30th Congregation of FCE

Congratulations to the over 1,400 FCE graduates of 2024!

This year, four separate FCE sessions of the 30th Congregation were conducted on 13, 14, and 17 November 2024 at the Jockey Club Auditorium on the PolyU campus. Prof. Xiang-dong LI, Dean of Faculty, presided over the ceremony, reaffirming FCE’s identity, values, and missions. He inspired graduates to cultivate a spirit of resilience as they pursue their dreams. Marking the 30th anniversary of PolyU attaining university status, Prof. Li encouraged the graduates to embody the PolyU motto and contribute to the betterment of the world in their own unique ways.

Each of the four departments invited a guest of honour to share their visions for the future of Hong Kong’s development in the construction and environment fields, along with invaluable life lessons and mottos.

Women in Green Building Leadership Award recognises FCE alumna for advocacy and influence in sustainability

The Faculty is delighted to learn that FCE alumna Ms Grace KWOK, a recipient of the 2023 FCE Outstanding Alumni Award, has been honoured with the Women in Green Building Leadership Award by the World Green Building Council Asia Pacific Network in November 2024.

This prestigious award recognises female trailblazers who have demonstrated exceptional leadership, innovation, and commitment to sustainability, thereby influencing the industry towards a more sustainable future. Ms Kwok was nominated by the Hong Kong Green Building Council for her significant contributions to Hong Kong’s green building development as an inspiring female leader.

BEEE PhD students’ project on sustainable transportation wins first prize at divisional final of ISETS-ESCAP Youth Voice Competition

Encouraging young talents to propose innovative solutions for sustainable development challenges is a vital educational goal of FCE. The cross-institution team "Energy Victory," comprising three PhD students - Mr Dayin CHEN, Mr Junxiang ZHANG, and Mr Shibo ZHU from the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering (BEEE), along with Ms Haolan CHEN from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, won first prize at the divisional final in the Northeast Asian Division of the prestigious ISETS-ESCAP Youth Voice Competition 2024. Organised by the International Society for Energy Transition Studies (ISETS) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), this international competition engages younger generations in discussions on critical global issues.

The team developed a project titled "Drawing the Blueprint of Traffic Electrification with Digital Twin” under the supervision of Prof. Jerry YAN, Chair Professor of Energy and Buildings, and Dr Ying DU, Postdoctoral Fellow of BEEE. They proposed a comprehensive framework to forecast the dynamic development roadmap through advanced digital twin technology, aiming to contribute to a greener future in the transportation sector. The team will then compete with other first-prize winners from all divisions in the Global Final Competition, which will be held in Chengdu.

Department events enhance students’ career skills and networking

FCE efforts in attracting talents from the GBA

Recognising the strategic importance of recruiting talents and strengthening industry cooperation in the Greater Bay Area (GBA), the Faculty actively participated in the Hong Kong Construction Industry 'Talent Hub' – Joint Industry Promotion and Recruitment Event. Jointly organised by the Development Bureau of the HKSAR Government and the relevant Guangdong provincial departments, the event took place on 10 and 11 November 2024. It aimed to highlight career opportunities in the construction industry and promote Hong Kong’s educational offerings to students and practitioners from the Mainland, particularly those from the GBA.

FCE representatives showcased our undergraduate and taught postgraduate programmes at the recruitment booth. A highlight was a promotion talk by Prof. Charles WONG, Associate Dean (Teaching & Global Engagement) of Faculty, titled "Next Generation of Sustainable Construction and Environment: Nurturing our Talents in the GBA". His presentation emphasised the Faculty's commitment to nurturing skilled professionals in sustainable construction and environmental fields.

Workshop of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Environmental Pollution and Control facilitates interdisciplinary exchanges

The 2024 annual workshop of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory for Environmental Pollution and Control (the Joint Lab), hosted by FCE and the State Key Laboratory of Organic Geochemistry (SKLOG) under the Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry (GIG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), was held from 8 to 10 November in Zhuhai, China. The event gathered over 70 researchers and students from both institutions to discuss advancements in environmental science and sustainability.

Prof. Xiang-dong LI, co-director of the Joint Lab and Dean of FCE, and Prof. Gan ZHANG, director of SKLOG, inaugurated the event by highlighting the collaborative efforts and history of the Joint Lab. The workshop featured a diverse programme, including 30 presentations from academics, postdoctoral researchers, and students from both PolyU and CAS, as well as dynamic discussion sessions. Key topics explored included the impacts of emerging pollutants, innovative waste and water solutions, atmospheric chemistry, and the application of remote sensing and big data in environmental monitoring.

