News

Inauguration of Endowed Professorships and Endowed Young Scholars

Being appointed as an Endowed Professor or an Endowed Young Scholar is a joint recognition from the University and the wider community of an academic’s outstanding contributions in their respective fields of research. It also represents immense support and faith that the academic’s research endeavours will advance the frontiers of knowledge and benefit both society and the world at large. FCE is proud to have eight academics bestowed the honours at the Fourth Inauguration of Endowed Professorships cum the First Inauguration of Endowed Young Scholars held on 31 August 2022. The Endowed Professorship Scheme was established by PolyU in 2012 to honour distinguished scholars for their outstanding academic and research achievements. The current Endowed Professors at FCE are as follows, you may click on the titles to learn more about each Endowed Professorship.  New Endowed Professorship   Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Endowed Professorship in Smart Buildings Prof. Shengwei Wang Dept of Building Environment and Energy Engineering   Able Endowed Professorship in Construction Health and Safety Prof. Albert Chan Dept of Building and Real Estate   Michael Anson Endowed Professorship in Civil Engineering Prof. C. S. Poon Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering   Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Endowed Professorship in Urban Informatics Prof. John Shi Dept of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics   Fiona Cheung Endowed Professorship in Spatial Science Prof. Bo Wu Dept of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics  Successive Endowed Professorship   Ko Jan Ming Endowed Professorship in Sustainable Urban Development Prof. Xiang-dong Li Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering   Yim, Mak, Kwok & Chung Endowed Professorship in Smart Structures Prof. Yiqing Ni Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering   The Endowed Young Scholars Scheme was introduced by PolyU in 2021 to support promising early-career academics to advance the frontiers of knowledge and technology. Dr Chao Zhou (CEE) is among the first batch of Endowed Young Scholars of PolyU.  New Endowed Young Scholar   Tsui Tack Kong Endowed Young Scholar in Civil Engineering Dr Chao Zhou Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering It is hoped that by partnering with visionary philanthropists, the Endowed Professors and the Endowed Young Scholar of FCE will be empowered to step up their excellent work in research and education and bring positive changes to the world.

FCE Alumni Reunion Day 2022

FCE Dean secures HK$44 million funding in the latest round of RGC Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS) for project on air pollution

BEEE academic garners Young Innovative Researcher Award 2022

FCE Academics among World’s Top 50 Scholars

Congratulations to the Recipients of Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU Faculty of Construction and Environment 2022

