News

Prof. John Shi was conferred as Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences

Professor Shi Wenzhong John, Director of the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Smart Cities Research Institute and Chair Professor of LSGI was conferred as Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS) for his contribution to social science in late 2021. The Academy’s Fellowship is made up of distinguished individuals from academic, public, private and third sectors, across the full breadth of the social sciences. Through leadership, scholarship, applied research, policymaking, and practice, they have helped to deepen the understanding of, and address, some of the toughest challenges facing our society and the world. New Fellows are named due to the excellence and impact of their work, which addresses matters of vital importance and contributes to the social sciences for the public good. Through leadership, scholarship, applied research, policymaking and practice, they have helped to deepen the understanding of some of the toughest challenges facing our society and the world. Congratulations to Prof. Shi!

PolyU Students Won the Third Prize in Huawei APAC ICT Competition 2022 & Advanced to Global Final

Huawei APAC ICT Competition 2022 is the largest ICT skills contest in the Asia Pacific region developed by Huawei to promote a sound talent ecosystem. Entrants had to compete in one of two technology tracks: Network or Cloud. The PolyU’s Polynomials team won the Third Prize in Cloud track for their multidisciplinary knowledge, outstanding performance, and good teamwork. They stood out from 114 students who advanced to the regional final. The team is passionate on big data, AI, cloud, and geospatial technologies, and relevant applications in E-Commerce, IoT, and Smart City. Through learning from a comprehensive set of tutorials provided by Huawei, the team quickly got on board with the Huawei burgeoning ecosystem both in theory and in practice. The team obtained in-depth knowledge of four kinds of state-of-the-art IT technologies as well as their evolutionary history and applications. The PolyU winning team will continue their journey for the Global Final in June 2022 which will be held in Shenzhen, China.   Polynomials Team members: Feng Yun Lin, Zhong Xiu Ming and Tang Man Kit (students from Department of Computing and Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics) Instructor: Dr. Yang XU, Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics

Result of LSGI Outstanding Alumni Award 2022

The Outstanding Alumni Award of LSGI aims to give public recognition to outstanding graduates of the department for their professional achievements and significant contributions to the community and their alma mater. The two awardees in 2022 are listed as follows:   The Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU LSGI 2022 – Awardee Award Category - Professional Achievement Sr CHAN Siu Bun, Ben (1986, Higher Certificate in Land Surveying) Mr Ben CHAN Siu-bun graduated from the Centre of Land and Engineering Surveying of the Hong Kong Polytechnic, which equipped him to enter the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Joining the Lands Department in 1990, Ben pursued his MSc studies in “Geographical Information System” and “Geodetic Survey” in the United Kingdom in 1992 and 2002 respectively. He was involved in the first Internet Map for Hong Kong for tourists, Internet broadcasting of GPS correctional signals for precise positioning, and 3D city mapping. Whilst serving as the Principal Government Land Surveyor and Deputy Director (Survey & Mapping) of the Lands Department in 2020-21, Ben led the re-organisation of the Survey and Mapping Office with a new vision on “Bring Spatial Data to Life, Develop a Smart City through Survey and Mapping”, opening up government digital maps for free use, and promoting development of the surveying industry. As the chair of Geomatics Committee and a member of the RICS Hong Kong Advisory Board (2016 – 2021), external examiner of LSGI (2013-2018) and a member of the Built Environment Panel of the 2019 RAE of the University Grants Committee, Ben has long been dedicated in collaboration among government, industry, academia and research institutes.   The Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU LSGI 2022 – Young Awardee Award Category - Entrepreneurial Achievement Sr ZHANG Wei, Jack (2009, MSc in Geomatics)   Sr Zhang Wei, Jack is the founder and managing director of Geosys Hong Kong Ltd and Shenzhen Intergeo Innovation Technology Co., LTD, which is a global leading geospatial technology solution provider. Sr Jack Zhang graduated from Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics Department of PolyU with Master's Degree in Geo-informatics in 2009 and now member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and member of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors. He started his career in Leica Geosystem and Intergraph after graduation as technical engineer. He founded Geosys in 2014 and then leading a professional team in innovative digital surveying and mapping technologies research and development and a project team to deliver professional services to the market till now. The VR3D™ digital twin cloud platform is one of the company R&D product, provides industrial leading cloud service with reliable performance and powerful functions based on cloud computing, artificial intelligence and patented 3D GIS platform engine technologies. Now the platform and technology has been adopted by the Hong Kong Police Force, Planning Department, Lands Department, CEDD, Housing Authority, Urban Renewal Authority, Architectural Services Department, Shenzhen City Planning and Natural Resources Bureau and many public developers and contractors in the region. The platform also won many international and local awards by The International Society of City and Regional Planners (ISOCARP), Hong Kong Institute of Planners (HKIP), Construction Industry Council (CIC) etc in these years.   Congratulations to our alumni!

