News

Prof. CAO Shi-Jie of Southeast University delivers a PAIR seminar on urban environment systems engineering for sustainable development

Prof. CAO Shi-Jie, Chief Professor of Southeast University (SEU) and Director for Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Urban Heat and Pollution Control, China, delivered the PAIR Seminar titled “Urban Environmental Systems Engineering for Sustainable Development: Digital Modelling and Intelligent Control” on 22 May 2024. The seminar attracted about 40 participants in person and captured an online viewing audience of over 10,500 who watched the live broadcast on multiple social media platforms, including Bilibili, WeChat and Weibo. The seminar commenced with a welcome speech and speaker introduction by Prof. CHEN Qingyan, Director of the PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR). In his presentation, Prof. Cao stated that urban environment engineering seeks to apply system engineering to solve complex urban problems. He highlighted that interdisciplinary research that combines scientific and mathematical approaches is crucial for understanding the mechanisms and laws concerning the complex interactions between humans and the ecological environment. Prof. Cao emphasised that the modelling of urban pollution involves a mix of techniques, including remote sensing, big data, computational simulation, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, digital twins, etc. He gave various project examples to explain how different techniques can be used for scientific monitoring, fast prediction, assessment and regulation of urban pollution. To conclude, Prof. Cao pointed out that advancements in urban environment modelling and intelligent control can build the scientific foundation for sustainable urban development. Following the presentation, Prof. Chen moderated a lively question-and-answer session. The audience engaged in a fruitful discussion with the professors Please click here for an online review.  

PolyU develops intelligent traffic monitoring system

Prof. Alan LAU, Management Committee Member of the Photonics Research Institute (PRI), Member of the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD) and Associate Head of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and his team have developed an Intelligent Real-time Traffic Monitoring System (ITMS) that harnesses fiber optic sensing technology to monitor the traffic flow without any additional hardware. Prof. Lau explained that the ITMS leverages deployed fibre optic network for telecommunications that covers major roads in Kowloon and Hong Kong to collect location-specific vibration signals generated by vehicles that drive through these busy areas in real time. He believes the real-time data collected by the system could be used to monitor and reduce traffic congestion, and provide valuable information for road maintenance.     Online coverage: Oriental Daily News - https://polyu.me/4dM4qVf Hong Kong Economic Journal - https://polyu.me/44PfhtF (subscription required) am730 - https://polyu.me/3wKespc Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/4bJRVrx Quamnet - https://polyu.me/3ypWKYF Line Today - https://polyu.me/3wGphZB

Prof. KEE Chea-su introduces world’s first portable High-Definition Corneal Topographer

Prof. KEE Chea-su, Associate Director of the Research Centre for SHARP Vision (RCSV) and Head and Professor of the School of Optometry, was featured on RTHK’s TV programme “Hong Kong United” to introduce the world’s first portable High-Definition Corneal Topographer developed by his team. The innovation leverages artificial intelligence-driven algorithms to accurately measure corneal power, provide early diagnosis of vision problems such as corneal astigmatism and corneal ectasia, and simplify the diagnosis process, enabling it to be completed in as little as one minute. The innovation was awarded the Prize of the Saudi Arabian Delegation and Gold Medal in the 49th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva.   Online coverage: RTHK - https://polyu.me/4awWftl (09:12 - 14:33) (Chinese only)

