We welcome comments and suggestions from staff, students, alumni, and friends of the Faculty, please contact the Faculty Office at faculty.ce@polyu.edu.hk.
 
 

 

 

FCE project receives HK$48 million funding in RGC Theme-based Research Scheme 2023/24 for tropical-storm-resilient system

As a densely populated and highly developed coastal city, Hong Kong faces increasingly severe tropical-storm-related hazards due to constant population growth and climate change. Tropical storms like Super Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018 caused the city enormous economic losses. To protect the safety, quality of life, and economic vitality of Hong Kong and other similar coastal cities, there is a need for real-time tropical storm risk warning and urban-resilience assessment systems.

Prof. Yi-Qing NI, Chair Professor of Smart Structures and Rail Transit of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), Director of National Rail Transit Electrification and Automation Engineering Technology Research Centre (Hong Kong Branch), and Yim, Mak, Kwok & Chung Professor in Smart Structures, received HK$48.29 million funding from the Research Grants Council (RGC) Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS) 2023/24 (Thirteenth Round) for the project “INTACT: Intelligent Tropical-storm-resilient System for Coastal Cities”.

The project team is comprised of experts in urban aerodynamics, climate modelling, wind engineering, fluid mechanics, structural engineering and monitoring from CityU, CUHK, HKU, HKUST, and PolyU. Prof. Ni will lead the team of multi-disciplinary experts to establish a real-time urban typhoon risk early warning and management analysis framework and elucidate and model the underlying causes of tropical storm-generated turbulent flows and urban risks. This will result in the development of a new kind of damage mechanism involving wind pressure-windborne debris-rainwater chain effect that is specific to Hong Kong owing to densely spaced tall building clusters. Furthermore, the project will develop educational programmes and policy recommendations for urban sustainability.

In this round of TRS exercise, the RGC received 66 eligible preliminary proposals, 29 proposals were shortlisted for full proposal submissions and 20 of the full proposals were selected for interview. Finally, the RGC supported nine proposals. Prof. Ni’s project is one of the two awarded PolyU-led projects this year. Since the first round of TRS exercise in 2011/12, FCE academics have secured six TRS projects for PolyU, including Prof. Tao WANG of CEE (2017/18), Prof. Jin-Guang TENG/Prof. Tao YU of CEE (2018/19)*, Prof. Asif USMANI of BEEE (2019/20), Prof. Jianlei NIU of BEEE (2021/22), Prof. Xiang-dong LI of CEE (2022/23), and Prof. Yi-Qing NI of CEE (2023/24).

* The project was originally led by Prof. Teng. Prof. Yu took over the role of the Project Coordinator in March 2020 after Prof. Teng assumed his duty as the President of PolyU. Prof. Teng now serves as the Advisory Project Coordinator of the project.

 
   

Results of RGC Competitive Funding Schemes 2023/24

One commonly acknowledged metric for gauging research quality is the ability to secure competitive research funding. In the 2023/24 round of General Research Fund (GRF) and Early Career Scheme (ECS) application results announced on 30 June 2023, FCE remains in the leading position in the Civil Engineering, Surveying, Building and Construction (CESBC) disciplines of the RGC Engineering Panel but sees slight declines in the number of grants and grant amounts.

Owing to their similar nature, the application results for these two schemes have been combined in some of the following analyses.

Department Total
(including GRF & ECS)
Overall success rate Total amount of competitive funding (including GRF & ECS)
(HK$)
BEEE 10 37% $11,262,091
BRE 7 23% $6,133,085
CEE 14 23% $15,823,186
LSGI 9 35% $9,087,176
FCE (Total) 40 28% $42,305,538


As seen in Figure 1 below, the total number of grants has shown a decrease in the present round, and the total funding has also dropped slightly to $42 million (Figure 2).


