Dr An Liang, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical EngineeringZoom In
Dr Ray Yang Lei, Assistant Professor, Department of ComputingZoom In
Dr Zhou Chao, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental EngineeringZoom In
Dr Zhu Xiaolin, Assistant Professor, Department of Land Surveying and Geo-InformaticsZoom In

Four scientists at PolyU have been awarded funding from China's Excellent Young Scientists Fund 2020. The fund supports young scientists who have made significant contributions in fundamental research, helping them become leading international scholars in their field. Each scientist will receive RMB1.2 million to support their work in Hong Kong over a three-year period.

 

Under the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Fund was extended to young scientists, defined as men aged below 38 and women aged below 40, in Hong Kong and Macau at eight designated universities in 2019. A total of 25 young scholars from Hong Kong and Macau are awarded funding annually.

 

The successful PolyU researchers and their projects are:

 

ResearcherPost title / DepartmentProject description
Dr An LiangAssociate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering

Flow and Heat/Mass Transfer in Electrochemical Energy Systems
Dr An has systematically studied the characteristics of flow and mass transport in a complex microporous structure in which electrochemical reactions occur, achieving a number of innovative results.

The primary objective of this project is to investigate key issues relating to flow and heat/mass transfer in electrochemical energy systems at different scales.

 

Dr Ray Yang LeiAssistant Professor, Department of Computing

Battery-free Internet of Things
This project explores the possibility of creating an efficient and large-scale battery-free Internet of Things (IoT), which aims to harvest energy from ambient electromagnetic waves for wireless communication and sensors.

It will contribute to the key theory and technologies of new generation IoT, facilitating the coexistence and fusion of multi-protocols, multi-target and multi-networks, and promoting their application in industry.

 

Dr Zhou ChaoAssistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Unsaturated Soils and Problematic Soils
This project aims to improve the fundamental understanding and modelling capability of the behaviour of unsaturated loess under cyclic thermo-hydro-mechanical loads.

The findings of this project will help engineers improve the design of pavement and railway embankments in areas with high loess deposits.

 

Dr Zhu XiaolinAssistant Professor, Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics

Remote Sensing: Time Series Image Processing
Dr Zhu has developed a series of advanced technologies for processing satellite images, which improves the ability and accuracy of time-series remote sensing for monitoring land surface changes.

This project will further develop the framework and model for multi-dimensional data fusion, a technology that will be needed in the near future to integrate data from multiple satellites.

   

 

It is encouraging to see young scientists from PolyU supported by the Nation to further develop their research. The provision of the Fund not only reflects the Nation’s support of Hong Kong’s scientific research, but also encourages young local scientists to pursue excellence in both basic research and research in cutting-edge technologies.