Media Releases

PolyU co-hosts International Conference on Educational Leadership and Asian Culture 2023

The International Conference on Educational Leadership and Asian Culture (ICELAC) 2023, co-hosted by the Office of Undergraduate Studies at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), the Faculty of Education of the University of Manitoba in Canada and the School of Educational Studies of Universiti Sains Malaysia, was successfully held online on 5 August 2023. The Conference aimed to promote Asian culture and research on the development of educational leadership. It attracted 571 participants from 31 countries who jointly explored prospects and developments in educational leadership and Asian culture. Several renowned experts and scholars from the education sector attended. Prof. Daniel T. L. SHEK, PolyU Associate Vice President (Undergraduate Programme), delivered the opening remarks and Prof. Ruth HAYHOE, Professor from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education at the University of Toronto in Canada, and former Director of The Hong Kong Institute of Education, gave a keynote speech that examined the influence of Chinese culture on leadership in China with reference to several eminent Chinese educators. 12 other education experts and scholars from 9 Asian countries, including Prof. Masaaki KATSUNO, Dean of the Graduate School of Education at the University of Tokyo in Japan and Prof. SONG Huan, Vice Director of Institute of Teacher Education at Beijing Normal University, participated in four sessions grouped under different themes. Prof. Shek said, “PolyU has always upheld the crucial importance of understanding the legacy of Chinese culture and student leadership development in its education, striving to cultivate well-rounded students as outstanding Chinese and global citizens. As an innovative world-class university in Asia, PolyU is responsible for promoting the development of Asian cultural education. Through cooperation with other universities, we gather visionary ideas from education leaders to nurture a new generation of talents.” Scholars approached topics from the perspectives of Chinese culture, Islamic culture, Southeast Asian culture and social culture, and explored the relationship between educational leadership and cultural diversity and complexity, thus stimulating the integration of Asian cultural wisdom into educational leadership. Participants called on educational leaders to take responsibility for promoting the development of education focusing on aspects of Asian culture and emphasised that only through joint efforts can Asian cultural heritage in education shine on the international stage. One of the highlights of ICELAC is the launch of a new book Educational Leadership and Asian Culture: Culturally Sensitive Leadership Practice. The book was edited by Prof. LIU Peng, Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba in Canada and Prof. Lei Mee THIEN, Associate Professor in the School of Educational Studies at Universiti Sains Malaysia. It not only encapsulates the Conference's themes but also comprehensively showcases the depth and breadth of the educational landscape in Asian cultures, pointing towards new directions for future development. The book also emphasises the importance of international exchange and cooperation and calls for greater collaboration in the realm of educational leadership within the Asian region to collectively address the challenges posed by globalisation and cultural diversity. PolyU has always attached great importance to international cultural exchanges and has organised international summer courses for many years, allowing university students from around the world to participate in inspirational courses and cultural experience activities. Starting from the 2022/23 academic year, PolyU undergraduate students are required to study a subject related to Chinese history and culture to enhance their interest in Chinese heritage and identification with the Nation.   ***END***

PolyU and Accel Group establish Metaverse+ Joint Laboratory to promote the development and innovation of smart cities related fields

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and Accel Group Holdings Limited (Accel Group) have established the “PolyU-Accel Group Metaverse+ Joint Laboratory” (Joint Lab). The Joint Lab aims to foster the research and application of metaverse technology in various sectors, accelerate the ongoing development of Hong Kong as a green and smart city, strengthen industry-academia-research collaboration and cultivate professional talents. The Accel Group plans to donate HK$10 million to PolyU in the next five years to support the project development and operation of the Joint Lab. The kick-off ceremony was held today on the PolyU campus, officiated by Ms Lillian CHEONG, Under Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry; Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, President of PolyU; Mr KO Lai-hung, Chairman and CEO of Accel Group; Ms Iris Ping-fan WONG, Hong Kong delegate to the National People’s Congress; Mr CHAN Han-pan, LegCo Member; Dr Miranda LOU, Executive Vice President of PolyU; Prof. LI Qing, Chair Professor of Data Science and Head of the Department of Computing of PolyU; together with other guests. Prof. Jin-Guang Teng said, “To better equip students for societal needs, PolyU has taken the lead in launching new Master’s degree programmes in areas including blockchain technology, metaverse technology, and artificial intelligence and big data computing. ‘Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics’ (AIDA) and ‘Innovation and Entrepreneurship’ (IE) have also been incorporated into the undergraduate curriculum. PolyU is committed to becoming an innovative world-class university and its contributions to blockchain technology and Web3 development have been widely recognised. The University topped the ‘Best Universities for Blockchain 2022’ list by CoinDesk, and our scholars recently won the international ZPRIZE award to recognise the breakthroughs achieved by the team in zero-knowledge crypto technology in Web3.” Dr KO Lai-hung said, “The establishment of the Joint Lab with PolyU will benefit the diversification of our business development and as such is a milestone in the Group’s process of technological innovation. We will cooperate with academia by integrating our extensive industry experience and leveraging our financial resources into research in order to propel the construction of a more competitive and sustainable Hong Kong with the utilisation of metaverse technology. Our Group will also seize the enormous business opportunities brought by the metaverse and actively apply innovative outcomes in our business so as to increase our competitive advantage and support our long-term development.” The Joint Lab will conduct diversified research, including into the metaverse’s role in enterprise cooperation, industrial applications, green and smart city initiatives, energy management, and sustainable supply chain systems. It is expected that the establishment of the Joint Lab will improve production efficiency and quality while at the same time reducing risk and cost, accelerating the ongoing development of Hong Kong as a green and smart city, and cultivating professional talents. Weaving together the knowledge and research capability of academia with the experience and resources of industry, this collaboration between PolyU and Accel Group will further strengthen cross-disciplinary cooperation and explore the potential and value of metaverse technology in industrial applications and environmental protection.   ***End***

