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Thirty-nine PolyU research projects granted the NSFC’s Young Scientists Fund 2022, with PolyU ranking as the top recipient among local universities

Thirty-nine research projects led by young researchers at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have been recognised by the National Natural Science Foundation of China’s (NSFC) Young Scientists Fund 2022 (the Fund), with PolyU ranking as the top grant recipient in terms of the number of projects awarded among local universities. The Fund has been expanded to allow researchers and universities in Hong Kong to apply for the first time. Each project will be granted funding of RMB 300,000 to support basic research work for three years. The awarded PolyU research projects cover a wide spectrum of topics, including environmental protection, green living environment, climate change, construction technology, and innovation in AI-assisted medical devices, fostering a better future for our changing living environment. Professor Christina WONG, Director of Research and Innovation at PolyU, said, “We are thankful for the support from the NSFC Young Scientists Fund for Hong Kong researchers, which will facilitate and strengthen our research projects and scientists’ development. With top-notch scholars and experts, PolyU is dedicated to conducting impactful research in interdisciplinary fields, making positive contributions to Hong Kong and the Nation’s technology and socioeconomic advancement.” Under the talent funding system of the NSFC, the Fund supports young researchers to freely choose their research topics within the funding scope of the NSFC to conduct basic research, fosters the ability of young scientists to independently undertake research projects and do creative research, stimulates the creative thinking of young scientists, and trains upcoming talents for basic research. This year, PolyU not only gained the leading position in the Young Scientists Fund, but also made good achievements in other funds and programmes from NSFC. The 39 awarded PolyU scholars and research projects ( Chinese only )

PolyU and NECHK Join Hands to Provide Interactive Social Robots for Older Adults and Caregivers

(6 October 2022) The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) announced today the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with NEC Hong Kong (NECHK) to provide intelligent interactive social robots for older adults and their caregivers. A series of research projects will also be carried out to investigate the effects of social robots on self-care and to encourage older adults’ proactive engagement in interpersonal activities to foster a physically and mentally healthy life.   In cooperation with NECHK, Prof. Angela Yee Man LEUNG Associate Head (Research) of the School of Nursing of PolyU, and her team from the School of Nursing have developed five social robots to provide companionship and support for the daily activities of senior adults. The team will use the robots to conduct a series of research projects titled "Social Robots for Old Adults and Caregivers".   Prof. Christopher CHAO Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, said, “PolyU is honoured to collaborate with NECHK, a leader in integrated IT and networking technologies that promote personal and community safety and improve quality of life. NECHK’s commitment is aligned with PolyU's ongoing endeavours to advance knowledge transfer and applied research to respond to societal needs. I believe that the collaboration between PolyU's School of Nursing and NECHK will provide innovative solutions for the ageing population and ageing-in-place trend.”   The first ongoing study is "The Presence of Humanoid Robots with Older Adults at Homes", which investigates whether older adults would accept and enjoy interacting with robots at home, and the preliminary effect of the robots on loneliness, cognition, medication adherence, and mental and social well-being. The AI robots in this study speak Cantonese for verbal interaction with older adults. Their key features are human-machine intelligent interactions, including older adults’ verbal instructions to the robots, such as turning on the TV news channel or music player, or making phone calls to their family members and friends. Furthermore, at a scheduled time, the robots could give a warm and gentle reminder to older adults for some defined activities such as taking medication and having meals.   Ms Elsa WONG, Managing Director of NECHK, said, “NEC Social Robots are developed for elderly care services, particularly the ‘Companion Robot’ for people with dementia to improve their social interaction and communication, which can also decrease the workload of caregivers. The robot can communicate interactively in Cantonese with human-like expressions, and it can also provide personalised settings for older adults with their personal preferences and usage habits, so as to provide humanised intelligent elderly care services.”   Prof. David SHUM, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of PolyU, said, “Hong Kong has the longest life expectancy in the world and is fast becoming a super-aged society. After they retire or their adult children leave home, many older adults tend to have less social contact and interaction, which can be detrimental to their physical and mental health in the long term. Thus, this new research collaboration between the School of Nursing and NECHK is a crucial step in investigating whether the use of technology in the form of social robots can help partially fill the gap of two-way interaction, which can also assist older adults in staying connected socially and maintaining good self-care.”   Ageing-in-place is well documented as the trend and solution for an ageing population. Prof. Leung believes that through the use of social robots, it will be possible to promote interpersonal communication and enhance the self-care ability of older adults living alone while helping them to engage with the outside world. With the support of such innovative technology, older adults will be able to live healthily and independently and integrate into the community.   The cooperation agreement was signed by Prof. Christopher Chao, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU and Ms Elsa Wong, Managing Director of NECHK.   School of Nursing The School of Nursing (SN) at PolyU is a diverse community of scholars and clinicians with a common goal: to pursue academic excellence of practical value in nursing and healthcare services. The research mission of SN is to advance evidence-based nursing practice for the optimal health and well-being of all people locally, nationally and internationally. SN conducts high-quality clinical and applied research in nursing and other health sciences, focusing on various topics such as ageing and health; family and community health; mental health care; and transitional, supportive and palliative care.   NEC Hong Kong（NECHK） NEC Hong Kong Limited, established in 1984, has been rapidly expanding its activities to meet growing customer demands in Hong Kong, Macau and mainland China. As a leading information and communications technology provider, NECHK provides innovative solutions and infrastructure for creating social values of safety, security, fairness and efficiency to promote a more sustainable world where everyone has the chance to reach their full potential.  