MHRC project screens for elder abuse, with 350 high-risk cases identified

Prof. Elsie YAN, a member of the Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC) and Professor in the Department of Applied Social Sciences, launched the project “Happy Edward” in 2021. The project aims to identify known or suspected elder abuse cases and provide support such as counselling, family mediation and health management through visits and community activities. Since its launch, the project has screened over 2,300 elders and detected about 350 cases that are at high risk of elder abuse, of which more than 100 cases have received support. The project is funded by Lee Hysan Foundation and has been extended to 2027, with the goal of supporting 400 abuse cases. Prof. Yan pointed out that many abusers are children or spouses of the elders, and there are many reasons for elder abuse. She also emphasized the importance of public education in preventing elder abuse, stating that elders need to know their rights to protect themselves, family members can reflect on whether their behaviour is abusive, and neighbours can lend a helping hand if they suspect elder abuse.   Online coverage: Now TV - https://polyu.me/44PpK8o (00:00 - 12:28) RTHK - https://polyu.me/4asWiq0 (00:20 - 20:11) Ming Pao Daily News - https://polyu.me/3WRnknF Hong Kong Economic Journal - https://polyu.me/44MZ3kC (subscription required) Hong Kong Economic Times - https://polyu.me/3QT3Qvc (subscription required) Sing Tao Daily - https://polyu.me/44QGNqx Headline Daily - https://polyu.me/3V5sPhb HK01 - https://polyu.me/4bMPncj

PolyU-nurtured start-up implements territory-wide large-scale liver disease screening programme

Eieling Technology Limited (Eieling Technology), co-founded by Prof. ZHENG Yongping, Director of the Research Institute of Smart Ageing (RISA) and his research team, has announced that it will implement the five-year “LiverCare – Hong Kong 10 Million Liver Scans Program”, with the goal to raise public awareness of liver disease prevention and promote early detection and treatment. In addition, starting from July this year, PolyU will conduct liver fibrosis and fatty liver screening for full-time university staff using Liverscan®, a palm-size wireless ultrasound imaging device, and encourage participants to join a two-year follow-up study. From the data collected, the research team will study the importance of balanced diet, daily exercise and regular liver disease screening for monitoring the progression of liver disease. Liverscan® has obtained registration clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA510K) and is being used in many well-known hospitals and clinics in Hong Kong, Macau and other places. Eieling Technology is also carrying out clinical research and cooperation with several hospitals in Mainland China. Liverscan® is expected to enter the market in Mainland China after receiving registration approval from the National Medical Products Administration in Q3 this year, and to be launched globally in 2025. Press release: https://polyu.hk/qjpFI Online coverage: Mirage - https://polyu.me/4anrrLu Hong Kong China News Agency - https://polyu.me/3QQKlU5

RiFood showcases at 2024 Shenzhen Fisheries Expo

The Research Institute for Future Food (RiFood) participated in the “2024 Shenzhen Fisheries Expo” held at Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center from 17 to 19 May. At the Expo, RiFood showcased a seafood product “Sakura wood smoked Pampano”, which is a pre-made fish product deliverable from a collaborative initiative by RiFood, the Hong Kong Fishermen’s Association, the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department of the HKSAR, and the Fish Marketing Organisation. Funded by the Sustainable Fisheries Development Fund, the initiative aims to provide theoretical and practical training courses on mariculture technologies for those who are interested in mariculture in Hong Kong. In the training, students conducted projects on mariculture modernisation and sustainable development at the modern seafood farming demonstration farm in Tung Lung Chau. The Pampano product showcased at the Expo is made from the fish reared by the course participants. RiFood is now actively preparing for more cross-sectoral projects involving collaborations between local fisheries, agriculture, government, industry, academia and research institutes to develop quality pre-made fish products and snack products, with the aims to expand mid-to-high market sales, encourage the local fisheries to participate in fish culture, and lead the industry to achieve sustainable development.   Online coverage: Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/3QQIH4V (Chinese only) Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/3K8ltDC (Chinese only)

PolyU study reveals effectiveness of GBGI infrastructure in mitigating urban heat