SHKP-Kwoks’ Foundation x PolyU Building Homes with Heart Scholarship Programme award ceremony

The inaugural award ceremony of the Building Homes with Heart Scholarship Programme, a joint initiative by the SHKP-Kwoks’ Foundation (the Foundation) and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), was held recently, where the scholarships were presented to 10 PolyU students. The scholarship programme 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. Director of the Foundation Thomas Kwok said: “Over the years, the Foundation has been dedicated to supporting outstanding students from Hong Kong and the mainland in their pursuit of tertiary education. We are delighted to have helped more than 11,000 people complete their studies or training in the past 21 years. We hope the scholarship will become a driving force for the students to achieve greater success in their studies and careers, thereby contributing to the future development of the country and Hong Kong.” PolyU Vice President (Student and Global Affairs) Professor Ben Young said: “PolyU is a cradle for cultivating talent for Hong Kong’s construction industry, and PolyU graduates have contributed a lot to the development of both the industry and the city. We are delighted to collaborate with Sun Hung Kai Properties (SHKP) to nurture a new generation of talent for the construction industry and promote the advancement of new green technologies, helping Hong Kong to become carbon neutral and creating a sustainable future. I hope PolyU graduates will continue to help advance the development of building technologies and transform scientific research into practical applications.” Following the award ceremony, SHKP Executive Director Adam Kwok engaged in an exchange with the students who were deeply impressed by the SHKP projects in Hong Kong and on the mainland. Adam Kwok encouraged the students to maintain their lifelong pursuit of learning. He said: “The real estate and construction industries definitely need new blood. We envision the scholarship program as a catalyst for cultivating new talent, poised to support upcoming infrastructure and commercial projects. I strongly encourage the students to seize this opportunity, make the most of their scholarships, keep learning, and actively contribute to the industry’s growth in the years ahead.” The 10 recipients are undergraduate and postgraduate students from the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering, the Department of Building and Real Estate, and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Each student was awarded a scholarship of up to HK$40,000. During the ceremony, Chung Wai-kit, Ho Sik-man and Law Sing expressed their gratitude for SHKP’s support. They conveyed their deep appreciation for the scholarships, which not only alleviated their financial burdens but also served as a source of encouragement. The students said they were well aware of the abundant opportunities awaiting them in the Greater Bay Area, where the government's supportive policies have created a high demand for skilled construction professionals. They expressed their aspirations to pursue successful careers and make meaningful contributions on the mainland in the future. SHKP Executive Director Robert Chan, himself a PolyU graduate, shared his valuable work experiences and insights during the ceremony, further inspiring the students. The awardees also visited the International Commerce Centre (ICC) on the same day and were briefed on the project design and development plan of SHKP’s mega commercial project on top the High Speed Rail West Kowloon Station. In addition to the scholarship programme, in November last year, SHKP and PolyU signed a memorandum on SHKP x PolyU Building Innovation & Technology Research Projects to foster collaboration between the industry, and the academic and research sectors. Three research projects were launched, focusing on green application (developing a smart, efficient and flexible energy management system), green building materials and green construction processes. The goal is to translate scientific research into applications to help Hong Kong evolve into a smart, carbon-neutral city. SHKP demonstrates its commitment to nurturing young Hong Kong talent through various programmes. These initiatives include trainee programmes for young people in Hong Kong and on the mainland, which have successfully recruited nearly 70 graduates over the past five years. In addition, SHKP’s subsidiary Sanfield Construction organizes an annual summer internship programme that offers university students studying construction engineering with extensive hands-on experience to learn about the industry before they enter the workplace. This year, the programme attracted 72 students, over half of whom were PolyU students. The awardees visit the ICC on the same day and are briefed on the design and development plan of SHKP’s mega commercial development project on top of the High Speed Rail West Kowloon Station.   ***END***