National Manned Space Programme Recruitment of Payload Specialists

The country announced the official launch of the recruitment of the fourth batch of astronauts and the recruitment of Payload Specialists in Hong Kong for the first time, giving Hong Kong citizens the opportunity to participate in the National Manned Space Programme. PolyU has played a crucial role for the fostering of aerospace talents and researchers. As the only tertiary institution in Hong Kong with international space exploration experience, PolyU is actively promoting and conducting research for the development of aerospace and aviation technologies. Prof. Christopher Chao, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU said “PolyU actively supports the country’s recruitment of the fourth batch of astronauts. We are recruiting suitable talents in the University to participate in this recruitment programme to contribute to the National Manned Space Programme.” For more: https://www.itib.gov.hk/en/psrecruitment/index.html  

Young Innovative Researcher Lecture Series - First Lecture

To encourage and nurture an innovative spirit within PolyU for scientific discoveries, the Research and Innovation Office (RIO) of PolyU organised the debut lecture of “Young Innovation Research Lecture Series” on 5 Oct 2022, supported by Prof. Qingyan CHEN, Director of PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR) and Chair Professor of Building Thermal Science and Dr. Daniel Xiapu LUO, Associate Professor of Department of Computing. This hybrid lecture had the pleasure to invite Prof. Chang Wen CHEN, Chair Professor of Department of Visual Computing to speak for the event and gathered outstanding young researchers including Prof. Qiang TANG and Prof. Chao ZHANG, awardees of MIT Technology Review "35 Innovators under 35" (TR35) China, along with Dr. Tommy Minchen WEI who was recognised by “PolyU Young Innovation Researcher Award”. The participants exchanged insights and ideas about bringing a profound impact on the future development of science and technology. Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation), spoken at the lecture, “The University has been giving staunch support to our young talented scholars to pursue research excellence. He cited “PolyU Young Innovation Researcher Award (YIRA)” which was launched for the first time last year as an example. “The award aims to honour young PolyU researchers under the age of 35 who have demonstrated innovative thinking, contributed to technology advancement and turned innovative ideas into solutions for social problems, bringing positive changes to the world,” Prof. CHAO said.

PolyU and Wuxi city government to set up pioneering research institute to drive innovation and technology development in Yangtze River Delta

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the city government of Wuxi, Jiangsu province, have reached an agreement to jointly set up the PolyU-Wuxi Technology and Innovation Research Institute – a pioneering move among Hong Kong’s tertiary institutions to establish a scientific research institute in Wuxi and participate in the Yangtze River Delta’s innovation and technology (I&T) drive. The new institute will foster I&T collaboration between government, industry, academia, and research institutions through the provision of an advanced research platform, a unique engineering doctorate programme, and incubation support backed by a robust local manufacturing sector. The PolyU-Wuxi collaboration will also contribute to the Nation’s I&T development.

