Donor
Vantage Charity Foundation Limited
Vantage Charity Foundation Limited (“Vantage Charity Foundation”) was founded in 2015 by Vantage International (Holdings) Limited (“Vantage”).
Established in 2000, Vantage focused on construction and maintenance works, and other contract works in public and private sectors in Hong Kong. In recent years, the company engages in property investment and development, as well as provision of finance services. Vantage's founder Mr Ngai Chun-hung, has been at the helm as Chairman and Director since July 2000. With his wealth of experience in and great enthusiasm for construction and real estate, he is determined to help extend the frontiers of research in sustainable structures and materials.
Initiated by Mr Yau Kwok-fai, an alumnus of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), and with the full support of Mr Ngai, this Endowed Professorship was set up by Vantage Charity Foundation to facilitate the research work of PolyU’s Faculty of Construction and Environment, which echoes the Foundation’s commitment to sustainable urban development. By dedicating this Professorship to Ir Professor Ko Jan-ming, former Vice President and Chair Professor of Structural Engineering of the University, Mr Yau pays tribute to Professor Ko for his guidance during his studies at the then Hong Kong Polytechnic. In addition, it recognises Professor Ko’s significant contributions to the related industries and his invaluable dissemination of not only knowledge but also values to the next generation.
Appointee
Professor Li Xiangdong
Professor Li Xiangdong, currently PolyU's Dean of the Faculty of Construction and Environment, the Director of Research Institute of Sustainable Urban Development, and Chair Professor of Environmental Science and Technology, earned his BSc degree in Earth Sciences and MSc degree in Geochemistry from Nanjing University, and his PhD degree in Environmental Technology from Imperial College London.
With immense research interests in regional pollution, urban environmental studies, and remediation of contaminated sites, Professor Li has published more than 250 papers in leading international journals, with a number of highly cited papers in environment/ecology category by the Web of Science Database. In 2007, he was awarded the Outstanding Young Researcher (Overseas) Fund from the Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). Professor Li was honoured with the Clair C. Patterson Award 2022.
From 2011 to 2013, Professor Li served as the President of the Society of Environmental Geochemistry and Health. He is a Fellow of the International Association of GeoChemistry and The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers. He is currently the Deputy Editor for ACS Environmental Au, and an Associate Editor for the publication Environmental Science and Technology while being on the editorial board of several international journals in the related research fields.