LSGI’s research won IFITT 2022 Journal Paper of the Year Award

A research study conducted by Dr. Yang XU, Assistant Professor of Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics, and his team won the first place of 2022 Journal Paper of the Year Award by the International Federation for IT and Travel & Tourism (IFITT). This is also the second time in a row that Dr. Xu’s research won this annual award. The study combines large-scale mobile positioning data and network science approaches to characterize the attractiveness and spatial interactions of tourism destinations in South Korea. The study was published in Tourism Management (2022 Impact Factor: 10.967), a top journal in tourism and environmental studies: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tourman.2020.104195. Dr. Xu’s team also developed big data visualization to feature this research: https://youtu.be/XxyWzBUp-NU.

LSGI research project receives silver medal at International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva 2022

Awarded project: Hong Kong Solar Irradiation Map  Project title: Responsive Web-based Solar Irradiation Map with Solar Energy Calculator for Hong Kong To promote a wider penetration of renewable energy in Hong Kong, the HKSAR government has introduced the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme in which the public can sell the electricity generated from solar photovoltaic (PV) to the power company at higher rate than the usual electricity tariff rate. Nevertheless, it is a challenge for the general public to identify an appropriate location on rooftop for the installation of PV system. A PolyU LSGI research team, led by Prof. Charles Wong of LSGI, has developed a web-based Hong Kong Solar Irradiation Map for EMSD of HKSAR government to encourage the public to install a solar PV system. The project received a silver medal at the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva 2022 together with the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department, HKSAR. To develop a solar irradiation map, a digital surface model was used to simulate the solar irradiation at different tilting angles and orientations. The simulation model also considers the terrain, shading effects and the atmospheric conditions over 10-year historical solar irradiation data from the Hong Kong Observatory. The simulation result was found having 95.99% accuracy when compared with the field validation measurement using in-situ pyranometers. The solar irradiation map is developed by using the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to identify the suitable locations for deploying PV system, in consideration of numerous criterions, in terms of the slope, site obstruction, shadow effect and barrier. Alongside the generation capacity, annual electricity generation and annual return of income from FiT scheme will be estimated. By using the payback calculator, the payback period can be estimated. Link of Hong Kong Solar Irradiation Map: https://solarmap.emsd.gov.hk/map YouTube video Sharing

LSGI Scholars Secure Over $2.4 Million Funding from Environment and Conservation Fund

Two impactful research projects led by LSGI scholars have been supported by the Environment and Conservation Fund (ECF), with a total funding of over HK$2.4 million. Among the HK$10 million funding received by the thirteen projects from PolyU, LSGI composes nearly a quarter of funding granted. These projects aim at developing green technologies to address environmental issues. Project Project Coordinator Amount (HK$) A Multi-source Remote Sensing Based Technique for Monitoring Oil Spills Prof. Charles Wong 1,920,520 Climate-Resilient Planning and Design for Coastal Stormwater Drainage Systems Dr Wang Shuo 490,600 Established by the Government in 1994, the ECF supports local non-profit-making organisations like universities, schools, community bodies and green groups, by funding their educational and research projects on environmental and conservation initiatives in Hong Kong.

PolyU's First Faculty-based Education and Research Fund

Faculty of Construction and Environment Education and Research Fund (FCE Fund) We are 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.

In-kind Donation of COVID-19 RAT Kits from Unistrong

The Department of Land Surveying & Geo-Informatics (LSGI) received a donation of 1000 sets of COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test kits from Unistrong (北京合众思壮科技股份有限公司), a long-term partner of LSGI, on 17 March 2022. On behalf of the department, Prof. Wu Chen, Head of LSGI, expresses our gratitude for Unistrong’s generous support and caring action. Our fellow students and colleagues will benefit from the kind contribution.