The Joint Lab, co-directed by FCE and GIG, exemplifies a strong partnership dedicated to advancing research on environmental pollution and control. In line with this commitment, the second day featured a discussion session that focused on identifying future collaborations and research initiatives. Overall, this collaborative workshop underscored the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in addressing environmental challenges and aims to foster greater participation in future workshops.

FCE departments strengthen academic and government partnerships for impactful education and research

To ensure that the education and research conducted at FCE remain aligned with the latest policy needs and challenges in Hong Kong and beyond, FCE departments maintain strong ties with government departments and statutory bodies in their fields.

On 3 October 2024, a team from the Architectural Services Department of the HKSAR Government visited the Department of Building and Real Estate (BRE). Led by Ar Michael LI and Sr Alan SIN, the Director and Deputy Director of Architectural Services, the team learned about BRE’s latest research and toured the laboratories to better understand its research strengths.

On 23 September 2024, the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI) received a delegation from the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), a statutory board under the Ministry of Law in Singapore. The delegation led by Ms Wai Lin THONG, Deputy Chief Executive of SLA, was introduced to the academic programmes provided by LSGI. Both parties also explored opportunities for future collaboration.

These visits fostered mutually beneficial partnerships and ensured that FCE is equipped to contribute effectively to societal advancement, both locally and internationally.

FCE academic co-authored study published in Nature revealing summer water storage in Greenland ice sheet

The Greenland ice sheet (GrIS) is currently the largest single contributor to global-mass-induced sea-level rise. Research on the hydrological processes in Greenland is critical for understanding ice sheet melt behaviour and the associated sea-level rise.

A group of international researchers, including Prof. Jianli CHEN, Professor of the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI), published a study named "Vertical bedrock shifts reveal summer water storage in Greenland ice sheet" in Nature revealing the summer water storage in GrIS.

The research analysed bedrock elastic deformation measured by Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) stations to quantify the spatiotemporal behaviour of the total mass of water leaving the GrIS. The study discovered that during melt season, the buffered meltwater caused at most 5 mm subsidence of the bedrock near the GNSS stations. It also showed that meltwater runoff modelled from regional climate models may contain systematic errors, suggesting that upward adjustments of up to 20% may be needed for the warmest years.

These findings indicate a high potential for utilising GNSS data for research on hydrological processes in Greenland and provide the basis for improved projections of future GrIS melt behaviour.

Innovative welding technology for ultra-high strength S960 steel pioneered by FCE research team advances infrastructure sustainability

S960 steel is an ultra-high strength steel widely used in the construction of high-rise buildings and long-span structures. However, its strength and ductility can be reduced by up to 20% to 30% during welding, limiting its applications. A research team led by Prof. K.F. CHUNG, Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), has developed a welding technology that can minimise or even eliminate these adverse effects and maintain the mechanical properties of S960 steel.

The team studied the effects of heat input energy during welding onto the S960 steel and discovered the optimal heat energy ranges for different weld joint designs across various thicknesses of S960 steel. This innovative welding technology has been adopted in a footbridge in the first phase of the Fanling North New Development Area, marking Hong Kong’s first public works project using S960 steel.

This advancement enables the use of thinner and fewer steel materials, reducing the self-weight of the footbridge, and hence, the number of foundation piles required. In the long term, this innovation can lead to lower carbon emissions and enhanced sustainability.

FCE Professor to lead new research centre in nature-based urban infrastructure solutions

The unprecedented rate of urbanisation worldwide presents mounting challenges to cities and underscores the urgent need for innovative solutions to ensure urban resilience and sustainability. As a strong advocate of sustainable development, FCE strongly encourages its academics to contribute to multidisciplinary research and take up pivotal roles in University-level research initiatives.

The newly established Research Centre for Nature-based Urban Infrastructure Solutions (RNUS) is dedicated to advancing sustainable practices in urban development by integrating ecological principles with innovative urban infrastructure design. The centre aims to advance our scientific understanding of the interactions among nature, built environments, and human societies in urban areas, and develop innovative, nature-based infrastructure solutions based on this understanding. Led by Prof. Yuhong WANG, Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), RNUS brings together a multidisciplinary team of researchers and experts from PolyU and other global academic institutions to collaborate on projects that promote sustainable infrastructure with pioneering nature-based infrastructure solutions.

With its commitment to innovation and sustainability, RNUS is not only a response to current urban challenges but also a proactive step towards shaping a greener future for cities worldwide.