Issue 72 - October 2016

Table of Contents

• NSFC Research Grants for FCE Scholars
• ANR/RGC Joint Research Scheme
• BSE Scholar Honoured at ICAE 2016
• FCE Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme
• FCE Funding Schemes Reward Research Students
• Collaboration with BJUT and BJUT Symposium
  
• FCE Academics Share Expertise with Chun Wo
  
• Scholars from Stuttgart visit FCE
  
• Departmental Outstanding Alumni Awards 2016
• PolyU Education Info Day 2016
• Faculty Public Lecture
• Forthcoming Events

5 scholars from the Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE) have recently been approved for research funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). Following are the details:

Prof. Tao Wang of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) has recently been awarded HK$2,503,500 from a joint research scheme between France and the Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC) to study the impact of air-sea exchanges on air quality in coastal megacities with Dr George Christian of the National Centre for Scientific Research in France. The funding will support their work for 48 months. His co-investigator in Hong Kong is Dr Zhe Wang, a Research Assistant Professor supported by CEE and the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development.

At the International Conference of Applied Energy (ICAE) on 10 October 2016 in Beijing, Prof. Hongxing Yang of the Department of Building Services Engineering (BSE) was honoured with two awards from the International Journal of Applied Energy. For his work as an Associate Editor of the journal, he received an Outstanding Contribution Award. A paper co-authored with Dr Tao Ma and Dr Lin Lu was also named the 2015 Highly Cited Research Paper. It was entitled “A feasibility study of a stand-alone hybrid solar-wind-battery system for a remote island.”

The following Postdoctoral Fellow was recently supported by the FCE Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme:

The Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE) is pleased that the following PhD graduates were chosen for its Outstanding PhD Thesis Awards, which come with a cash prize of HK$10,000 and a certificate signed by the Dean. Details of the awardees are as follows:

Another funding scheme has recently benefitted 3 PhD candidates. The FCE One-year Top-up Studentship Scheme was established in 2010 to encourage FCE colleagues to admit promising students to PhD programmes and support them with their external research grants. Details of the students supported by the Scheme are as follows:

To explore how to nurture talents for innovation and entrepreneurship in the 21st century, a symposium was held at the Beijing University of Technology (BJUT) from 20 to 22 October 2016. Attending on behalf of the PolyU was Prof. You-Lin Xu, Dean of the Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE), and Prof. Geoffrey Shen, Associate Dean (Teaching). In addition to chairing a plenary session and panel discussion at the symposium, Prof. Xu delivered a presentation on the role of universities in research, innovation and entrepreneurship, and Prof. Shen gave a presentation on cultivating innovation and entrepreneurship through outcome-based education. They also met their research partners to exchange the progress of two collaborative projects related to building automation and infrastructure health monitoring and had fruitful discussions with Prof. Gonghui Liu, President of BJUT, and Prof. Bin Wu, Vice President of BJUT, on the future collaboration between BJUT and PolyU, whose partnership with one another began in 1985 and has deepened with each passing decade.

On 19 October 2016, 3 academics from the Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE) delivered well received presentations on the use of smart technologies in the field of construction for 6 representatives from Chun Wo, including Mr Edward Yeung, its Director (Construction), Mr Kelvin To, another Director, and Dr Gary Chou, its General Manager (Technical). Dr Hongqin Fan and Dr Joon Oh Seo, both from the Department of Building and Real Estate (BRE), took turns elaborating on the uses of a multi-purpose smart bracelet, while a remote sensing device for monitoring works was discussed respectively by Dr Seo and Prof. Xiaoli Ding, Associate Dean (Partnership) of FCE and Chair Prof. of Geomatics in the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI).

Following their presentations, the 3 academics have been invited to submit a joint proposal on the 2 topics for Chun Wo’s further consideration. A team of FCE scholars to collaborate with Chun Wo in other aspects may be formed in the near future. At stake is HK$3,000,000 of potential research funding from Chun Wo, which is eager to develop construction-related technologies jointly with FCE.

On 25 October 2016, Prof. You-Lin Xu, Dean of the Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE), met with Prof. Dr Wolfgang Huep and Prof. Dr Sabine Rein from the University of Applied Sciences Stuttgart, its Vice Presidents for Research and Teaching, respectively, to continue a discussion that began a few days ago at a conference at the Beijing University of Technology (BJUT) for potential collaboration between the two universities. Joining the discussion were Prof. Geoffrey Shen, Associate Dean (Teaching), who had the chance to meet the visitors at BJUT as well, and Prof. John Shi, Head of the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI), who has a record of strong research collaboration with universities in Germany in the areas of urban geo-informatics.

The Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE) is pleased that its 4 departments have chosen the following alumni for the Departmental Outstanding Alumni Awards, which will be presented to the awardees at the 22nd Congregation and Faculty Prize Presentation Ceremony in November 2016.

The Department of Building and Real Estate (BRE) is honoring Mr Hau-wai Cheung and Prof. Mike Wong this year.

After graduating from PolyU’s predecessor, the Hong Kong Technical College, in 1968 with a Higher Diploma in Building Surveying and Technology, Mr Cheung worked for the Hong Kong Government, and was elected a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in 1970. He is also a Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors.