PolyU receives two Ministry of Education Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Awards

Two research projects led by scholars from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have received the Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Awards (Science and Technology) 2022 from the Ministry of Education (MOE) with a First-Class and Second-Class Award in Natural Science respectively. A First-Class Award in Natural Science was presented to the research project “Mathematical theory of compressible Navier-Stokes equations and related models” led by Prof. Tong YANG, Chair Professor of Mathematical Science in the Department of Applied Mathematics; and a Second-Class Award in Natural Science was granted to the project “Atmospheric Chemistry of Reactive Nitrogen Oxides and its Impacts on Regional Atmospheric Environment” led by Prof. Tao WANG, Chair Professor of Atmospheric Environment in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Prof. Christopher CHAO, PolyU Vice President (Research and Innovation) said, “We are honoured to receive these prestigious accolades from the MOE, which are testament to the dedication and hard work of our scholars. Their outstanding achievements have had very considerable impacts and serve to showcase PolyU excellence in scientific research and academia. We express our appreciation to our colleagues for their relentless pursuit of knowledge and passion for discovery, which truly exemplifies the spirit of higher education. As valued members of the PolyU community, they will continue to inspire future generations, leveraging the University’s strengths in education, research and entrepreneurship to contribute to the Nation.” Prof. Tong Yang’s project is conducted in collaboration with Prof. Changjiang ZHU and Prof. Huanyao WEN at the South China University of Technology. The mathematics model, known as the compressible Navier-Stokes equations, is fundamental to describing the motion of compressible fluids, and research into its mathematical theory has long been recognised as significant in the global mathematics community. This project is in Prof. Yang’s core research area. Prof. Yang has made significant contributions to scientific research on Conservation laws, the Boltzmann equation and Boundary layer theories. Prof. Tao Wang’s project is conducted in collaboration with scholars from Shandong University, Nanjing University and the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences. The research started 20 years ago with systemic study of nitrogen oxides in Hong Kong and other places in China. The project is in Prof. Wang’s core research area. By employing field observations, laboratory experiments and computer simulations, Prof. Wang’s team discovered important chemical processes of Nitrogen oxides and their roles in photochemical and haze pollution. The findings have enhanced knowledge of atmospheric chemistry and improved an extensively used air quality model for global air quality forecasting and research. The Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Awards (Science and Technology) were set up by the MOE to recognise outstanding research projects at tertiary institutions nationwide. The award is presented to individuals or units who have made remarkable contributions in science and technology advancement, translational research and talent cultivation.   ***END***

