News

Consul General of Sweden visits RCRE

Ms Louise BERGHOLM, Consul General of Sweden, visited the Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality (RCRE) on 3 October 2023. During the laboratory visit, Prof. POON Chi-sun, Director of RCRE, introduced some of the low-carbon construction materials developed by the Centre, including foam glass-based lightweight concrete, superhydrophobic lightweight foam concrete, sustainable permeable concrete for urban drainage and 3D concrete printing products. The two parties had an enlightening and fruitful exchange.

Establishment of Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion

The PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR) takes great pleasure to announce the establishment of Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion (RCTFF), set to commence operations on 1 October 2023. This significant undertaking has been established to propel interdisciplinary research in the domains of textiles and fashion, thereby reinforcing The Hong Kong Polytechnic University's (PolyU) unwavering dedication to fostering innovation and the progression of knowledge. As one of the constituent research units of PAIR, RCTFF assumes a vital role in spearheading transformative research initiatives. Under the leadership of Prof. FAN Jintu, Chair Professor of Fiber Science and Apparel Engineering, RCTFF emerges as a hub of expertise and innovation, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience in the research field. RCTFF is dedicated to driving groundbreaking research with the principal objective of advancing high-performance textiles and fashion products. By creating an environment that fosters collaboration and encourages creativity, the centre strives to generate innovative solutions for efficient and sustainable fashion and textile life cycles. RCTFF focuses on a diverse range of core research themes, including, but not limited to: Advanced materials and technologies Product design and innovation Life cycle management By focusing on these critical domains, RCTFF seeks to establish itself as a global leader in textile and fashion research, making significant contributions to both academia and industry. The centre also looks forward to engaging with partners and stakeholders from various sectors to facilitate technology exchange and drive impactful collaborations. For further information about the new RCTFF and its research initiatives, please visit www.polyu.edu.hk/rctff/

Prof. TAO Xiaoming elected as Full Foreign Member of European Academy of Natural Sciences

Congratulations to Prof. TAO Xiaoming, Director of the Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems, for being elected as a Full Foreign Member of the European Academy of Natural Sciences. Headquartered in Hannover, Germany, the Academy promotes contacts and exchange of information between its members. Currently, a total of 50 scientists from China have been appointed as full members.

Prof. Eddie HUI hosts panel discussion at HKIS Property and Facility Management Division Conference 2023

The Property and Facility Management Division of Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (HKIS) held a conference “Next Generation of Smart Property & Facility Management in Greater Bay Area” at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University on 26 September 2023.  Ms. HO Wing-yin, JP, Secretary for Housing of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government was invited as the guest of honour.  The event attracted more than 230 industry professionals and academics from Hong Kong and mainland China for discussion on the industry development and the industrial application of innovative technologies in the property and facility management sector in the Greater Bay Area. Prof. Eddie HUI Chi-man, Management Committee Member of the Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS) and Associate Head and Professor of the Department of Building and Real Estate (BRE), hosted the panel discussion on the topic “Exploring the Opportunities and Challenges of Smart Technology Adoption in Property and Facility Management across the Greater Bay Area”, leading the audience for an active and fruitful exchange.   Online coverage: Hong Kong Commercial Daily - https://polyu.me/3ET2Z7j Chinese only

RISE member develops novel catalysts for carbon dioxide reduction

Dr HUANG Bolong, Member of the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE) and Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, developed novel catalysts for the chemical reactions that are important for energy conversion and sustainable energy technologies, including water-splitting hydrogen generation, oxygen reduction and evolution for fuel cells and metal-air batteries, and carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction for controlling carbon emission. Dr HUANG’s recent research, “Double-dependence correlations in graphdiyne-supported atomic catalysts to promote carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) toward the generation of diatomic carbon (C2) Products,” was published in Advanced Energy Materials in December 2022. It provides useful references for informing the choice of suitable catalysts to overcome the current technical bottleneck in converting CO2 into high value-added C2 products. Read more: https://polyu.hk/VNsmH Read the full research article: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/aenm.202203858

Insightful study published in renowned journal Addressing ozone pollution challenges with synergistic control

An international research team led by PolyU scholars has published a ground-breaking perspective article in the prestigious journal One Earth. The study focuses on combating ground-level ozone pollution, a pressing environmental issue affecting human health, crop yields, and global climate change. The team, comprising 30 scholars from 10 countries, proposes a synergistic control approach between ozone and climate to address the challenges of rising tropospheric ozone levels. Prof. GUO Hai and Prof. WANG Tao from the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD) are one of the corresponding authors and co-authors, respectively. The research highlights the alarming increase in warm-season ozone pollution over the past decade. Key regions, including Mainland China, the United States, and Europe, have experienced significant ozone rises, posing challenges in pollution control due to changing emissions and the influence of climate warming. The study emphasises the need for a comprehensive strategy that integrates ozone and climate control, prioritising both human and ecosystem health. By connecting emissions, mechanisms and policies, this approach offers a remarkable solution to mitigate ozone pollution while fostering international collaboration for a low-carbon future. For more details, read the full article in One Earth journal. URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2023.07.004