Prof. GUO Hai, Management Committee Member of the Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS), Member of the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD) and Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, together with global researchers, have conducted a first-of-its-kind study on the effectiveness of green-blue-grey infrastructure (GBGI) in cooling urban heat across various regions. The study findings have been published in the international interdisciplinary journal The Innovation. The study revealed regional and city-specific variations in the effectiveness of GBGI for mitigating urban heat. In Europe, Asia, North America and Australia, the overall cooling effect of GBGI is up to 18.9°C, 17.7°C, 12°C and 9.63°C respectively. In addition, the implementation of green and blue infrastructures has proven to be highly effective in lowering air temperatures globally. While green infrastructures can regulate urban heat through evaporation, transpiration, shading and thermal insulation, blue infrastructures absorb heat and cool the surrounding area through evaporation. The study also showed notable effects of various GBGI features in mitigating urban heat in Mainland China cities. The most effective means include botanical gardens, wetlands, green walls and attenuation ponds which exhibited temperature reductions of up to 10°C, 9.27°C, 8°C and 7°C respectively. Although the cooling effect ranges are generally similar in the north and south of China, there is variability within the same region. For example, in Beijing, botanical garden could result in up to 10°C temperature decrease while that in Shaanxi province only contributed to 2.7°C. In Hong Kong, parks, green roofs and golf courses were found to play substantial roles in cooling urban heat, resulting in temperature reductions of 4.9°C, 4.9°C and 4.2°C respectively. Press release: https://polyu.hk/BqOJh Read the full paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666675824000262?via%3Dihub Online coverage: Sing Tao Daily - https://polyu.me/4bbXhvP Sing Tao Headline - https://polyu.me/4bYufjt Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/3K1bUGq Dot Dot News - https://polyu.me/3UIActC Xinhua Finance Agency - https://polyu.me/3K719Cg Hong Kong China News Agency - https://polyu.me/44HGhex Associated Press - https://polyu.me/3UHAC3v ETNet - https://polyu.me/3V3LgTw Macau Business - https://polyu.me/3UJ5CA7 Taiwan Business News - https://polyu.me/3V1UkZ5 Global News - https://polyu.me/4bIX8zF GBA Biz Tech Magazine - https://polyu.me/3V6Aj3O HXCJ - https://polyu.me/4biIXSo Cntechw.com - https://polyu.me/44J3mxq Scienmag - https://polyu.me/4bQn7p4 Science Daily - https://polyu.me/4avRaRS

RILS delegation visit to Shanghai and Tianjin

From 11 to 13 May 2024, a delegation of the Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS), led by Prof. YIN Jian-Hua, RILS Management Committee Member and Dr Gavin TOH, Chairman of the Geotechnical Division of The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE-GD), had a technical visit to Shanghai and Tianjin. The three-day visit was aimed to facilitate the exploration and development of potential technologies for sustainable land reclamation and development in Hong Kong, through learning from projects involving the utilisation of dredged materials for land reclamation in the cities. The group visited the Yangshan Deep Water Port and the test site of the National Engineering Research Center of Dredging (NERCD) in Shanghai, as well as the Nangang Industrial Zone and the Dongjiang Port Area in Tianjin. The visit was jointly organised by PolyU and HKIE-GD, and was hosted by the NERCD and China Communications Construction Company Limited’s (CCCC) Marine Construction and Development Co., Ltd.

Prof. WU Bo shares on deep space explorations research and I&T development with media

Prof. WU Bo, Associate Director of the Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations (RCDSE), in an exclusive interview with GD Today, shared on the research works by his team and Hong Kong’s innovation and technology (I&T) development. Prof. Wu and his team are currently working on the topographic mapping for Chang’e-7 and Tianwen-2 missions, using remote sensing data to build topographic maps of the Moon and Mars, and using topographic analysis techniques to evaluate and select possible landing sites that are safe and scientifically valuable. In the interview, he mentioned that since the team does not have any readily available information and data, this has brought great difficulties to the team’s mapping and remote sensing analysis works for the Tianwen-2 mission. The team has built a test site inside the laboratory, hoping to simulate the actual environments for analysis, and to enable improvements and enhancements in surveying, mapping and remote sensing so that these methods can be used for the effective measurement and analysis of irregular stellar objects, as well as the selection of possible landings sites for analysis and tracking in the future. He also mentioned that the team has made use of artificial intelligence technology to process satellite images, which has greatly improved research efficiency and reliability. Prof. Wu also pointed that given the increasing emphasis on innovation and technology in Hong Kong, as well as closer exchanges and co-operation between Hong Kong and other cities in Mainland China, Hong Kong researchers should actively seize the research opportunities ahead of them, bringing impetus to the development of Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area and the Nation. Online coverage: Nanfang Daily - https://polyu.me/3QGEJf7 Southcn.com - https://polyu.me/3UVUOzK HK Today - https://polyu.me/44zaj41 East Money - https://polyu.me/3JVxhsx

