Dean's Message
Ir Professor HC MAN
Dean
Faculty of Engineering
As Dean of PolyU’s Faculty of Engineering, I’m immensely proud of the high-quality experiential learning experiences and holistic education we provide students and the exemplary research we produce.
The stories in this edition of Vibrant@FENG attest to our staff and students’ commitment to interdisciplinary research and collaboration, as well as engineering excellence. These efforts have led to remarkable discoveries that will help solve some of Hong Kong’s, and the world’s most pressing challenges—the Faculty of Engineering is truly living up to PolyU’s motto: To learn and to apply, for the benefit of mankind.
Going places
A testament to our staff and students’ dedication and research achievements, the Faculty of Engineering has over the past few years climbed the global rankings of academic subjects.
For example, PolyU ranked 11th for engineering in U.S. News’ Best Global Universities Rankings 2022, and 4th and 19th for Transportation Science and Technology and Mechanical Engineering, respectively, in ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects in 2021.
In the QS World University rankings for 2022, PolyU ranked 69th, 74th, 16th and 92nd for Engineering and Technology, Mechanical, Aeronautic and Manufacturing Engineering, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and Computer Science and Information Systems, respectively, while it ranked 51st and 64th globally in Engineering and Computer Science for 2022’s Times Higher Education Rankings. Meanwhile, PolyU was ranked number eight among global universities for computer science by Research.com 2022.
Through deeper industry collaboration with large innovative firms, seizing opportunities for collaboration in the Greater Bay Area, government support, more investment and an expanding bench of innovative staff, we can expect those rankings to improve further.
New blood
Over the past two years, we have welcomed many new colleagues, including chair STEM professors from abroad, who have joined the faculty’s seven departments and enhanced our research capabilities.
A notable new faculty addition is Professor C.Y. CHUNG, a world-leading researcher in smart grids, renewable energy, and integrated energy systems, who on July 4th will take up the role of electrical engineering department head, and lead the team into a new era.
The university, as well as the government, both in Hong Kong and in Mainland China, have provided research funding that is enabling the faculty to strengthen its capabilities. At home, the HKSAR government’s Global STEM Professorship Scheme provides funds for universities to attract and employ world-class professors. It funds qualifying professors for five years, and, alongside funding from the government and The Hong Kong Jockey Club to buy cutting-edge equipment and facilities, means we can hire more outstanding chair professors, professors, associate professors and assistant professors from abroad.
With these talents joining the faculty, I have every confidence that our research capabilities will advance in leaps and bounds.
Aiming for the sky
As we look to life post pandemic, the faculty is working hard to further establish itself in the aviation industry. With the industry set for recovery by the end of the year, it will need enormous inputs of resources to overcome shortages of pilots and crew members, which is a golden opportunity for the faculty to provide training to the people that work in aviation.
As well as human resources training and normal undergraduate and post-graduate degree awards schemes that produce aviation engineers and other aviation professionals, we are partnering with Cathay Pacific to set up a flight training organisation, to train cadet pilots from Cathay Pacific.
Importantly, these courses and training initiatives provide young people with more career opportunities in aviation, a key pillar of Hong Kong’s economy.
Encouraging entrepreneurialism
Building on the faculty’s ground-breaking research and industry collaborations, we strongly encourage students and staff to become entrepreneurial.
Our rich research results form fertile ground on which startups can spring up and flourish. For example, Scolioscan, which provides the world’s first and the only ultrasound scoliosis assessment system and is supported by the HKSTP LEAP programme, was created when PolyU licensed imaging patents to Telefield Medical Imaging Limited. It is currently securing its first round of investment.
Another startup success story is Liverscan, which provides pioneering wireless ultrasound devices for hepatic scanning. Supported by the HKSTP Incubio programme, the company makes devices that are based on an imaging patent licensed to Eieling Technology Limited.
With integration increasing in the Greater Bay Area, more opportunities to translate PolyU’s research into products and services that tap the mainland’s huge market are emerging.
Our students and staff are ideally placed to translate their research into real-world solutions, and to facilitate the development of a fruitful, collaborative startup ecosystem, PolyU is focused on encouraging the creation of new businesses through providing expert advice and mentoring on all aspects of business development and operating an incubation scheme.
Given PolyU and the Faculty of Engineering’s many growing strengths, and the hard work and dedication of staff and students, we can look to much more innovative, impactful research in the years ahead.