In his professional career, he served in the then Buildings Ordinance Office, the Architectural Office, the Building Development Department and the Buildings Department. In 2009, Mr Cheung retired from the Government as the Director of Buildings, and was awarded the Silver Bauhinia Star. A member of the Construction Industry Council (CIC), he also served as the Chairman of its Site Safety Committee.

Prof. Mike Wong graduated from the Hong Kong Polytechnic with a Higher Diploma in Surveying with Distinction in 1977. He is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), a Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (HKIS), a registered professional surveyor, and an Authorized Person (AP). His thirst for knowledge led him back to PolyU in 2002 to complete a master’s degree in International Real Estate with Distinction. An Adjunct Professor in the Department of Building and Real Estate of PolyU and an Honorary Professor of the Department of Real Estate and Construction of the University of Hong Kong, he is also a core external member of the Network for New Institutional Urban Studies, a network supported by the Ronald Coase (a Nobel Prize laureate economist) Center for Property Rights Research.

Prof. Wong joined Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP) in 1981 after four years of training as a Building Surveyor in the Government. Since then he has devoted himself to project planning and management matters of SHKP. Together with his teams, he has delivered hundreds of projects in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and overseas related to residences, hotels, shopping centres, and offices. Landmark projects include the International Commerce Centre (ICC) and the International Finance Centre (IFC), currently the tallest buildings in Hong Kong. He has been an Executive Director of SHKP, the leading market player in Hong Kong, for two decades since 1996, and a Deputy Managing Director of the company since July 2012.

Over the years, Prof. Wong has contributed much to the real estate industry in Hong Kong. To honour the achievements of Prof. Wong, the Government appointed him as a Justice of the Peace in 2009. A member of the Hong Kong Housing Society and a council member of the Construction Industry Council, he also served on the Bedspace Apartments Appeal Board, the Buildings Appeal Tribunal Panel, the Complaints Committee and the Building Committee of the Hong Kong Housing Authority, and Building Sub-Committee of the Land and Building Advisory Committee.

The awardee for the Department of Building Services Engineering (BSE) is Ir Herbert Lam, who received a BEng degree with honours in Building Services Engineering from PolyU in 1991. He has 25 years of professional engineering experience in building services. He is currently the Director and Vice President of Parsons Brinckerhoff (Asia) Limited, leading a division of 160 professionals, and a Project Director and Project Manager of mega projects in China and Asia. Ir Lam has provided training and employment opportunities for BSE students every year.

The recipient of the Departmental Outstanding Alumni Award from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) is Ir Eric Ma, who is an engineer by profession with over 25 years of experience in the construction industry. He is a fellow member of a number of professional bodies, including the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation, and the Institution of Structural Engineers in the United Kingdom. He is a former Chairman of the Hong Kong Branch of the Chartered Institution of Highways and Transportation, and has served as Under Secretary for Development of the HKSAR Government since January 2014.

The awardee for the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI) is Dr Lesly Lam, who received his Bachelor’s degree (Honours) in Geomatics from LSGI in 1995, and his PhD from the University of South Australia. Since then, he has excelled in the land surveying industry.

Dr Lam served as the Chairman of the Young Surveyors Group from 2003 to 2005 and the HKIS Land Surveying Division from 2013 to 2015. He was a Fellow of the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (HKIS). Currently, he is a registered professional surveyor (LS Division), a hydrographic surveyor and an authorised land surveyor. He is also Vice President of the Vanke Property (Hong Kong) Co. Ltd.

Besides his achievements in the land surveying industry, Dr Lam has been active in various professional and community services. He serves on the Surveyors Registration Board, the Harbourfront Commission, and provides consultation service to the Pok Oi Hospital Construction. Despite his hectic schedule, Dr Lam also tirelessly supports LSGI. His success and dedication are role models for our students.

To promote the various programmes offered by the University, the PolyU Education Info Day was held on 8 October 2016. Officiating at the central opening ceremony on Logo Square that morning were Prof. Philip Chan, Deputy President of PolyU; Prof. Siu-lau Ho, Associate Vice President (Academic Support) and Academic Secretary; and all 8 of the Faculty/School Deans, including Prof. You-lin Xu, Dean of the Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE). In attendance were Prof. Xiaoli Ding, Associate Dean (Partnership); Prof. Geoffrey Shen, Associate Dean (Teaching); Prof. Albert Chan, Head of the Department of Building and Real Estate (BRE); Prof. Asif Usmani, Head of the Department of Building Services Engineering (BSE); Prof. Chi-Sun Poon, Associate Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE); and Prof. John Shi, Head of the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI), who were all present for the Faculty opening ceremony as well. Together with Prof. Philip Chan, Deputy President of PolyU, they officiated the Faculty ceremony.

About 1,400 students and their parents attended the info seminars for various construction-related programmes, including one on the Broad Discipline of Construction and Environment. Besides exhibitions and posters introducing FCE and its 4 departments, there were also photo boards and souvenirs for those who visited FCE’s booth or its page on Facebook. It was a fun and engaging day for prospective students interested in furthering their studies at PolyU.

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