qinggang KnowGPT: Black-Box Knowledge Injection for Large Language Models ZHENG Tianyu Leaking Arbitrarily Many Secrets: Any-out-of-Many Proofs and Applications to RingCT Protocols HU Xu Segment Anything in 3D Gaussians   Best Poster Award (Cash prize $2,000 for each awardee) Awardees Poster Title LI Ruibin Source Prompt Disentangled Inversion for Boosting Image Editability withDiffusion Models CAI Xuyuan Privacy-preserving even-oriented sybil-resistance decentralized identity scheme LIU Xun SnarkFold: Efficient Proof Aggregation from Incremental Verification and Applications WANG Fangxiao Fair Surveillance Assignment Problem DING Yunan Medical-SAM: SAM Adaptation for 3D Medical Image Segmentation QIAN Chen Enhancing Sigma Protocols Efficiency and Privacy with Sumcheck Protocol Optimization ZHOU Yu CausalBench: A Comprehensive Benchmark for Causal Learning Capability of Large Language Models CHEN Jingfan Diversify-and-Aggregate: Augmenting Replay with Generative Modeling Make Stronger Incremental Segmentation Models MA Yuxiao Noise-based Privacy Protection Assisted Homomorphic Encryption for Federated Learning ZHANG Jiahao Linear-Time Graph Neural Networks for Scalable Recommendations ZHENG Peirong Federated Learning with Neuron-wise Learning Rates   The conference concluded with a banquet in the evening, with a welcome speech by Prof. LI Qing followed by an open remark by Prof. CAO Jiannong, Dean of Graduate School and Chair Professor of Distributed and Mobile Computing. Participants enjoyed a sumptuous dinner and celebrated the achievements of their peers.

COMP Best Project Award Competition 2024

The Best Project Award Competition 2024 concluded last Saturday, showcasing an impressive array of Capstone Projects from nine outstanding students. This year's finalists were evaluated by a distinguished panel of judges comprising faculty members and industry leaders: Mr Raymond CHU, Associate Director, University Collaborations and Entrepreneurship, Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation Mr Terence LEUNG, Senior Manager (Digital Entertainment & Esports industry and cluster development), Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Limited Dr Amelia LI, Assistant Professor, COMP PolyU Mr Edwin TAM, Managing Director, InfoTech Services (Hong Kong) Limited Dr Albert YIP, Chairman, Syndicate Capital Group Dr Yuanqing ZHENG, Associate Professor, COMP PolyU (In alphabetical order of surnames) Each student participant was given 15 minutes to present their project, demonstrate its capabilities, and answer questions from the panel. The judges were impressed by the depth of the students' background research, the breadth of their design and methodology, as well as the excellent implementation and evaluation of the projects. The students also displayed remarkable presentation skills throughout the competition.   After careful deliberation, the judges selected the award recipients. In addition to the prestigious Best Project Awards, two contestants were also chosen to receive the InfoTech Job Market Driven Scholarship, which recognised the relevance and quality of their projects in adopting in-demand skills sought by the IT industry.   We are delighted to honour these exceptional students and their innovative Capstone Projects. Congratulations to all the awardees on this remarkable achievement!   Awardee Project Title Award JIANG Yiyang Video Moment Retrieval using Deep Learning Models Champion YU Haohang Touch-free User Interaction 1st runner-up NG Emily An AI-assisted group discussion simulator for DSE English Speaking Exam(Part A) Preparation 2nd runner-up InfoTech Job Market Driven Scholarship LEE Joohwan Mobile Payment Merit GENG Longling Towards multimodal knowledge graph construction and utilization for smart education Merit HO Tsun Ngai Thomas Decentralized FPS VR Game in the Metaverse: Towards a More Player-Driven and Decentralized Approach InfoTech Job Market Driven Scholarship

Alumni Homecoming Dinner Celebrates Half-Century Bond with Original 50th Anniversary Song