Two PolyU scholars conferred as RGC Senior Research Fellow and Research Fellow

Two scholars from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have been awarded Fellowships under the Research Grants Council’s (RGC) Senior Research Fellow Scheme (SRFS) and Research Fellow Scheme (RFS) 2023/24 respectively for their excellence in cross-disciplinary research. Prof. Meng NI, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Construction and Environment and Professor of the Department of Building and Real Estate, has been awarded SFRS funding, while also being conferred the title “RGC Senior Research Fellow”. His cross-field research project aims to promote sustainable and clean energy generation. Situated across the disciplines of energy engineering and environment, Prof. Ni’s research interests include fuel cells, rechargeable metal-air batteries, electrochemical water-splitting and electrochemical systems for low-grade waste heat utilization. Additionally, he serves as a reviewer for more than 80 academic journals including top-tier publications such as Science, Nature Energy, Nature Communications, Joule and Advanced Materials. Prof. Buyang LI, Professor of the Department of Applied Mathematics, has received funding under the RFS and is conferred the title “RGC Research Fellow”. His research focuses on addressing pioneering mathematics questions. Prof. Li’s research endeavours in applied, numerical and computational mathematics have led to the discovery of solutions to a wide variety of mathematics questions. His contributions to the field of mathematics have also earned him the Hong Kong Mathematical Society Young Scholars Award 2022, which recognised his excellence in both research and academia within the mathematics domain. Prof. Christopher CHAO, PolyU Vice President (Research and Innovation), extended his congratulations to the awardees and said, “The accomplishments of the successful scholars highlight PolyU’s exceptional capacity and competitiveness in promoting and conducting multifaceted research across various academic disciplines. Their achievements serve as an inspiration to other researchers, encouraging them to persist in pursuing impactful research for the betterment of society.” The achievements of the two researchers demonstrate PolyU’s outstanding academic and research capabilities in interdisciplinary fields, as well as the University’s commitment to scientific research with the goal of addressing global societal needs. The SRFS and RFS aim to provide sustained support to exceptionally outstanding researchers at the UGC-funded universities in Hong Kong. Each scheme provides ten grants to scholars from any academic discipline, with funding support for a period of 60 months. The supporting university receives a fellowship grant of around HK$7.8 million for SRFS and HK$5.2 million for RFS per award. Details of the two awardees’ research: Senior Research Fellow Scheme Project Coordinator: Prof. Meng Ni, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Construction and Environment and Professor of the Department of Building and Real Estate Project Title: “Protonic ceramic fuel cells for clean power generation: From new cathode materials to new stack designs” Abstract: Characterised by their high efficiency and low emission, protonic ceramic fuel cells (PCFCs) are power sources that promise to replace conventional thermal power plants. Despite this, the practical performance of a PCFC stack remains limited due to high energy at the cathode and the non-uniform distribution of reactants in a traditional PCFC stack. The project adopts both the trial-and-error and machine learning-based approaches to facilitate new cathode material development. Through multi-physics modelling and optimisation techniques, unconventional stack designs, including several nature-inspired stack configurations, will be evaluated for PCFC. The research integrates engineering, chemistry, physics and material science to address the complex challenges of using PCFC for clean power generation. Research Fellow Scheme Project Coordinator: Prof. Buyang Li, Professor of the Department of Applied Mathematics Project Title: “Challenges, numerical analysis and new computational methods for curvature-driven surface evolutions and related problems” Abstract: This project aims to address a series of long-standing mathematical questions related to the stability and convergence of parametric finite element algorithms for approximating surface evolution under geometric flows and interface evolution under two-phase Navier-Stokes flows (such as gas bubbles in liquids). The research is expected to produce novel insights into the foundational algorithms for curvature-driven surface evolutions and new computational methods that can improve the accuracy, stability and mesh quality in approximating surface evolutions. ***END***

PolyU researchers collaboratively develop high-performance titanium alloys through additive manufacturing

The industrial production of titanium alloys has always been plagued by challenges associated with quality and waste management. Engineering scientists from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), in collaboration with RMIT University and the University of Sydney, have successfully used additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing, to solve these long-standing issues in titanium alloy production. The research study, titled “Strong and ductile titanium-oxygen-iron alloys by additive manufacturing”, was recently published in Nature. Titanium alloys are advanced lightweight materials that play an indispensable role in many critical applications. The research team’s discovery of the innovative use of additive manufacturing for the production of titanium alloys and potentially other metal materials offers numerous advantages, such as reduced costs, improved performance, and sustainable waste management. Through the use of 3D printing, the research team has produced a new strong, ductile, and sustainable titanium alloy (α–β Ti-O-Fe alloy). These properties are achieved through the incorporation of inexpensive and abundant oxygen and iron, which are the two most powerful stabilising elements and strengtheners for α–β phase titanium alloys. The new titanium alloy exhibits immense potential for diverse applications, ranging from aerospace and marine engineering to consumer electronics and biomedical devices. Compared with the Ti-6AI-4V benchmark material, which has been widely used since its formulation in 1954, the new titanium alloy produced by the research team demonstrates better mechanical performance, with comparable ductility and considerably higher strength. Although traditional manufacturing methods, such as casting, can also be used to produce the new titanium alloy, the poor properties of the resulting material may render it unsuitable for practical engineering. Additive manufacturing effectively overcomes the limitations of traditional methods to improve alloy properties. The energy-intensive Kroll process, typically used to produce titanium alloys, generates off-grade sponge titanium, which accounts for approximately 10% of all sponge titanium, resulting in substantial waste and increased production costs. Additive manufacturing effectively addresses this problem by enabling the recycling of off-grade sponge titanium, converting the waste into powder for use as raw material. Dr Zibin CHEN, Assistant Professor of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at PolyU, an awardee of the Young Innovative Researcher Award 2022 and a leading author of the research, stated, “Our work can facilitate the recycling of more than 10% of the waste generated by the metal alloy production industry. This can significantly lower both material and energy costs for industries, contributing to environmental sustainability and carbon footprint reduction.” The research integrates alloy design, computational simulations, and experimental characterisation to explore the additive manufacturing process-microstructure-property space for the new titanium alloy (α–β Ti-O-Fe alloy). The study highlights that additive manufacturing enables the one-step production of complex and functional metal parts, thereby accelerating product development with reduced costs. Additionally, it can be used to fabricate metal parts with unique structures and compositions, which cannot be achieved using traditional methods. In terms of quality improvement, additive manufacturing allows for the adjustment of the microstructure of metal alloys, resulting in increased strength, flexibility, and resistance to corrosion and water. Furthermore, lightweight but strong metal parts with intricate internal patterns can be manufactured. This research breakthrough opens up possibilities for holistic and sustainable material design strategies facilitated by 3D printing. Prof. Keith K.C. CHAN, Chair Professor of Manufacturing Engineering at the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at PolyU and a co-author of the study, noted, “This work can serve as a model or benchmark for other metal alloys that use 3D printing to enhance their properties and expand their applicability. Metal 3D printing is an emerging field, and it will take time before it is widely adopted in materials manufacturing.”   ***END***