FCE is delighted to present the “Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU Faculty of Construction and Environment 2022” to four distinguished alumni in recognition of their professional, entrepreneurial, and scholarly achievements and significant contributions to the University and the community at large. Marking the 85th Anniversary of PolyU this year, special recognition for outstanding young alumni is added. The award recipients of FCE Outstanding Alumni Award 2022 are:  Award Recipient  Award Category   Ir LAU Chun-kit, Ricky, JP Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering, Hong Kong Polytechnic (1989) Outstanding Alumni Award in Professional Achievement Ir Ricky Lau, Permanent Secretary for Development (Works) of the HKSAR Government, has demonstrated exemplary leadership and made tremendous contributions to the local construction industry over the past three decades. In 2018, he took up the post of Director of Civil Engineering and Development cum Commissioner of Mines of the HKSAR Government overseeing various mega-sized projects of reclamation including the proposed Kau Yi Chau artificial islands under the Lantau Tomorrow Vision as well as other New Development Areas (NDA), and participating in infrastructural development. His advocacy for the “Construction 2.0” strategy, leveraging technologies through the Construction Innovation and Technology Fund (CITF) has taken the strategic development of the industry to a new horizon. In 2020 and early 2022, to help combat the COVID-19 pandemic, he led various Works Departments of the HKSAR Government to build quarantine, isolation and treatment facilities within an extremely tight time frame. Ir Lau has been instrumental in encouraging young professionals to contribute to community building, and promoting the collaboration of academia and industry practitioners to innovate for engineering advancement in support of the wider community. He currently chairs the Departmental Advisory Committee for the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) of FCE in the PolyU.   Prof. Xugang HUA Doctor of Philosophy, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (2006) Outstanding Alumni Award in Scholarly Achievement Prof. Xugang Hua is Deputy Dean of College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, and Director of Key Laboratory for Wind and Bridge Engineering of Hunan Province. Being a renowned scholar among researchers of his age, Prof. Hua is a recipient of many privileged awards, including National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) funded Distinguished Young Scholars (2020) and Excellent Young Scholars (2014). He made significant contributions to his research field of aeroelasticity and aerodynamics of long-span bridges, vibration control, and structural health monitoring. He developed a fictitious finite element-based method for flutter analysis of long-span bridges, which is widely used by both research and design institutes. In the field of structural health monitoring, he formulated an improved perturbation-based method for stochastic finite element model updating, which is known to the world as Hua's Approach. In addition to sharing research ideas, Prof. Hua has helped nurture the alma mater’s next generation: a graduate mentee of his, Dr Youwu Wang, is now a research assistant professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) of FCE.   Prof. Huafu PEI Doctor of Philosophy, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (2012) Outstanding Young Alumni Award in Scholarly Achievement Prof. Huafu Pei is Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Infrastructure Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, and the Deputy Director of the Key Laboratory of Engineering Disaster Prevention and Mitigation of Liaoning Province. Focusing on geotechnical hazards prevention and mitigation, Prof. Pei committed himself to the research and development of original high-precision geotechnical disaster monitoring and sensing equipment for the benefit of society. The technologies and theoretical methods he developed have been employed for important engineering tasks including Xinpu landslide in Three Gorges reservoir area, Fushun West Open-pit, and Weijiagou landslide in Wenchuan earthquake zone. He was awarded the National Science Fund for Excellent Youth Scholar for his tremendous contributions to disaster prevention and mitigation. Prof. Pei has dedicated himself to connecting the alumni community with the alma mater. He is a member of the Committee of CEE Research Scholars Alumni Association (CEE-RSAA) and is on the preparatory team of the Postgraduate Students and Scholars Alumni Association of PolyU in the mainland China.   Dr Aotian SONG Doctor of Philosophy, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (2018) Outstanding Young Alumni Award in Entrepreneurial Achievement Dr Aotian Song is the co-founder and CEO of Shenzhen Leadus Industry Co. Ltd (formerly Shenzhen Pavo Tech Development Co. Ltd). Aiming to resolve the core technology problems in ultra-low energy consumption building industry chain, the company has been awarded as national high-tech enterprise, as well as one of top 100 enterprises in Shenzhen Longhua District. Dr Song and his team in 2018 invented the first tempered and no-pumping hole vacuum insulated glazing, with better product performance than existing energy-saving glazing by 2 times in thermal conductivity and by 3 times in sound insolation. The invention has increased production efficiency, minimized cost and has been applied massively in areas like construction, transportation and electrical appliances. Dr Song has demonstrated outstanding innovation and entrepreneurship in his endeavour to advance technology ventures with societal impact. Being the Vice Chairman of Shenzhen Longhua Friendship Association for Non-CCP Intellectuals and a standing committee member of Shenzhen Longhua People's Political Consultative Conference (C.P.P.C.C.), Dr Song proactively explores innovation and entrepreneurial opportunities in the Greater Bay Area for Hong Kong youngsters. He is also actively involved in PolyU’s knowledge transfer initiatives by sponsoring research projects and providing PolyU students with internship opportunities.

FCE Proudly Debuts PolyU’s First Faculty-based Education and Research Fund

 The Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE) is delighted to announce the official launch of the FCE Education and Research Fund (FCE Fund), the first faculty-based platform in PolyU that solicits concerted and sustainable support of the community for the advancement of education and research development of the Faculty. An online launch ceremony was hosted on 26 March 2022. Prof. Jin-Guang Teng, President of PolyU, expressed his joy to witness a milestone in the University’s 85th Anniversary in his welcome speech. Prof. Teng reiterated the University’s commitment to academic and research excellence. The establishment of the FCE Fund, with the backing of the University, provides sustainable resources to the Faculty to accelerate its research and education efforts, with the ultimate goal of benefiting our society and the wider world. Prof. Xiang-dong Li, Dean of Faculty of Construction and Environment, emphasized that FCE, as a world-leading faculty in civil and structural engineering, as well as architecture and built environment disciplines , is determined to create innovative solutions for sustainable urban development, building smart cities and improving people’s lives. The FCE Fund will serve as a key fundraising platform in supporting the strategic initiatives and the holistic development of the Faculty and its academic departments across disciplines. The Faculty has been engaging its alumni, industry stakeholders, partners and friends in its establishment of the FCE Fund, and has so far raised over HK$10 million donations. Prof. Li particularly expressed his gratitude to the Fund’s donors and supporters, whose contributions, together with fundings from the PolyU Donation Matching Scheme and the UGC Research Matching Grant Scheme, laid a solid foundation of over HK$20 million for the FCE Fund to inaugurate. The donation will enable FCE to materialise its ambitious plans and initiatives set out under the Fund, in supporting the emergence of new knowledge and innovative ideas, grooming talents, and accelerating high-impact research projects with societal impact. Prof. Li concluded his speech by calling upon the audience to support the Fund and introducing the new online donation platform. It was highlighted that PolyU will match $1 for every $2 donation to the FCE Fund, thereby multiplying the donation for greater impact. Ms Belinda Chow, Director of Alumni Affairs and Development, shed light on the role of the Alumni Affairs and Development Office (AADO) in significant initiatives like the FCE Fund. Ms Chow shared ways of engaging alumni and maintaining the bond between the University and the alumni community. The online ceremony ended on a high note with an inspiring speech from Ir Yau Kwok-fai, an alumnus of PolyU and the President of the Federation of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Alumni Associations. Ir Yau shared his vision with the audience and illustrated how the FCE Fund sets a good example of alumni contributing and involving in the alma mater’s development. Ir Yau emphasized the Alumni Associations’ support for PolyU in its pursuit of education and research excellence. For more details of the FCE Fund, please refer to the Fund homepage.