The 50th Anniversary Alumni Homecoming Dinner on the evening of 31st May brought together over a hundred alumni and staff members to celebrate the department's fifty years of achievements.   During the welcome speeches, Dr Miranda LOU, Executive Vice President of PolyU, and Prof. LI Qing, Chair Professor of Data Science and Head of COMP, both emphasised the significant role of alumni support over the years and expressed their gratitude.   The event was honoured to have Mr Vincent MA, CEO of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park Limited (HSITP) and recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU COMP 2024, as the guest speaker. Mr Ma delivered an engaging talk titled "A Game Changing Era," outlining HSITP's efforts and future plans for developing Innovation and Technology in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, captivating the audience with his vision.   The evening's highlight was the release of the COMP 50th-anniversary original song - "Hand in Hand." This song, composed by our alumni and staff, pays tribute to the enduring connections and collaborative spirit that have formed the foundation of the COMP community.   The dinner also included a heartfelt talk by Ms Tiffany Chan, Founder of the iCare Foundation. She shared her journey of overcoming severe physical illness and her dedication to supporting career training for students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in the IT industry.   The evening was concluded with a touching music performance by a band comprising alumni and staff. Their musical renditions were a token of gratitude to the teachers and a special acknowledgement of Ms Tiffany Chan's contributions, leaving the audience with a sense of warmth and union.

PolyU Department of Computing and Huawei Hong Kong establish ICT Academy to foster the advancement and integration of computing and novel technology

Department of Computing of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (COMP) and Huawei Hong Kong (Huawei) announced the establishment of an ICT Academy. The Academy aims to cultivate high-quality ICT talents in Hong Kong. Through a collaborative framework, both parties will align with the university's professional standards and the need for talent cultivation. Through incorporating Huawei's certified technology and training courses, talent programmes in cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and other related fields will be developed. This collaboration will drive the advancement and integration of computing and novel technology, promote the application of ICT in teaching and management, establish a collaboration platform for research, academic and industry sectors, and foster the innovative technology ecosystem in Hong Kong. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed by Prof. Qing Li, Chair Professor of Data Science and Head of the Department of Computing of PolyU and Mr Alex Wong, Deputy CEO, Strategy & Marketing, Huawei Internation Co. Limited to jointly establish the ICT Academy. Under the MoU, COMP will partner with Huawei to establish an advanced data platform, providing students with learning programmes and practical opportunities in mainland China, with a focus on core areas such as RoCE and HPC storage. Prof. Qing Li said, “By fully utilising domestic super AI computing power, the Department of Computing of PolyU aims to propel the development of next-generation AI and Data Science. With the establishment of the ICT academy and the introduction of this powerful AI computing platform, our researchers and students are provided with the tools needed to tackle complex problems and process large datasets. This will accelerate the development of cutting-edge AI algorithms and techniques, enhancing accuracy, efficiency, and scalability in AI applications.” Mr Alex Wong said, “Huawei is dedicated to support collaboration among industries, academia and research sectors to enhance I&T ecosystem in Hong Kong. We are delighted to work together with PolyU through ICT academy collaboration to cultivate more I&T talents equipped with innovation and application skills facilitating the I&T development in Hong Kong."

Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU COMP 2024

PolyU is proud to recognise and honour its alumni's outstanding accomplishments and contributions to the community through the Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award (OPAA). The results of this year's departmental awards are out after a rigorous selection process.   We are delighted to announce that Mr Vincent Ma, CEO of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park Limited, is the recipient of the Outstanding Alumni Award in the category of professional achievement. Miss Bianca Ho, Director of Information Technology (Global) at Swire Hotels Group, has been granted the Outstanding Young Alumni Award in professional achievement and community service categories.   Mr Vincent Ma is a veteran with over 30 years of experience in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry after graduating with a Bachelor's degree of Arts (Honours) in Computing Studies from PolyU. He has held leadership roles at Wharf T&T Limited and Sun Hung Kai Properties, driving growth and digital transformation. Since January 2023, he has been appointed the CEO of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Innovation and Technology Park Limited as one of the key persons to lead the initiative for the benefit and development of Hong Kong.   Miss Bianca Ho graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Computer Science and BBA (Hons) in Management (Double Degree) from PolyU in 2017. Within five years of graduating with a bachelor’s degree, she has been appointed Director of Information Technology (Global) at Swire Hotels Group, leading IT teams across multiple locations worldwide. She also demonstrates a strong commitment to serving professional, industry, and societal needs, such as serving as the Director of the Hong Kong United Youth Association (NGO) and leveraging her expertise as a public speaker to share valuable insights and foster collaboration among industry professionals.   PolyU takes great pride in its alumni's remarkable achievements and contributions to their professions and the community. The Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award celebrates the university's role in nurturing future leaders and innovators.