News

Five PAIR railway technology projects supported by MTR Research Funding Scheme

PolyU received a total funding of HK$7.25 million in the 2023 MTR Research Funding Scheme for six research projects that aim at developing cutting-edge technologies for the future advancement of railways. Among them, five projects are led by PAIR researchers: In alphabetical order of last name: Principal Investigator PAIR Research Unit Project Title Prof. CHUNG Chi-yung Photonics Research Institute (PRI)   Developing an Electromagnetic Energy Harvesting System to Energise Monitoring Systems in the Hong Kong MTR System Dr HUANG Xinyan Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD) Intelligent Emergency Digital Twin System in Metro Station for Fire Evacuation Dr LAI Siu-kai   Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD)   Development of a New Inerter-based Rail Damper to Mitigate Railway-induced Ground-borne Noise by a Physics-informed Deep Learning Framework Dr REN Jingzheng Research Institute for Advanced Manufacturing (RIAM) and Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality (RCRE) Promoting Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) in MTR for Pursuing Sustainable Development Goals and Better Service Quality Dr YE Hongbo Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Smart Cities Research Institute (SCRI) Planning and Operation of Future Railway System with Autonomous Modularised Trains and Virtual Coupling Signalling   Read more: https://polyu.me/45mTfNr   Online coverage (Chinese only): Oriental Daily News - https://polyu.me/46jFost HK01 - https://polyu.me/46pRZdU

PAIR to host a seminar on collecting fog droplets using microfiber grids

PAIR cordially invite you to join the PAIR Seminar titled “Collecting Fog Droplets Using Microfiber Grids” to be held on 12 October 2023 (Thursday) at 11:00am–12:30pm (HK Time) on PolyU campus and via Zoom. The seminar will be delivered by Prof. TAN Zhongchao, Founding Chair Professor, Vice Provost and Dean of Academic Affairs of the Eastern Institute of Technology in Ningbo, China. Water shortage is one of the biggest challenges that humanity faces. Novel technologies to tackle the challenge of water scarcity are urgently needed. However, all the existing studies are based on bare fibers with diameter in the order of mm. In the seminar, Prof. Tan will introduce a novel fog collection technology using microfibers fabricated by near-field electrospinning. The collection efficiency reaches a record high level. Systematic investigation reveals that the waterdrops are “visible” to fog droplets in the incoming air flow because of the relatively small size of the microfibers. Thus, the large waterdrops deflect the fog-carrying airflow to the satellite small waterdrops, which effectively intercept the fog droplets. Prior to moving back to China, Prof. Tan was a faculty member at the University of Waterloo, Canada, where he also served as the founding Executive Director of Tsinghua–Waterloo Joint Research Centre for Energy and Environmental Technologies. Prof. Tan’s contribution to chemical engineering and clean energy has been recognised by international peers, as evidenced by 128 journal articles, and six technical books. His single-authored textbook, Air Pollution and Greenhouse Gases, was downloaded 1.7+ million times globally. He was elected Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering in 2022. Don’t miss the chance to learn from distinguished scholar! Find out more and register at: https://polyu.hk/WPetI

Prof. WU Bo shares lunar explorations on Phoenix TV show Zoom In

Prof. WU Bo, Associate Director of the Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations (RCDSE), explained the technology in India’s Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission, the significance of exploring the south pole of the Moon, and China’s future lunar-exploration mission plans on a television programme Zoom In by the Phoenix TV. Prof. Wu said lunar south pole exploration allows us to conduct the in-situ extraction experiments of raw materials, such as helium-3, rare-earth elements, water, ice, etc., from the Moon, and these resources can be used for the construction of a lunar research base via 3D printing, thus saving transportation costs and time.   Online coverage (Chinese only): Phoenix TV - https://polyu.me/3RKMSAu (3:28 - 4:32, 9:01 - 10:15, 24:01 - 24:29)

Consul General of Sweden visits RCRE

Ms Louise BERGHOLM, Consul General of Sweden, visited the Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality (RCRE) on 3 October 2023. During the laboratory visit, Prof. POON Chi-sun, Director of RCRE, introduced some of the low-carbon construction materials developed by the Centre, including foam glass-based lightweight concrete, superhydrophobic lightweight foam concrete, sustainable permeable concrete for urban drainage and 3D concrete printing products. The two parties had an enlightening and fruitful exchange.

Establishment of Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion

The PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR) takes great pleasure to announce the establishment of Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion (RCTFF), set to commence operations on 1 October 2023. This significant undertaking has been established to propel interdisciplinary research in the domains of textiles and fashion, thereby reinforcing The Hong Kong Polytechnic University's (PolyU) unwavering dedication to fostering innovation and the progression of knowledge. As one of the constituent research units of PAIR, RCTFF assumes a vital role in spearheading transformative research initiatives. Under the leadership of Prof. FAN Jintu, Chair Professor of Fiber Science and Apparel Engineering, RCTFF emerges as a hub of expertise and innovation, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience in the research field. RCTFF is dedicated to driving groundbreaking research with the principal objective of advancing high-performance textiles and fashion products. By creating an environment that fosters collaboration and encourages creativity, the centre strives to generate innovative solutions for efficient and sustainable fashion and textile life cycles. RCTFF focuses on a diverse range of core research themes, including, but not limited to: Advanced materials and technologies Product design and innovation Life cycle management By focusing on these critical domains, RCTFF seeks to establish itself as a global leader in textile and fashion research, making significant contributions to both academia and industry. The centre also looks forward to engaging with partners and stakeholders from various sectors to facilitate technology exchange and drive impactful collaborations. For further information about the new RCTFF and its research initiatives, please visit www.polyu.edu.hk/rctff/