PolyU awarded RGC Strategic Topics Grant to address societal needs in mental healthcare

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has received funding support from the Strategic Topics Grant (STG) 2023/24 of the Research Grants Council (RGC) for a health technology project aimed at promoting a new paradigm shift with creation of an integrated solution to address urgent mental healthcare needs. In Hong Kong, major psychiatric disorders (MPDs), such as major depressive disorder, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, have a high prevalence rate of 13.3%. In addition, less than 40% of patients achieve complete symptoms control after initial treatment. Currently, the standard diagnosis criteria rely on cognitive and behavioural indicators. The PolyU project introduces an innovative and integrated strategy that utilises artificial intelligence (AI) and genomic and biomedical technology to support diagnosis, treatment planning and understanding of disease mechanisms. The project has been funded under the STG topic of using AI to address imminent challenges in healthcare, proposing an AI-based, data-driven approach to diagnosis and personalised therapy. Prof. Christopher CHAO, PolyU Vice President (Research and Innovation) said, “Under this new RGC funding scheme, PolyU has received the highest funding allocation among all institutions to support our scholars in conducting interdisciplinary and collaborative research in areas pertinent to the strategic needs of Hong Kong. PolyU has been working with various sectors to provide solutions to societal challenges. This major funding received from the RGC demonstrates PolyU’s experience in mental health research and its strengths in translating academic research for the benefit of the society.” Prof. Weixiong ZHANG, Chair Professor of Bioinformatics and Integrative Genomics at PolyU, leads the project “Integrated innovative artificial intelligence, and genomic and biomedical technologies in healthcare: Objective diagnosis, personalised therapy and determination the etiology of major mental disorders,” which has been awarded funding of over HK$37 million. With a strong academic and research background in interdisciplinary fields, Prof. Zhang is a professor at both the Department of Health Technology and Informatics and the Department of Computing at PolyU. He is also a Hong Kong Global STEM Professor. The project aims to revolutionise the approach to diagnosing complex diseases like MPDS by shifting from symptom-based diagnosis to AI-based, data-driven diagnosis, disease study and personalised therapy. It builds upon Prof. Zhang’s extensive research in heuristic search, planning and optimisation, as well as his innovative techniques in AI and big data. By combining these techniques with genomics and biomedical technologies that he has been studying over the years, the project seeks to develop medical explainable AI (XAI) solutions for MPD diagnosis, etiology disease study and personalised therapy. Prof. Zhang said, “This is a multidisciplinary project that responds to the urgent need for new technologies to improve mental healthcare in Hong Kong and beyond. The research team combines expertise from diverse fields such as computer science, biology and medicine, to address some fundamental challenges in complex disease studies.” The project will involve 20 investigators and collaborators from eight institutions in Hong Kong, the Mainland China and the United States. The STG has been set up to support collaborative research in specific areas which can help Hong Kong overcome imminent challenges and tap fast-evolving opportunities. The maximum duration of a project is five years. The ceiling of project cost per project to be awarded by the RGC is $40 million (excluding on-costs).   Details of the funded project Project Coordinator: Prof. Weixiong Zhang - Chair Professor in Bioinformatics & Integrative Genomics in the Department of Health Technology and Informatics and Department of Computing - Hong Kong Global STEM Professor Project Title: Integrated Innovative Artificial Intelligence, Genomic and Biomedical Technologies in Healthcare: Objective Diagnosis, Personalised Therapy, and Determining the Etiology of Major Mental Disorders Abstract:   The project proposes a paradigm shift from symptom-based diagnosis to AI-based, data-driven diagnosis and a personalised therapy approach. By integrating AI, genomics and biomedical technologies, the research team aims to create an explainable AI-enabled treatment planning system that can support reliable diagnosis and guide personalised repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation therapy.   The research project encompasses three research focus (RF) areas: RF-1 : Identify genetic disease biomarkers and brain activity patterns to classify MPDs into distinct categories. RF-2 : Study the longitudinal impact of stress on diseases and their inheritance. RF-3 : Combine the findings of previous research focus areas by applying genetic biomarkers and brain patterns from RF-1 and the knowledge of disease mechanisms obtained from RF-2, so as to guide reliable diagnosis and personalised therapy, ultimately improving mental healthcare. * RGC provides 90% of the approved budget and the remaining 10% will be provided by coordinating university and collaborating universities. ***END***