Research Sharing: How fast does flash drought evolve?

Approximately 33.64−46.18% of flash droughts develop within 5 days for the period 2000−2020, and the rapid onset of flash droughts is further accelerated by the joint influence of soil moisture depletion and atmospheric aridity. The emerging phenomenon of flash drought has recently attracted widespread attention due to the sudden onset and rapid intensification of drought conditions worldwide, even in humid regions like southern China. Compared with traditional, slowly developing droughts, flash droughts evolve with a relatively fast depletion of soil moisture. In the past two decades, more than one third of flash droughts developed within 5 days. Giving very few early warnings, flash droughts leave human beings unprepared for the severe impacts they bring, e.g., imbalance of ecosystems and agricultural systems. “The occurrence of flash droughts has been detected in many regions around the world. However, we don’t know how fast flash droughts evolve and what causes the rapid onset speed,” said Dr Wang Shuo, Assistant Professor from the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. In the new study, published in Nature Communications on 3 March 2022, Dr Wang and his research teammates revealed the mechanism causing flash droughts. They found that flash droughts do not appear to be occurring more frequently in most regions of the world, just coming on faster. Approximately 33.64−46.18% of flash droughts develop within 5 days for the period 2000−2020, and there is a significant increasing trend in the proportion of flash droughts with the 5-day onset time globally. “Flash droughts are most likely to occur in humid and semi-humid regions, including Southeast Asia, East Asia, Amazon Basin, Eastern North America, and Southern South American.” Dr Wang said, “Southeast China is also one of flash drought hot spots. In the past, it is generally believed that northern China is mainly subject to droughts while floods affect southern China. The southeastern part of China is most vulnerable to the impacts of typhoons, storm surges, rainstorms, and floods. Thus, the increasing flash drought risk is overlooked, without any early warning and emergency response measures, posing serious threats to ecosystem protection and sustainable agriculture development.” Dr Wang explained that “atmospheric aridity creates a perfect condition for the occurrence of flash droughts, and the joint influence of soil moisture depletion and atmospheric aridity further enhances the rapid onset of flash droughts. In other words, low soil moisture combined with high vapor pressure deficit accelerates the decline in soil moisture through land–atmosphere feedbacks. Thus, Southeast China with strong land–atmosphere coupling is most vulnerable to flash droughts.” The new study contributes to a deeper understanding of the rapid onset development and driving mechanism of flash droughts. Identification of flash drought-prone regions and global hot spots can help policymakers and stakeholders develop flash drought mitigation and risk management strategies. Furthermore, comprehensive assessment of onset development timescales of flash droughts provides insights into the implementation of flash drought forecasts and early warning systems.   Publication: Qing, Y., Wang, S., Ancell, B., and Yang, Z-L. (2022) Accelerating flash droughts induced by the joint influence of soil moisture depletion and atmospheric aridity. Nature Communications, 13, 1139. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-28752-4

LSGI PhD student won the AAG Student Honors Paper Competition

The Remote Sensing Specialty Group (RSSG) of the American Association of Geographers (AAG) held the 2022 RSSG Student Honors Paper Competition during AAG Annual Meeting, 25 February to 1 March, 2022, New York City, US. Research papers from students on all topics of remote sensing are evaluated on its contribution to the field, originality, novelty, research design, organization, and the overall quality of the paper. The oral presentation is evaluated on professional delivery, organization, clarity, visual aids, and overall presentation.  We are glad to share that a PhD student Xiaoyue Tan (under supervision of Dr. Xiaolin Zhu) from Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI) won the first-place in the mentioned competition with paper “Modeling the Direction and Magnitude of Angular Effects in Nighttime Light Remote Sensing (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2021.112834)” published in 2022 at the Remote Sensing of Environment, one of the top journals in the discipline. This study revealed the uncertainties caused by angular effect in night-time light (NTL) daily time series, and proposed a conceptual model to explain the mechanism of NTL angular effect. This research deepens understanding of the NTL angular effect, and contributes to the development of technologies for reconstructing high-quality daily NTL time series, as a result to have a closer monitoring of high-frequency socioeconomic activities. Congratulations to our student!