FCE honours exceptional achievements of alumni with Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU FCE 2024

FCE is happy to announce the recipients of the Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU FCE 2024. Four distinguished awardees have been honoured for their exceptional entrepreneurial, professional, and scholarly achievements, as well as their active support to the alma mater and impactful contributions to the community.

FCE takes tremendous pride in the many remarkable graduates it has nurtured over the decades. Since 2022, the Faculty has honoured the accomplishments of its most exceptional alumni through the Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU FCE.

The Faculty hopes that their success and impact, which reflect FCE’s quality education, will inspire and motivate the FCE community to strive for excellence and to give back to society.

Follow this link to learn more about the awardees’ accomplishments.

Outstanding Alumni Award
	Outstanding Alumni Award in Entrepreneurial Achievement Ir Eagle MO Cheung Ying Bachelor of Engineering in Building Services Engineering The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (1997)			Outstanding Alumni Award in Professional Achievement Ir WONG Chi Pan, JP Bachelor of Engineering in Civil Engineering Hong Kong Polytechnic (1989)
Outstanding Young Alumni Award
	Outstanding Young Alumni Award in Professional Achievement Ir Dr David KOWK Tai Wai Doctor of International Real Estate and Construction The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (2023)			Outstanding Young Alumni Award in Scholarly Achievement Prof. SONG Mengjie Doctor of Philosophy The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (2015)

FCE members honoured by HKSAR Government for impactful contributions to societal and industry development

FCE Awards for Outstanding PhD Theses 2023/24

The FCE Awards for Outstanding PhD Theses recognise outstanding research outputs by our PhD students. This year, five students were awarded for their excellent academic performance, impressive publication records, impactful research, and strong presentation skills.

Awardees were selected through a rigorous evaluation process, with an “excellent” rating from the Board of Examiners serving as the essential criterion for their theses. This foundation allowed the respective Departmental Research Committees to shortlist the most outstanding candidates, who then competed in the oral presentation for the final selection of awardees by the Working Group of the Faculty Research Committee.

By honouring these high-calibre theses, the Faculty affirms its commitment to fostering professional excellence, promoting a vibrant research community, and advancing cutting-edge research.

World-class academician shares insights on geology and climate history at FCE Distinguished Lecture

The FCE Distinguished Lecture is a hallmark initiative of the Faculty, inviting world-leading academics to share their research findings and expertise with FCE staff, students, alumni, and friends. FCE was honoured to host Prof. Zhengtang GUO from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), who delivered a lecture themed “Neogene-Quaternary loess deposits in China and Asian climate changes” on 27 August 2024.

Prof. Guo is an eminent Cenozoic geologist and paleoclimatologist renowned for his research on climate information derived from the loess deposits in China. Elected as an academician of CAS in 2013, he currently serves as the Director of the Department of Earth Sciences at the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

During his lecture, Prof. Guo elaborated on how the widespread loess deposits in northern China provide a precious terrestrial record of paleoclimate. He discussed how the chronology yields new constraints on the regional geomorphic history. He also explained the influence of the Tibetan Plateau on the monsoon-dominated climate and inland deserts in Asia and the subsequent climate revolution, along with the impact of the Earth’s orbital cycles on the monsoon climate.

MTR Research Funding Scheme 2024

The railway network in Hong Kong plays a crucial role in the city's transportation system, providing efficient, reliable, and rapid transit for passengers every day. To further facilitate the sustainable development of rail transport, the MTR Research Funding (MRF) Scheme was established by the MTR Academy to support groundbreaking projects that will keep Hong Kong ahead of current and future transport challenges. The following two projects led by FCE scholars have received support from the MRF Scheme 2024. These projects focus on enhancing the comfort and efficiency of the MTR system, as well as its resilience during unforeseeable disruptive events.

Research on big mobility data reveals demographic disparities in exposure levels to air pollution

Exposure to air pollution can cause a wide range of health effects for everyone. However, numerous studies indicate significant disparities in how different populations experience these exposures. The research article "Big mobility data reveals hyperlocal air pollution exposure disparities in the Bronx, New York", co-authored by Dr An WANG of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), leverages extensive mobility data to uncover significant variations in air pollution exposure across different neighbourhoods in the Bronx. By analysing movement patterns and air pollution data, the study identifies areas with disproportionately high levels of air pollution, highlighting the environmental injustices faced by certain communities, particularly those in Hispanic-majority and low-income neighbourhoods. The findings underscore the necessity for targeted interventions and policies to address these localised disparities and improve public health.

The article was published in Nature Cities and reported by MIT News in July 2024. Nature Cities is a newly launched online journal from Nature Portfolio that publishes cutting-edge research addressing urban issues on a broad scale. You may also visit the project website to learn about the gist of the study.

Orientation sessions and roadshow to welcome FCE freshmen for university life

To welcome the new cohort of freshmen and prepare them for their academic journeys at FCE, the FCE departments conducted orientation sessions for both undergraduate and taught postgraduate students starting from mid-August.

The orientation sessions included department overviews, programme rules and regulations, and laboratory briefings. Representatives from PolyU central units also introduced the available resources and guidance for outbound exchange opportunities and knowledge transfer initiatives. Students also had the chance to meet their respective Heads of Department, Programme Leaders, and Academic Advisors. These sessions covered nearly all aspects of university life, allowing students to efficiently plan for their upcoming years at FCE.

In addition to the departmental orientations, the Faculty of Construction and Environment Student Association (FCESA) also took part in the Welcome Roadshow coordinated by the Student Affairs Office from 14 to 16 August 2024. The event was a student-initiated endeavour to showcase the forthcoming activities of the student associations and societies and to attract new members. The FCESA booth attracted around 120 students to enquire about the upcoming events.

FCE departments organise competitions to spark prospective students' interest in land resources optimisation and civil engineering