Prof. CAO Jiannong gives keynote speech at global blockchain summit

Prof. CAO Jiannong, Director of the Research Institute of Artificial Intelligence of Things (RIAIoT), Dean of the Graduate School, Director of the University Research Facility in Big Data Analytics, Chair Professor of Distributed and Mobile Computing and Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Professor in Data Science, delivered a keynote speech on decentralised data infrastructure for Web 3.0 at the 9th Global Blockchain Summit 2023 held in Shanghai. Prof. Cao said that Web 3.0 is marked by three characteristics: de-platforming and decentralisation—a single centralised platform will no longer be needed to control and manage user information; user data ownership—users will have complete control over their own information and identity; and tokenisation—the values of user-generated data and contents can be expressed in the form of tokens. He also pointed out that, the Web 3.0 environment can drive many innovations. Innovations in high application layers including decentralised finance (DeFi), finance gamification (GameFi) and social finance (SocialFi), are all about decentralised finance, i.e., the use of blockchain, smart contracts and digital identities to remove the unnecessary intermediate channels in traditional finance. GameFi and SocialFi apply the concepts and technologies of decentralised finance to games and social platforms respectively.  In addition to innovation at the application level, Web3.0 can also drive organisational, social and economic innovation.   Online coverage (Chinese only): Zhihu - https://polyu.me/3ZnxNXl China.com - https://polyu.me/3PKLUCD East Money - https://polyu.me/48mmi6m

Dr SHOU Dahua awarded The Fiber Society’s 2023 Distinguished Achievement Award

Dr SHOU Dahua, Member of the Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR), Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology (RISports), Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality (RCRE), and Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion (RCTFF), Limin Endowed Young Scholar in Advanced Textiles Technologies, and Assistant Professor in the School of Fashion and Textiles, has been bestowed with the 2023 Distinguished Achievement Award by The Fiber Society.   The Fiber Society is a scientific association dedicated to the advancement of knowledge pertaining to fibres, fibre-based products, and fibrous materials. The Award is presented annually to an outstanding researcher under the age of 40 who has made significant contributions to the field of fibre science and engineering worldwide.

Ten PAIR projects granted Health and Medical Research Fund, bringing evidence-based solutions for better health

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has received a funding totalling of HK$25.1 million for 27 projects in the 2021 Exercise of the Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF), a higher number of projects supported and amount awarded than previous year.  Among them, 10 projects are led by researchers from PAIR constituent units: In alphabetical order of surnames Research Units Principal Investigator Project Title RCSV Dr CHUN Ka-man Combination effect of optical defocus and low dose atropine in myopia control – A randomized clinical trial RiFood, RISA, RCMI and RCSV Dr DO Chi-wai Characterization of baicalein, a natural molecule, as anti-glaucoma agent RiFood Dr DONG Xiaoli Rational design of oral drug delivery system for celastrol as a novel catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitor to treat Parkinson’s disease RCMI Dr HO Yuen-shan Investigation of electroacupuncture as paramedicine to alleviate cognitive impairment in depression: A pre-clinical study MHRC Dr Georg KRANZ Intermittent theta-burst stimulation for major depression: an intensity-response study RiFood Dr LI Tian Investigation of a deep learning-empowered 4D multi-parametric MRI (4D-mpMRI) technique for liver cancer radiotherapy in a prospective clinical trial MHRC Dr Jessie LIN Jingxia A mobile application for early detection and symptoms trajectories of postpartum depression using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA): A prospective cohort validation study PRI Prof. QIN Jing Effectiveness of social virtual-reality on enhancing social interaction skills in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: A three-arm pilot randomised controlled trial RCSV Dr Stanley John WINSER Cost of disease and falls among individuals with Parkinson’s disease living in Hong Kong: A prospective cost-of-illness analysis RI-IWEAR, RISports and RISA Dr Arnold WONG Yu-lok Effectiveness of acceptance and commitment therapy versus active controls in improving psychological functions of parents and children with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: A randomized controlled trial   Further reading: https://polyu.me/44RGtGw   Online coverage: Hong Kong China News Agency - https://polyu.me/3t5ccXl(Chinese only)

Prof. CHEN Wu gives speech at APAS Forum on Beidou Satellite Navigation System Technologies

Prof. CHEN Wu, Associate Director of the Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Things (RIAIoT), Management Committee Member of the Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS) and Head of the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics, delivered a keynote speech at the APAS Forum on Beidou Satellite Navigation System Technologies on 18 September. The Forum brought together experts and industry leaders to discuss on the opportunities and challenges in the application of Beidou satellite navigation system in smart cities and digital economy.   Online coverage (Chinese only): Sohu - https://polyu.me/3LsujwT China News - https://polyu.me/45WiDut