PolyU Prof Jianhua Hao Secures Key Program Funding from the National Natural Science Foundation of China

The Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) announced the application results of the 2022 Exercise in September 2022. A PolyU’s research project titled “Multifunctional ultrathin ferroelectric integrated materials and devices towards neuromorphic computing and human visual system”, led by Prof Jianhua Hao, Chair Professor of Materials Physics and Devices in the Department of Applied Physics, has been successfully funded by the Key Program of NSFC. In this project, Prof Hao's team will collaborate with researchers from Nankai University and Sichuan Normal University to address the key scientific issue of achieving a multi-mode neuromorphic device. Artificial intelligence (AI) is the frontier field with significant societal impact, and AI chips are the key to developing intelligent systems and brain-like robots. Exploration of related new materials and devices is currently a hot spot and frontier of international scientific and technological focus. Ferroelectrics is a representative among smart materials, showing great potential in the field of brain-like devices. On the basis of Prof Hao's internationally recognised works regarding ferroelectric manipulation of rare-earth-doped luminescence and ferroelectric optoelectronics, the project is to effectively integrate ferroelectric polarisation with multifunctional characteristics of electronic properties of semiconductor, photodetection and rare-earth ion luminescence. The developed materials and devices in this project will provide potential solutions for overcoming the development bottleneck of information technology.  Based on the ultrathin ferroelectric films, the research team will construct multifunctional integrated materials and devices towards neuromorphic computing and artificial vision. The project will reveal the physical mechanism of rare-earth doping into ferroelectric ultrathin films and demonstrate a new concept of relevant devices used for logic operation, data processing and emulating the human visual system. The project will potentially break the barrier of neuromorphic computing restricted by the limited working mode through developing novel materials and devices.  The research achievement can provide a novel strategy for developing AI chips and processing complex visual information. Particularly, multi-mode neural networks possess remarkable capabilities, which are expected to have increased technological and societal demand. The neural network based on the proposed ferroelectric synaptic devices is capable of performing logical computations and image recognition with high accuracy.     Prof Hao is known internationally for his pioneering research on ferroelectric luminescence. As early as 2011, Prof Hao first introduced the concept of ferroelectric modulation to the field of rare-earth luminescence and provided experimental evidence, which has been verified by more than 100 research groups in at least 25 countries and extended to 9 kinds of rare-earth ion dopants to 40 ferroelectric material systems. In recent years, Prof Hao’s team has also achieved a series of original research results in piezoelectric and magnetic-induced luminescence. Primarily the term "Smart Phosphors" has been included in the “Phosphors Handbook”. Prof Hao and his team won the 2021 Natural Science Award in the Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Awards (Science & Technology) by the Ministry of Education, P. R. China. NSFC Key Program According to NSFC, the Key Program supports researchers engaged in basic research to conduct in-depth, systematic and innovative research in orientations with a sound research basis or where new growth points of scientific disciplines might emerge so as to promote disciplinary development and breakthroughs in important areas or scientific frontiers. Key Program projects should make effective use of existing major scientific research bases at national and ministerial levels and conduct substantive international cooperation and exchange.