PolyU announces the establishment of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition to nurture food specialists and promote innovative and sustainable development

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) announced the establishment of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition (FSN), which is Hong Kong’s first UGC-funded academic department specialising in Food Science and Nutrition. To celebrate its inauguration, an International Conference on Food and Human Health was held at PolyU, followed by a Grand Opening Ceremony last week (13-14 July). More than 300 guests, including government officials, community leaders, industry partners, and staff attended the opening ceremony. Miss LAU Lee Kwan Vivian, Permanent Secretary for Environment and Ecology Bureau (Food Branch) of the HKSAR; Dr LAM Tai-fai, Council Chairman of PolyU; Prof. Wing-tak WONG, Acting President of PolyU; Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU; Prof. Raymond WONG, Dean of Faculty of Science of PolyU; and Prof. CHEN Sheng, Head of Department of Food Science and Nutrition of PolyU, officiated the ceremony. Since 21st century, the food supply has become a complex and specialised industrial process, with quality management being a key challenge throughout the entire food supply chain. In 2008, PolyU launched the self-financed BSc (Hons) in Food Safety and Technology to address the escalating concerns of food safety related to the outbreak of a number of large-scale food safety incidents. Based on the key pillars of Food Safety, Food Technology, Human Nutrition, and Chinese Medicine, FSN is dedicated to providing professionally crafted trainings to nurture food specialists. FSN is also focused on addressing health-related issues and pursuing impactful research to promote innovative and sustainable development that benefits the world and mankind. Miss Lau Lee Kwan said, “With the establishment of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition, we expect that experts from relevant fields will come together to collaborate and share their knowledge and experience, making positive contributions to the development of innovative solutions to benefit society. We are also happy to see young professionals being groomed in the related fields.” Dr Lam Tai-fai said, “The new Department of Food Science and Nutrition is well positioned to become a centre of excellence in research, education, and outreach in the areas of food and human health. I am confident that the Department will make significant contributions to the advancement of knowledge in these areas for the betterment of society as a whole.” Two fascinating food projects were presented during the Grand Opening Ceremony. The first was an award-winning project on the AkkMore™ formula, which has been further developed into a low-calorie ice cream by Dr Gail CHANG, Research Assistant Professor of FSN. The second project was on modernised and sustainable mariculture at a demonstration farm, specifically the cultivation of grouper, by Dr Kevin KWOK, Associate Head of FSN. The grouper was served as one of the dishes at the Ceremony dinner. Prof. Raymond Wong said, “With the growing concern over food safety and sustainability, and nutrition-related health issues, our role has never been more important. Through the pursuit of excellence in holistic education, impactful research and knowledge transfer, we strive to contribute to the development of innovative solutions in Food Science and Nutrition for the betterment of our society.” Prof. Chen Sheng said, “We believe that the challenges we face in this field are multifaceted and require an interdisciplinary approach to tackle. That’s why our Department brings together scientists, nutritionists, engineers, and social scientists so that people with expertise in different areas can complement each other and work towards the common goal of improving human health.” FSN will work hand-in-hand with Research Institute for Future Food (RiFood) and Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation (RCMI) to provide interdisciplinary solutions for major societal challenges through advanced research and knowledge transfer, creating positive impacts to improve the health and well-being of mankind. ***END***