Figure 1: Comparison of the number of grants per year between departments over the past 10 years


Figure 2: Comparison of total grants awarded per year between departments over the past 10 years

In the Civil Engineering, Surveying, Building and Construction (CESBC) disciplines of the Engineering Panel, PolyU has led local universities in the GRF/ECS exercises since 1994/95 in both the number of GRF/ECS projects supported and the total grant value awarded, consistently winning around or almost reaching 50% of all GRF/ECS grants allocated in these disciplines. The distribution of the amount of GRF/ECS funding in 2023/24 among local universities is shown in Figure 3. We received 48% of the total available funding in the CESBC disciplines this year, with an average funding of HK$1,026K per project.


Figure 3: Distribution of GRF/ECS funding in the CESBC disciplines among institutions in the 2023/24 round

Of the 40 GRF/ECS grants awarded to the Faculty this year, five were awarded outside the CESBC disciplines. The Faculty won 35 grants (or 38.9%) totalling HK$37M out of 90 GRF/ECS grants awarded by RGC in the CESBC disciplines in the 2023/24 round.

FCE colleagues are encouraged to strive for improvement and should aim to write a full score (5) proposal to ensure a larger share of GRF/ECS funding in the future, which also impacts the R-portion of the University as well as its departments.

 
   

Achievements of FCE academics

The Faculty is thrilled to share some recent prestigious awards and titles bestowed upon FCE academics for their distinguished academic standing and achievements at international, national, and Hong Kong levels.

 

Prof. Xiao Lin ZHAO, Chair Professor of Civil Infrastructure of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), has been conferred the Humboldt Research Award 2023 for his key contributions in the field of FRP strengthened steel structures, tubular structures and high-performance construction materials. The Humboldt Research Award is granted by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany to internationally leading researchers of all disciplines outside Germany in recognition of their academic record to date.

Prof. Zhao has also been elected a Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA) for his outstanding achievements in engineering and infrastructure. The EASA has 2,000 elected members who are leading scientists, artists, and practitioners of governance, including 37 Nobel Prize Laureates.

 

Prof. Tao WANG, Chair Professor of Atmospheric Environment of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), received a Second-Class Award in the Nature Science category of the Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Awards (Science and Technology) 2022. The award was presented by the Ministry of Education of China for the project “Atmospheric Chemistry of Reactive Nitrogen Oxides and its Impacts on Regional Atmospheric Environment”. The project team led by Prof. Wang discovered important chemical processes of nitrogen oxides (NOx) and their roles in photochemical and haze pollution. The findings have enhanced the knowledge of atmospheric chemistry and improved an extensively used air quality model for global air quality forecasting and research.

 

Prof. Meng NI, Associate Dean (Research) of Faculty and Professor of the Department of Building and Real Estate (BRE), has won the RGC Senior Research Fellow Scheme 2023/24 with his research project titled "Protonic ceramic fuel cells for clean power generation: from new cathode materials to new stack designs" and received funding support of HK$7.8 million over five years. The scheme aims to provide sustained support to exceptionally outstanding researchers at full Professor rank at UGC-funded universities in Hong Kong. Ten awards are provided in each round of the yearly exercise based on a list of criteria including qualifications and research capability, proven research track record to date, leadership quality and vision in the chosen area of research, and merit of the research proposal, etc.

 
 
   

FCE signs MoU with School of Naval Architecture, Ocean & Civil Engineering of Shanghai Jiao Tong University for strategic collaboration

Academic exchange and collaboration with first-class universities are crucial to the advancement of research and teaching qualities. On 26 June 2023, FCE signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the School of Naval Architecture, Ocean & Civil Engineering (NAOCE) of Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) to form a strategic partnership.

Witnessed by Prof. Kuiling DING, President of SJTU, and Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU, the MoU was signed by Ms Wei ZHOU, Secretary of the Communist Party of China of NAOCE, and Prof. Xiang-dong LI, Dean of Faculty. A seminar was held after the signing ceremony where academic representatives from NAOCE and FCE further discussed the collaboration opportunities in various areas, including talent nurturing, research and innovation, and societal impact. It is hoped that the partnership will strengthen both universities’ positions as leading institutions in the Asian region.

