SHKP-Kwoks’ Foundation x PolyU Building Homes with Heart Scholarship Programme presents scholarships to nine outstanding FCE students to foster future industry professionals

This year, nine exceptional FCE students received scholarships from the SHKP-Kwoks’ Foundation x PolyU Building Homes with Heart Scholarship Programme to support their studies. At the award ceremony held on 28 August 2024, Mr Adam KWOK, Executive Director of SHKP, presented the scholarships to the awardees. Each student was awarded a scholarship of up to HK$40,000.

At the ceremony, Prof. Ben YOUNG, Vice President (Student and Global Affairs) of PolyU, and Mr Robert CHAN, Executive Director of SHKP and a PolyU graduate, shared their visions for academic-industry collaboration and nurturing future talents for the industry.

The scholarship programme is an initiative jointly launched by the SHKP-Kwoks’ Foundation and PolyU in 2023. It aims to provide support to exceptional PolyU students, with a particular focus on those facing financial challenges, in their pursuit of studies in construction, real estate, or engineering-related disciplines.

Click here to view the awardees list.

FCE Public Lecture: Prof. Dongping Fang on People-centric Approach for Urban Resilience

Urban resilience is currently a central topic of research in academia. At the FCE Public Lecture held on 21 October 2024, the Faculty was honoured to have Prof. Dongping FANG, Dean of the School of Civil Engineering and Deputy Director of the Institute for Future Cities and Infrastructures at Tsinghua University, to share his expertise and insights with FCE members and guests.

A renowned scholar in construction safety and urban resilience, Prof. Fang focuses on human-centric approaches to improve urban resilience against earthquakes and floods. During his lecture titled “People-centric approach for improving urban resilience”, he generously shared his research methodology and elaborated on an earthquake case study. The lecture concluded with an inspiring exchange of ideas, attracting over 150 attendees.

FCE boasts highest numbers of Top 2% scholars in Building & Construction and Civil Engineering

According to the latest “Updated science-wide author databases of standardised citation indicators” compiled by Stanford University, 18 FCE scholars are on the list of the World’s Top 2% Most-cited Scientists in the Building and Construction sub-field, marking the globally largest representation of top scholars in the field. Additionally, FCE boasts the highest number of Top 2% Civil Engineering scholars in Hong Kong.

The high concentration of top-notch scholars underscores the global recognition of FCE’s research impact and highlights the Faculty’s significant influence in research and innovation within these two fields.

BEEE research team develops solar-powered coating to mitigate urban heat island effects towards carbon neutrality

Buildings consume approximately 90% of the electricity in Hong Kong and generate over 60% of the city's carbon emissions. To reduce energy consumption in buildings, a research team led by Prof. Vivien LU of the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering (BEEE) developed a solar-driven adaptive radiative cooling (SARC) coating to help lower both surface and indoor temperatures, which has been published in Chemical Engineering Journal in August 2024.

Unlike traditional passive radiative cooling materials, which cannot automatically adjust their cooling capacity in response to environmental changes, this carbon dots-driven SARC coating can adjust its cooling capacity based on solar irradiance: as solar intensity increases, the coating’s solar reflectance is enhanced, preventing buildings from absorbing excessive heat. This non-toxic, metal-free, and durable coating can reduce a building’s surface temperature by up to 25°C and lower indoor temperatures by 2 to 3°C without consuming any energy.

The SARC coating was tested on the roofs of container houses at a construction site in Hong Kong and was proven highly effective and durable. Over the two-year test period, 10% annual energy savings were achieved from reduced air-conditioning, while solar reflectance of the coating decreased by less than 2%. The exceptional cooling performance of the novel SARC coating, the variety of available colours, and its easy application using just paint rollers make it a promising solution for sustainable urban development.

Career Talk by Airport Authority Hong Kong broadens FCE students’ career prospects

FCE is dedicated to supporting our students in exploring their career prospects. On 23 October 2024, FCE collaborated with the Faculty of Engineering (FENG) to host a career talk featuring representatives from the Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK). They introduced the Hong Kong International Airport Graduate Engineer Programme to the students. Accredited by The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE), this Scheme "A" training programme provides aspiring engineers with comprehensive on-the-job training and exposure to diverse airport engineering systems and projects.

The talk offered a unique opportunity for students majoring in various engineering disciplines, such as Aviation, Building Services, Civil, Electrical, and Mechanical Engineering, to explore promising career paths in the aviation industry. It also served as an excellent platform for them to network with industry experts and alumni, allowing students to gain practical advice.

InnoTech Open Day x Alumni Homecoming 2024 celebrates innovation and connection

The PolyU InnoTech Open Day x Alumni Homecoming 2024, held on 19 October, warmly welcomed the public to explore the University’s impactful achievements and invited alumni back to their alma mater to celebrate their vital role in its growth and success. This year, FCE showcased cutting-edge research and technology with a focus on Smart Living and Transportation at the Faculty booth. Alumni, along with their families and friends, were thrilled to explore the latest advancements and innovations since their graduation. The departments also organised thematic guided tours of the HVACR Laboratory, Fire Engineering Laboratory, and Photogrammetry and Robotic Vision Laboratory (Planetary Remote Sensing Lab), offering alumni a chance to reconnect with their academic roots and rediscover the recent transformation.

The day perfectly blended nostalgia and progress, strengthening connections across generations and industries, and allowing alumni to refresh cherished friendships and memories at PolyU.

FCE fosters connections with prospective students through dynamic initiatives