Two PolyU projects awarded the RGC Theme-based Research Scheme funding

Two research projects led by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have won close to HK$100 million funding from the Research Grants Council’s Theme-based Research Scheme (TRS) 2023/24 to foster sustainable development for the city. Prof. Yi-Qing NI, Chair Professor of Smart Structures and Rail Transit in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, leads the project “INTACT: Intelligent Tropical-storm-resilient System for Coastal Cities,” which has been awarded funding of HK$48.293 million. Addressing the challenges posed by extreme winds and complex urban environments, Prof. Ni’s project aims to mitigate the risk of tropical storms for high-rise building clusters in coastal cities by developing a real-time early-warning and resilience system. Enabling development of a sustainable environment is the ultimate research goal, which is one of the TRS designated research themes. Prof. CAO Jiannong, Chair Professor of Distributed and Mobile Computing in the Department of Computing, leads another project “High-performance Collaborative Edge Computing Enabling Smart City Applications: Framework and Methodologies,” which has received funding of HK$50.821 million. Pushing forward the development of smart cities, Prof. Cao’s research aims to meet the requirements of advanced applications such as autonomous vehicles, industrial IoT and the metaverse, by developing a collaborative edge computing framework. The project has been funded under the designated research theme of advancing emerging research and innovations important to Hong Kong. Prof. Christopher CHAO, PolyU Vice President (Research and Innovation) said, “PolyU is dedicated to transforming research excellence into impactful and practical innovations through multidisciplinary collaborations. This remarkable funding achievement is encouraging and highlights PolyU’s strategic importance in driving Hong Kong’s long-term development. Moving forward, we remain committed to providing all-round and in-depth support to our scholars, enabling them to address global challenges.” The TRS aims to focus the research efforts of UGC-funded universities on themes of strategic importance to the long-term development of Hong Kong. The maximum duration of a funded project is five years. Details of the two funded research projects: Project Coordinator Prof Yi-Qing Ni Director of the National Rail Transit Electrification and Automation Engineering Technology Research Centre (Hong Kong Branch) Yim, Mak, Kwok & Chung Professor in Smart Structures Chair Professor of Smart Structures and Rail Transit in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Project Title INTACT: Intelligent Tropical-storm-resilient System for Coastal Cities Abstract Ongoing population growth and the impact of climate change pose heightened risks of typhoon and tropical storm-related hazards in coastal cities. Hong Kong was hit by Super Typhoon Mangkhut in 2018, causing significant disruption to the safety of the city and well-being of residents. The objective of this project is to minimize the losses caused by typhoons by establishing an intelligent tropical-storm-resilient system for coastal cities. The project will devise a framework that enables efficient and accurate assessment of turbulence flows from sparse measurements. It will also quantify urban-environment tropical storm risks that arise due to complex urban aerodynamics. The project will establish a real-time urban typhoon risk early-warning and management prototype that will be made accessible to the public for guiding effective emergency responses, such as evacuation measures and the temporary reinforcement of glass panels. The project outcomes will also lead to new methodologies and design codes/standards for high-rise buildings that are more resistant to tropical storms. This will in turn create a safer environment, benefiting the construction industries and developers, public and city planners in the long run. The fundamental scientific discoveries and technologies developed for Hong Kong’s complex urban environment will have easy transferability to other cities, including those in the GBA, and can serve as case models for global reference. Approved Budget* HK$48.293 million;   Project Coordinator Prof Jiannong Cao Dean of Graduate School Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Professor in Data Science Chair Professor of Distributed and Mobile Computing in the Department of Computing Project Title High-performance Collaborative Edge Computing Enabling Smart City Applications: Framework and Methodologies Abstract Existing edge computing projects focus on vertical collaboration among cloud, edge and end devices while neglecting horizontal edge-to-edge collaborations, which leads to unoptimised resource utilisation, restricted service coverage and uneven performance. This project aims to build a new smart city computing infrastructure enabled by collaborative edge computing with edge/cloud collaboration, city-scale edge network deployment and built-in AI services. The Collaborative Edge Computing Framework (CECF) proposed by this project aims to construct a future ubiquitous computing infrastructure by connecting, sharing and managing the resources of a large number of edge nodes. CECF provides new abstractions and functionalities for geo-distributed edge nodes to share computing and data resources and collaborate to perform application tasks, enabling advanced smart city applications. The project addresses many key challenges, including large-scale resource management, performance-guaranteed task scheduling, resource-aware edge AI and secure data sharing. It will ultimately enable emerging advanced smart city applications to flourish in HK and establish a first-mover advantage for the City in new computing infrastructure. Approved Budget* HK$50.821 million   *RGC provides 90% of the approved budget and the remaining 10% will be provided by the coordinating University.   ***END***