FCE Dean Receives Clair C. Patterson Award for Outstanding Achievements in Environmental Geochemistry

Prof. Xiang-dong Li, Dean of Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE) and Chair Professor of Environmental Science and Technology, was honoured with the Clair C. Patterson Award 2022 in recognition of his cutting-edge research in environmental geochemistry within the last decade. His research projects mainly aim at addressing real-world environmental problems, by engaging in the fields of regional contamination, urban air PM2.5 pollution, and the origin and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance. Prof. Li was proud to be presented with this prestigous award, as it is an international recognition to not only himself but also the PolyU research team, for their dedication in making an impact in the communities and the wider world. Prof. Li is also the Director of Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD) and Ko Jan Ming Professor in Sustainable Urban Development at PolyU. He has published more than 250 papers over the years, and has over 10 publications listed among the top 1% most cited papers in Environment/Ecology by the ISI database. He has also been the principal investigator of numerous research projects funded by the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). Presenting the Clair C. Patterson Award to only one recipient annually, the Geochemical Society is a non-profit scientific organisation established in 1955 to encourage the application of chemistry to the solution of geological and cosmochemical problems, as well as to promote understanding of geochemistry through a wide range of programmes.

Research Projects led by FCE Scholars Awarded Over $22 Million Funding from RGC

Four outstanding collaborative projects led by FCE scholars have been supported by the Research Grants Council (RGC), with the total funding amounting to over HK$22 million. Two of the projects aim to address the impact of COVID-19 and novel infectious diseases, while the other two focus on innovative and cross-disciplinary research areas. Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) 2021/22 Project Project Coordinator Amount Awarded (HK$) Is the Usual Social Distance Sufficient to Avoid Airborne Infection of Expiratory Droplets in Indoor Environments? Prof. Guo Hai Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering 4,703,090 Spatiotemporal Prediction and Real-time Early Warning of COVID-19 Onset Risk Prof. John Shi Dept of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics 6,964,000 Study of Carbon Sequestration in Hong Kong’s Vegetation: from Present to Future Prediction under Climate Change Prof. Charles Wong Dept of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics 4,949,639 Research Impact Fund (RIF) 2021/22 Project Project Coordinator Amount Awarded (HK$) Deeper Understanding of Color Matching Mechanism for Developing High-quality Lighting and Imaging Systems Dr Tommy Wei Dept of Building Environment and Energy Engineering 5,700,000 Administered by RGC, the CRF supports investigators across disciplines and/or across universities to engage in creative and multi-disciplinary research projects, while the RIF aims to foster impactful and translational collaborative research beyond academia for the benefit of wider community.

CEE Research Team to Support First National Observation and Research Station at Mega Bridge

A new national field research station for the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge (HZMB) will be established with the help of a team of researchers from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE). Led by Associate Head Ir Prof. Xia Yong, the CEE Team engaging in this vital national project includes CEE colleagues Prof. Zhu Songye and Dr Dong You and specifically focuses on exploring structural safety monitoring, condition assessment, and maintenance strategies of sea-crossing bridges. Sea-crossing bridges are always vital to the economic development of highly urbanized coastal areas, yet at the same time they are prone to corrosive marine environment and natural hazards. The CEE team, in collaboration their counterparts of the station, will collect real-time data, assess and predict the in-service condition of the bridge, and develop advanced technologies for intelligent operation and cost-effective maintenance of mega bridges. The structural health monitoring group of CEE has a long historical legacy and reputation in the area, with its research applying to numerous landmark structures like the Tsing Ma Bridge, Canton Tower and Shanghai Tower. The HZMB is the latest example. National Field Scientific Observation and Research Stations have been set up by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) since the late 1990s. Focusing on ecology, special environments, geophysics and materials corrosion, and now the maritime environment, as well as structural safety, such research stations have been an integral part of the national technology innovation infrastructure. The new HZMB station is one of the three national stations in transportation areas approved by the MOST in October 2021.