 
   
 

CEE presents seminar to celebrate 50th anniversary

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) (formerly the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering), CEE hosted a one-day seminar named “Civil Engineering in the Next 50 Years” on 23 June 2023 which attracted around 380 participants.

Keynote speaker Ir Ricky LAU, Permanent Secretary for Development (Works) and CEE alumnus, and seven other distinguished speakers shared their insights into their respective areas of expertise and highlighted the impact of the construction industry on infrastructure and urban development as well as the importance of adapting to the changing industry landscape. CEE is going to host more celebratory events in the coming months.

 
 
   

LSGI hosts competition for secondary school students to encourage innovative smart city solutions

The Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI) launched the Innovation for Smart City Competition in late 2022, with an aim to encourage secondary school students to develop innovative solutions for building a smart city and attract prospective students.

Engaging over 80 participants from different schools throughout the competition, the final round cum award presentation ceremony was successfully held on 7 July 2023, with the five finalist groups presenting and discussing their projects with the judging panel. Along with Prof. Wu CHEN, Head of LSGI, the panel also consisted of three officials from different government units. As a token of acknowledgement, the Overall Champion team and teacher supervisor were awarded an overseas excursion to Singapore during summer holidays to explore the smart city experience and strategies. The competition helps nurture the next generation’s creativity and equip them with knowledge in sustainable development. Further details and the list of awardees can be found here.

 
   

 

FCE Luncheon Research Salons to cultivate supportive research culture among young academics

To further enhance the collaborative research culture among young faculty members and boost the research performance of FCE, four FCE Luncheon Research Salons were held in May and June 2023. A young academic from each department was invited to be the key speaker of each salon, sharing their aspirations as beginners from the fringe, the paths leading to their domains today, as well as their future plans for research collaborations. Each sharing was followed by a Q&A session which sparked dynamic discussion between participants. Prof. Xiang-dong LI, Dean of Faculty, emphasised that FCE will continue to support the development of young faculty members in their pursuit of research excellence.

The salons not only provided a valuable platform for each department to develop its focused research areas but also facilitated potential cross-departmental collaborations.

Department Speaker Topic
Dept of Building Environment and Energy Engineering Prof. Tommy WEI From Understanding to Reproducing the World
Dept of Building and Real Estate Dr Hung-lin CHI Smart Construction Machinery Planning and Safety Application
Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering Dr Chao ZHOU Unsaturated Soil Mechanics for Climate-Resilient and Sustainable Development
Dept of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics Dr Xiaolin ZHU Land Surface Monitoring from Space
 
 
   

Welcome new staff to FCE

FCE welcomes Prof. Ahmed ELGHAZOULI who is starting as Chair Professor of Earthquake Engineering and Structural Integrity in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) under the Global STEM Professorship Scheme. Prof. Elghazouli obtained his PhD degree in Structural Earthquake Engineering from Imperial College London in 1992. Prior to joining PolyU, he served for 15 years as Professor of Structural Engineering and Head of the Structures Section in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at his alma mater. He also worked earlier for several years at The University of Edinburgh and in industry.

Prof. Elghazouli is an expert on seismic design and structural robustness. He has over 300 publications in related areas and has been involved in the design of notable structures worldwide. He is a Fellow of the UK Institutions of Civil and Structural Engineers (Institution of Civil Engineers and The Institution of Structural Engineers). In recognition of his outstanding contributions to engineering research and practice, he was also elected Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2016. Prof. Elghazouli chairs the British Standards Institution (BSI) committee on seismic design and is on the management committee of Eurocode 8. He is a former chair of the UK Society for Earthquake and Civil Engineering Dynamics and its delegate to the International and European Associations for Earthquake Engineering.

