FCE Global STEM Professors to lead two JC STEM labs for translating frontier science and technology into societal impact

We are delighted to report that Prof. Qingyan CHEN, Chair Professor of Building Thermal Science of the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering (BEEE), and Prof. Qihao WENG, Chair Professor of Geomatics and Artificial Intelligence of the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI), will lead two newly established Jockey Club (JC) STEM Labs as the Lab Directors.

Prof. Chen will direct the JC STEM Lab of Healthy Built Environment, dedicated to developing innovative solutions for evaluating and designing healthy and energy-efficient environments, with applications in airborne infectious disease control and thermal comfort in buildings, transportation and urban areas. The lab aims to set a precedent for sustainable urban development on a global scale.

Prof. Weng will lead the JC STEM Lab of Earth Observations to advance Earth observation technologies by integrating space-air-ground sensing, AI-powered image processing and urban sensor networks. The lab will pioneer geomatics solutions that revolutionise urban monitoring and environmental management.

The JC STEM Labs are funded by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust to support the research endeavours of distinguished scholars selected for the Global STEM Professorship Scheme and to nurture STEM talents in Hong Kong.

FCE academics drive innovation and societal impact through diverse research funding schemes

As 2024 comes to a close, the Faculty is pleased to report several external competitive research funding secured by our academic staff. The diverse and distinct foci of these funding sources underscore FCE’s broad expertise across multiple disciplines and its capacity to tackle a wide range of research endeavours, including transportation technology, public policy, and cross-border research collaboration.

The Faculty encourages all FCE academic staff to continue their efforts in advancing knowledge within their respective fields and addressing critical societal needs.

BRE academic-led start-up wins first place at Cornell EMI Pitch Competition

FCE and its departments actively promote entrepreneurship development among their members. In November 2024, the BRE academic-led start-up ICC (Hong Kong) Limited achieved first place at the Cornell EMI Pitch Competition in New York, an international entrepreneurship event showcasing a wide range of start-ups from around the world. Dedicated to developing innovative AI and optimisation solutions for efficient decision-making in construction projects, the start-up was also recognised as an awardee of the PolyU Micro Fund and Angel Fund for its exceptional performance in innovation and technology.

Dr Dong WANG, the Founder of ICC (Hong Kong) Limited and a Postdoctoral Fellow of the Department of Building and Real Estate (BRE), collaborated with Ms Rongyan LI, PhD student, and Ms Zhe ZOU, Research Assistant, for the competition. Under the supervision of Prof. Tarek ZAYED, Dr Hung Lin CHI, and Prof. Geoffrey SHEN, they developed iOptiCrane, the world’s first AI-powered platform designed to automatically generate tower crane layouts for Modular Integrated Construction (MiC) and traditional construction projects. This innovation significantly reduces crane collision risks, operation duration, and emissions.

Urban spatial transformation study published in Science Direct reveals increasing prominence of planning intentions over traditional factors

Effective urban planning is crucial for achieving sustainable development. To provide a nuanced understanding of how urban planning impacts land development and guides urbanisation, Prof. Qihao WENG, Chair Professor of Geomatics and Artificial Intelligence of the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI), published a paper titled “Spatiotemporal analysis of underlying factors in urban transformations: Quantifying the importance of urban plan intentions in the Austin Metropolitan Area, Texas” with his team.

Published in Science Direct, the paper examines the urban spatial transformation in Austin, Texas across three distinct development periods through Geographically Weighted Logistic Regression (GWLR) modelling. The study highlights a decreasing influence of traditional factors on urban transformation and an increasing significance of planning intentions since the mid-2000s. It also reveals that a development plan focusing on protected areas and transport systems had a greater impact than those on development centres. The study could contribute to enhancing the effectiveness of sustainable urban development plans.

FCE hosts Research Salon on Energy and Sustainable Development in preparation for third InnoHK Research Cluster

In response to the Hong Kong government’s announcement of establishing the third InnoHK Research Cluster, FCE hosted a Research Salon on InnoHK Research Cluster - Energy and Sustainable Development on 3 December 2024. This salon fostered collaboration and dialogue among FCE and other PolyU researchers interested in pursuing new initiatives in this critical area.

The salon began with a welcome remark by Prof. Meng NI, Associate Dean (Research) of Faculty, followed by an insightful sharing talk on InnoHK by Prof. Philip CHAN, Special Advisor to the Deputy President and Provost. A lively Q&A session encouraged engaging discussions and the exchange of ideas.

The InnoHK research clusters have attracted about 2,500 R&D experts from both Hong Kong and around the globe. The initiative to establish the third InnoHK research cluster aims to facilitate collaboration between world-class R&D teams and attract top talent. The salon provided a platform for meaningful discussions and networking among researchers.

RICS Hong Kong Student Awards 2024 affirm FCE’s quality education in surveying

FCE provides a variety of Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) accredited programmes at both undergraduate and taught postgraduate levels that support career paths in surveying and facilitate routes to professional qualification.

On 4 December 2024, the RICS Hong Kong Student Awards Ceremony was held for the first time in Hong Kong to recognise the outstanding academic performance of top students from the 2023/24 intake cohort in RICS-accredited programmes. Among the 39 students honoured, 18 of them were from FCE.

Click here to view the list of FCE awardees.

Welcome new staff to FCE

The Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI) welcomed Prof. Joseph AWANGE to the position of Professor in November 2024. Prof. Awange obtained his BSc and MSc degrees in Surveying from the University of Nairobi, Kenya, and a second MSc degree and PhD in Geodesy from the Stuttgart University, Germany. He also holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) from Murdoch University, Australia. Prior to joining PolyU, Prof. Awange served as an Associate Professor and later as Professor at Curtin University from 2012.

Prof. Awange‘s research interests encompass remote sensing of the environment, hydroclimate, climate variability and change, climate extremes, and mathematical geosciences. His scholarly contributions include over 25 books published with Springer and more than 250 high-impact journal articles. He plays an active role in the academic community as the Acquisition Manager for Springer Nature, focusing on Earth Sciences, Geography, and Environment books, and as an Associate Editor for leading journals such as Remote Sensing of Environment and Science of Remote Sensing.

Prof. Awange's contributions to scientific cooperation and advancements in geodesy and environmental geoinformatics have been recognised through numerous awards, including the Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Fellowship, and Brazil Frontier of Science Fellowship, which supported him in conducting research in Germany, Japan and Brazil, respectively.