PolyU recognises six scholars with the Young Innovative Researcher Award

Talent is an important asset for the innovation and technology ecosystem. The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is committed to supporting and encouraging young researchers. The Young Innovative Research Award 2023 recognises faculty members aged under 35 who have demonstrated research excellence in addressing global challenges. This year’s six young awardees are dedicated to research in fields that include renewable green energy, wearable medical rehabilitation devices, nanotechnology, soft materials to aid the visually impaired, human-machine collaborative manufacturing systems and information networks. Their research is geared towards constructing a sustainable future and improving human life, and showcases PolyU’s academic and research excellence in meeting societal demands and creating practical solutions. Prof. Christopher CHAO, PolyU Vice President (Research and Innovation), congratulated the awardees and said, “It gives me great pleasure to chair the award assessment panel for the second year running and witness the original and innovative research conducted by our young researchers. With a vision for a positive future, their remarkable work showcases novelty, contributes to technological advancement and drives transformational innovation towards solutions for addressing societal problems. I would like to take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt congratulations to our exceptional awardees and express my pride in having them as particularly valued members of the PolyU community.”   The six awardees of the Young Innovative Researcher Award 2023 Awardee(s) Research Focus Dr Songhua CAI Assistant Professor Department of Applied Physics Research project Towards next-generation halide perovskites: In situ STEM characterizations assisted structure engineering Details This project aims to improve the lifespan and efficiency of perovskite solar cells by revealing the microscopic mechanisms that cause perovskite solar cell performance degradation in the working environment. The research results are expected to equip industry with the knowledge necessary to promote the practical application of perovskite solar cells. https://www.polyu.edu.hk/ap/people/academic-staff/dr-cai-songhua/ Dr Ho Lam HEUNG Research Assistant Professor Department of Building and Real Estate Research project Robot-assisted recovery system for stroke survivors Details The project focuses on developing a lightweight, wearable and easy-to-use medical-grade rehabilitation robotic exoskeleton. The system is designed to detect the movement intent of users and provide adaptive assistive force to empower joint movement. Regular use during rehabilitation training can aid in the reorganisation of the brain cortex and recovery of mobility. https://www.polyu.edu.hk/bre/people/academic-staff/dr-heung-holam-kelvin/ Dr Kai LENG Assistant Professor Department of Applied Physics Research project Scalable growth of 2D hybrid perovskite film Details A set of nanotechnology tools and methods has been developed for the molecularly thin 2D hybrid perovskite. Development has included preparation, materials transfer, atomic characterization and nano-device fabrication. Her team is currently focusing on achieving scalable growth for hybrid 2D perovskite monolayers and their integration into large-scale devices, to further enable the realisation of their impactful applications. https://www.polyu.edu.hk/ap/people/academic-staff/dr-leng-kai/ Dr Yuan MA Assistant Professor Department of Mechanical Engineering Research project Flexible surface haptics technology for aiding the visually impaired Details To help individuals with visual impairments interact with digital devices and the digital world more easily, this project aims to develop a novel touch feedback technology on soft materials that can generate various touch sensations. Advanced haptic technologies and artificial intelligence algorithms will be combined to create a more efficient and user-friendly experience. https://www.polyu.edu.hk/me/people/academic-teaching-staff/ma-yuan-dr/ Dr Shuowen ZHANG Assistant Professor Department of Electronic and Information Engineering Research project Smart and reconfigurable 6G wireless networks aided by intelligent reflecting surfaces Details With the increase in the volume of mobile data traffic and emergence of mobile applications like virtual reality, this research focuses on intelligent reflecting surfaces (IRS) as a pivotal technology to achieve high data rates in 6G wireless communication networks. This project also aims to devise efficient IRS phase shift optimisation algorithms, thereby approaching the data rate limits of IRS-aided 6G networks in practice. https://www.polyu.edu.hk/eee/people/academic-staff-and-teaching-staff/dr-zhang-shuowen/ Dr Pai ZHENG Assistant Professor Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering Research project Towards futuristic human-machine symbiotic manufacturing system Details This project aims to establish a holistic human-machine symbiotic manufacturing environment by exploring manufacturing system technologies, immersive human-robot interaction mechanisms and robot learning methods. The environment will enable humans and machines/ robotics to more effectively and efficiently co-exist, collaborate and evolve together through improved collaborative intelligence. https://www.polyu.edu.hk/ise/people/academic-staff/pai-zheng/   ***END***