 
   
 

Dean's/FCE Awards reward outstanding academic and non-academic staff

FCE recognises and rewards our academic and non-academic staff for their outstanding achievements. Congratulations to all the awardees of the Dean's/FCE Awards 2023:

Dean’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Research Funding

The award is to reward the success of academic staff in securing external competitive research funding. The full list of funded projects is available here.

Department Awardee
Dept of Building Environment and Energy Engineering Prof. Shengwei WANG Chair Professor
Prof. Tommy WEI Professor
Dept of Building and Real Estate Prof. Tarek ZAYED Professor
Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering Prof. Yi-Qing NI Chair Professor
Prof. Tao WANG Chair Professor
Prof. Zhen LENG Professor
Prof. Daniel TSANG Professor
Prof. Zhen-yu YIN Professor
Prof. Tao YU Professor
Prof. Songye ZHU Professor
Dr Nathanael JIN Assistant Professor
Dept of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics Prof. Wu CHEN Professor
Prof. Charles WONG Professor
Dr Wallace LAI Associate Professor
Dr Xiaolin ZHU Associate Professor

  

Dean’s Award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching Innovation

This award was established in 2022 to give recognition to academic staff who have demonstrated teaching innovation in externally funded teaching development projects, teaching and learning related publications or external awards and honours.

Department Award Category Awardee
Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering Individual Award Prof. Zhen-yu YIN Professor

  

FCE Award for Outstanding Administrative/Technical Services

The award is to recognise the remarkable performance and contributions of administrative and technical staff of the faculty office and departments.

Unit Award Category Awardee
Faculty Office of Construction and Environment Individual Award Miss Emmy KO Executive Officer
Individual Award Miss Janice KO Executive Officer
Team Award Ms Y. TSUI*
Mr Andy YEUNG
Faculty Secretary
Executive Assistant
Dept of Building Environment and Energy Engineering Individual Award Ms May CHAN Executive Officer
Individual Award Mr Kenny HUNG Technician
Team Award Mr Sam CHEUNG*
Mr Theodor YU
Technical Officer
Assistant Technical Officer
Dept of Civil and Environmental Engineering Individual Award Miss Elsie CHEUNG Assistant Officer
Individual Award Miss Celine CHE Assistant Technical Officer
Individual Award Mr Paul CHOI Assistant Technical Officer
Dept of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics Team Award Ms Anna CHOI*
Miss Ziki CHEUNG
Executive Officer
Typist
* Team leader
 
 
 

FORTHCOMING
EVENTS

  FCE Sharing Session cum Tea Reception for PolyU International Summer School
A golden opportunity to learn more about the taught postgraduate and PhD programmes offered by FCE. Both local and overseas students are welcome.
Date: 2 August 2023 (Wednesday)
Venue: ZS1215
Enquiries: summer.sch.polyu@polyu.edu.hk
Target Audience: Prospective postgraduates and PhD students
 
FCE Logo Design Competition
Date: From now to 25 August 2023 (Friday)
Please click here for the details.
 
HKIS Annual Conference 2023: Exploring Infinity with Our Expertise for an Age-friendly Future
Date: 9 September 2023 (Saturday)
Time: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
Venue: Diamond Ballroom, Level 3, The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong
Details:https://www.hkis.org.hk/en/professional_cpd2.html?id=5785
 
 
 
 
 

INVITATION FOR PROGRAMME ADMISSION

 
 
 

Applications are invited for the following programmes.
Undergraduate Programmes https://www.polyu.edu.hk/fce/study/undergraduate-programmes/
Taught Postgraduate Programmes https://www.polyu.edu.hk/fce/study/taught-postgraduate-programmes/
Research Postgraduate Programmes https://www.polyu.edu.hk/fce/study/research-postgraduate-programme/

For e-Prospectus, please visit https://www.polyu.edu.hk/study

 
 
 

SCHOLARSHIPS & AWARDS

 
 
 

Please click here for the scholarships and awards of the Faculty.