Prof. TAO Xiaoming elected as Full Foreign Member of European Academy of Natural Sciences

Congratulations to Prof. TAO Xiaoming, Director of the Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems, for being elected as a Full Foreign Member of the European Academy of Natural Sciences. Headquartered in Hannover, Germany, the Academy promotes contacts and exchange of information between its members. Currently, a total of 50 scientists from China have been appointed as full members.

Prof. Eddie HUI hosts panel discussion at HKIS Property and Facility Management Division Conference 2023

The Property and Facility Management Division of Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (HKIS) held a conference “Next Generation of Smart Property & Facility Management in Greater Bay Area” at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University on 26 September 2023.  Ms. HO Wing-yin, JP, Secretary for Housing of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government was invited as the guest of honour.  The event attracted more than 230 industry professionals and academics from Hong Kong and mainland China for discussion on the industry development and the industrial application of innovative technologies in the property and facility management sector in the Greater Bay Area. Prof. Eddie HUI Chi-man, Management Committee Member of the Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS) and Associate Head and Professor of the Department of Building and Real Estate (BRE), hosted the panel discussion on the topic “Exploring the Opportunities and Challenges of Smart Technology Adoption in Property and Facility Management across the Greater Bay Area”, leading the audience for an active and fruitful exchange.   Online coverage: Hong Kong Commercial Daily - https://polyu.me/3ET2Z7j Chinese only

RISE member develops novel catalysts for carbon dioxide reduction

Dr HUANG Bolong, Member of the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE) and Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, developed novel catalysts for the chemical reactions that are important for energy conversion and sustainable energy technologies, including water-splitting hydrogen generation, oxygen reduction and evolution for fuel cells and metal-air batteries, and carbon dioxide (CO2) reduction for controlling carbon emission. Dr HUANG’s recent research, “Double-dependence correlations in graphdiyne-supported atomic catalysts to promote carbon dioxide reduction reaction (CO2RR) toward the generation of diatomic carbon (C2) Products,” was published in Advanced Energy Materials in December 2022. It provides useful references for informing the choice of suitable catalysts to overcome the current technical bottleneck in converting CO2 into high value-added C2 products. Read more: https://polyu.hk/VNsmH Read the full research article: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/aenm.202203858

Insightful study published in renowned journal Addressing ozone pollution challenges with synergistic control

An international research team led by PolyU scholars has published a ground-breaking perspective article in the prestigious journal One Earth. The study focuses on combating ground-level ozone pollution, a pressing environmental issue affecting human health, crop yields, and global climate change. The team, comprising 30 scholars from 10 countries, proposes a synergistic control approach between ozone and climate to address the challenges of rising tropospheric ozone levels. Prof. GUO Hai and Prof. WANG Tao from the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD) are one of the corresponding authors and co-authors, respectively. The research highlights the alarming increase in warm-season ozone pollution over the past decade. Key regions, including Mainland China, the United States, and Europe, have experienced significant ozone rises, posing challenges in pollution control due to changing emissions and the influence of climate warming. The study emphasises the need for a comprehensive strategy that integrates ozone and climate control, prioritising both human and ecosystem health. By connecting emissions, mechanisms and policies, this approach offers a remarkable solution to mitigate ozone pollution while fostering international collaboration for a low-carbon future. For more details, read the full article in One Earth journal. URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2023.07.004

Prof. CAO Jiannong gives keynote speech at global blockchain summit

Prof. CAO Jiannong, Director of the Research Institute of Artificial Intelligence of Things (RIAIoT), Dean of the Graduate School, Director of the University Research Facility in Big Data Analytics, Chair Professor of Distributed and Mobile Computing and Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Professor in Data Science, delivered a keynote speech on decentralised data infrastructure for Web 3.0 at the 9th Global Blockchain Summit 2023 held in Shanghai. Prof. Cao said that Web 3.0 is marked by three characteristics: de-platforming and decentralisation—a single centralised platform will no longer be needed to control and manage user information; user data ownership—users will have complete control over their own information and identity; and tokenisation—the values of user-generated data and contents can be expressed in the form of tokens. He also pointed out that, the Web 3.0 environment can drive many innovations. Innovations in high application layers including decentralised finance (DeFi), finance gamification (GameFi) and social finance (SocialFi), are all about decentralised finance, i.e., the use of blockchain, smart contracts and digital identities to remove the unnecessary intermediate channels in traditional finance. GameFi and SocialFi apply the concepts and technologies of decentralised finance to games and social platforms respectively.  In addition to innovation at the application level, Web3.0 can also drive organisational, social and economic innovation.   Online coverage (Chinese only): Zhihu - https://polyu.me/3ZnxNXl China.com - https://polyu.me/3PKLUCD East Money - https://polyu.me/48mmi6m