Urban sustainable development experts to deliver seminar on digital modelling and intelligent control

PAIR cordially invites you to join our seminar on 22 May 2024 (Wednesday) at 9:00am–10:30am (Hong Kong time) on PolyU campus. The seminar titled “Urban Environmental Systems Engineering for Sustainable Development: Digital Modelling and Intelligent Control” will be delivered by Prof. CAO Shi-Jie, Chief Professor of Southeast University, China and Director for Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Urban Heat and Pollution Control, China. Global economic and social sectors have entered into a new era characterised by the pursuit of high-quality, eco-friendly and low-carbon development. Despite this positive trend, persistent challenges continue to hinder the effective management of urban environmental pollution. Amidst various environmental stressors such as global climate change, energy crisis, resource depletion and ecological degradation, urban areas are experiencing a notable surge in both the quantity and diversity of pollutants, exacerbated by their invisible nature. Addressing these intricate environmental issues requires the development of multidisciplinary and systematic approaches to modelling and intelligently controlling urban pollution. The seminar will describe advance theories in environmental digital modelling and their practical applications, covering scientific monitoring, fast prediction, collaborative evaluation, intelligent planning, pollution abatement and control strategies. The advancements in urban environmental modelling and intelligent control have the potential to provide a scientific foundation for sustainable urban development, thus contributing to global efforts to create a greener and more resilient urban landscapes. Prof. Cao is a Full Professor and the Director of Center for Sustainable Built Environment (CSBE) at School of Architecture, Southeast University; the Founding Director for Jiangsu Province Engineering Research Center of Urban Heat and Pollution Control; a Visiting Professor of Institute of Sustainability, Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), University of Surrey, UK; a Visiting Professor of Osaka Prefecture University, Japan. He firstly initiates the multi-disciplinary direction of Sustainable Built Environment System in China (National Natural Science Foundation of China, NSFC) and was awarded the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars in the area. He serves as Deputy Editor for Indoor and Built Environment, Associate Editor of Sustainable Cities and Society (Special Issue), Journal of Cleaner Production, Editorial Board members for 10 international journals. He is now the President of International Society of Built Environment (ISBE), Committee Members of Chinese Society for Urban Agglomeration, Environmental Science, Carbon Neutrality, etc. He has published more than 100 SCI papers (H index: 35; H10 index: 74); 10 papers have been awarded as ESI articles; the Best Paper Award of Energy and Buildings in 2021; awarded as World’s Top 2% Scientists in from 2020 and 2023 in the area of built environment design. Due to his leadership and contribution of industry application for sustainable built environment design and control, he won the First Prize of China Award for Science and Technology in Construction in 2021 (Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development in China). He has been always interested and active in international academic collaborations, such as Harvard (Health Initiatives), Concordia (Sustainable Cities), Surrey (GCRF for CArE-Cities and Homes), Tampere (TFK for ARCH4FUTURE) etc. He edited “Handbook of Ventilation Design in Built Environment” invited by IET publisher in UK. He has been served as committee member and given speech for national and international conferences more than 50 times. He serves as reviewers for more than 100 international journals and assessor/panel members for International Funding Agencies, such as NSFC, RGC (Hongkong), UKRI, EPSRC, Polish National Science Center (NSC) etc. Don’t miss the chance to learn from Prof. Cao! Fine out more and register at: https://polyu.hk/SrmYU