PolyU Undergraduate Info Day 2022

The Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE) offers a comprehensive range of construction related undergraduate degree programmes which are all well recognised by the local and international professional community. On 8 October 2022, the Faculty took part in the PolyU Undergraduate Info Day 2022 (Info Day) which attracted about 26,000 participants to a broad range of face-to-face/online activities that provided first-hand information on undergraduate studies to the participants.

Representatives from the Faculty vigorously participated in the Info Day to showcase our education and research excellence. Apart from consultation booths to introduce the departments and undergraduate programmes, guided laboratory tours and hybrid seminars were also organised for students, parents, and members of the public. Participants also took the opportunity to seek information and advice for the newly implemented departmental-scheme admission programmes.

For those who missed the event, you can now get an e-ticket to visit our virtual booth via the PolyU UG Admissions Info Platform for admissions and programme webinar playbacks, student sharing and other information. You can also visit FCE (at Block Z) by taking a Virtual Campus Tour.

Prof. Bo WU shares views on recruitment of payload specialists in Hong Kong

The recruitment of payload specialists in Hong Kong and Macau for the first time in the Nation's fourth recruitment of astronauts and specialists has been the most talked about topic recently. As one of the handful of scientists in Hong Kong who have been engaged in the Nation’s space exploration, Prof. Bo WU of the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI), Associate Director of the Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations (RCDSE), has been invited to share his views on the recruitment by several media platforms and the University.

Prof. Wu said it would be a great encouragement for Hong Kong if a local expert is recruited, and could facilitate Hong Kong scientists to further participate in the national aerospace missions. Noting the enthusiastic response from many young researchers, he also shared some advice from his decade-long experience of contributing to national space missions. According to Prof. Wu, apart from meeting the basic requirements, the ability to design innovative and scientifically impactful experiments would be an extra advantage. He also emphasized that participating in space exploration projects requires exceptional dedication. Prof. Wu recalled from his own experience, “Colleagues from Mainland China are very professional, passionate, devoted and uphold high standards.”

Prof. Wu and his team are now intensively preparing for the lunar south pole exploration scheduled in 2026.

FCE researchers granted NSFC’s Young Scientists Fund 2022

FCE’s research excellence counts on the endeavours of senior academics and young researchers alike. The outstanding research ability of FCE’s young generation of researchers has been recognised by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Young Scientists Fund 2022 (the Fund).

This year, the NSFC’s Young Scientists Fund has been expanded to allow researchers and universities in Hong Kong to apply for the first time. A total of 14 research projects led by FCE young researchers were granted funding support by the Fund, accounting for over one-third in terms of the number of projects awarded to PolyU. Each project will be granted funding of RMB 300,000 to support basic research work for three years. With financial support from the Fund, the young scientists can further foster their ability to independently undertake research projects and conduct creative research.

The complete list of awarded projects is as follows:

PolyU supports new research centre led by young BEEE scholar

FCE, being a leading contributor to university-based research in construction in Hong Kong, strives to develop new research areas. Recently, the University has approved funding support for five new research centres and three existing centres. One of the new centres established is the Colour, Imaging, and Metaverse Research Centre led by Dr Tommy WEI of the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering (BEEE).

With a one-off funding support of HK$7.5 million for a period of 3 years, the newly set up research centre aims to carry out high-impact fundamental research about human vision, colour and imaging science, develop algorithms and solutions for systems, and be a pioneer in exploiting the potential to use metaverse for treatment, rehabilitation, education, and design.

The research on colour and imaging science belongs to FCE’s research theme of building environment which focuses on improving indoor and outdoor environments, while metaverse is an emerging research area that could lead to unlimited possibilities. It is hoped that new research centres led by promising young researchers will generate innovative solutions that synthesise and address the development needs of the new era.

CEE PhD student wins PolyU PhD Thesis Award 2022

Reactive halogens have been reported to have an important role in atmospheric chemistry and air quality, as they lead to the destruction of stratospheric Ozone. Dr Xiang PENG, a PhD student of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) supervised by Prof. Tao WANG, has won the PolyU PhD Thesis Award 2022 (Outstanding Award) hosted by the Graduate School, in recognition of the significance and innovation of her graduating thesis on halogen studies. Her research has also received the FCE Award for Outstanding PhD Theses 2021/22 earlier.

While the majority of previous halogen studies had focused on the stratosphere and the polar region, Dr Peng’s research investigates the abundance, sources, and impact of reactive halogen chemistry in various polluted regions in China. Her research implicates the possibility of larger roles of reactive bromine and chlorine on air quality than previously recognised, and presents the potential benefits of including halogen chemistry into future air quality policy assessments.

FCE Chair Professor Lecture Series

The fourth lecture of the FCE Chair Professor Lecture Series, entitled “Where does Remote Sensing Belong: Technology, Science, AI, or …?”, was delivered online by Prof. Qihao WENG, Chair Professor of Geomatics and Artificial Intelligence of the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI), on 27 September 2022.

After a brief welcome speech by Prof. Xiang-dong LI, Dean of Faculty, Prof. Weng led the participants on a journey of how remote sensing has become a vital geospatial science and technology for understanding the Earth and managing human-environment interactions. The latest interplay between remote sensing, image/signal processing, AI, computer vision was also introduced in the lecture.

In the Q&A session, Prof. Weng, Prof. Li and online participants had an interactive discussion on various issues, such as the challenges of applying up-to-date remote sensing technologies in urban environmental research and policy, and the formation of new paradigms and future trends of the discipline of remote sensing as technological advances continue. The online lecture attracted around 280 staff, students, alumni and members of the public.