理大副校長(研究及創新) 趙汝恒：企業隱藏碳排放 ESG報告需加強評估及披露

(In Chinese only) 【明報文章】為了回應聯合國應對全球氣候危機的《巴黎協定》及國家政策，香港特別行政區政府將碳中和納入施政報告，並於去年公布《香港氣候行動藍圖2050》，力爭2050年前達至碳中和，為推動可持續發展作出貢獻。 要切實執行減碳政策及評估成效，確實評估碳排放量至關重要。筆者通過研究不同領域的碳排放數字，發現目前企業的ESG（環境、社會及管治）報告內，一直沒有詳細表述建築物的隱含碳排放，這部分估計佔香港整體碳排放達16%至30%，不容忽視。 溫室氣體排放的三大範圍 香港上市的公司現時每年必須提交ESG報告，披露能源及水資源使用、溫室氣體排放和污染物排放等環境及社會表現績效指標。當中，氣體排放範圍是按照世界資源研究院／世界企業永續發展協會所發表的《溫室氣體盤查議定書：企業會計與報告標準》（The Greenhouse Gas Protocol: A Corporate Accounting and Reporting Standard）框架擬定，將溫室氣體排放分類為三大範圍，包括—— 範圍一：企業擁有或控制來源產生的直接溫室氣體排放； 範圍二：企業內部消耗（購買或取得的）電力、熱能、冷凍及蒸氣所引致的「能源間接」溫室氣體排放； 範圍三：企業以外發生的所有其他間接溫室氣體排放，包括上游及下游的排放，以及來自廣泛活動的排放（例如僱員商旅、交通燃料及使用公司產品等）。 企業披露碳排放 欠缺準則 目前ESG報告屬於自願性披露，數據及內容取決於企業，沒有統一標準，與財務報告須按監管指引公布有所不同。筆者發現，企業計算「範圍三」碳排放的方法各適其適，部分企業羅列多達15種不同的「範圍三」排放，並分析是否與業務有關聯；有些則涵蓋公幹、輸電和配電損耗及上游運輸和配送資料；有些企業只包括耗紙量、耗水量與污水排放量。更甚的是，部分企業的ESG報告根本缺乏計算方法或「範圍三」排放的數據，造成灰色地帶，亦缺乏官方統計，導致企業公布的碳排放總量，一直與環保署公布的官方數字存在差異。 《香港氣候行動藍圖2050》沒有具體列出「範圍三」的碳減排目標，或許是港府缺乏「範圍三」碳排放的實際數據作出評估所致。筆者建議政府，為企業ESG報告制訂「範圍三」碳排放的審計方法和指引，並納入為必須披露的資料，以更好評估及落實碳中和目標。 在各種「範圍三」碳排放，有一種被隱藏的碳排放是業界正努力減少但鮮被統計，就是建築物從無到有的過程中所產生的碳排放，包括製造建築物料的資源提取和製造的碳排放、建築材料從工廠到施工現場的運輸碳排放，及在施工現場的碳排放。 經濟學中，建築物屬於企業或政府的資本財（capital good），建築物的隱含碳排放因此應納入「範圍三」。有本港地產發展商指出，混凝土、鋼筋和結構鋼的隱含碳排放，佔了整座商業大廈的隱含碳排放近99%，而香港建築物的隱含碳排放佔整個建築物生命周期排放量的25%至38%，比重之高是絕對不能忽視。 香港綠色建築議會（HKGBC）早已設立綠建環評，作為中立的評估系統計算建築物隱含碳排放，旨在提高建築效率和減少碳排放。可是，新建和租賃的建築物碳排放屬於一次過，如果計算在ESG報告內，「範圍三」的碳排放數據就會顯得波動，不利公眾清楚理解和分析企業減排表現。如何更好地報告企業的「範圍三」碳排放，將是環保和商界必須探討的問題。 金融界參與構建ESG認證框架 香港是領先的國際金融中心，積極發展綠色金融。筆者認為，若能建立一個包含制訂標準和提供認證的企業ESG認證框架，令企業披露的數據更有公信力，在申請綠色金融相關貸款時，利息成本或較低，此舉除了促進經濟金融穩健發展之餘，亦為企業邁向更綠色的營運模式提供更大動力，達至可持續發展。 筆者預期，開初在香港建立的ESG認證框架將包括準則制訂、審計和認證；具體的績效衡量標準，則有待進一步討論來確立。然而，這一步有助更準確評估企業以至跨行業的碳排放，完善ESG報告，幫助投資者作出更佳的決策外，亦協助政府制訂適切的減碳策略。因此，ESG認證框架必須讓金融機構共同參與，及制訂一套國際認可的標準。 作者是香港理工大學副校長（研究及創新）、理大科技及創新政策研究中心主任趙汝恒 （原文刊登於《明報》觀點）

PolyU and OPPO establish Joint Innovation Lab to foster research and innovation on AI-driven computational imaging in the Greater Bay Area

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) signed a cooperation agreement with Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications Corp., Ltd (OPPO) for the establishment of the “PolyU-OPPO Joint Innovation Lab” (Joint Lab). The laboratory will focus on joint research projects including AI-driven computational imaging and its chipisation, computer vision, immersive multimedia and AR/VR technology. OPPO aims to provide total funding of no less than RMB 10 million to support PolyU research and innovation projects and the establishment and operation of the Joint Lab. PolyU and OPPO will use the Joint Lab as a platform for academic exchange and joint science and engineering research projects, sharing these research outcomes and nurturing highly skilled talents together. The lab will be a leading force in catalysing academia-industry cooperation and innovation technology development in the Greater Bay Area. The cooperation agreement was signed yesterday (22 September) by Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU and Mr Levin LIU, OPPO Vice President and President of OPPO Research Institute during a video conference officiating the launch of the Joint Lab. Prof. ZHANG Lei, Chair Professor of Computer Vision and Image Analysis at the Department of Computing, PolyU, will be the Joint Lab’s director on behalf of the University. Prof. Christopher Chao remarked, “PolyU works with local and international enterprises to promote knowledge transfer and advance economic and social development through the transformation of research outcomes into practical applications. The Joint Lab will leverage the expertise of PolyU’s applied research and the market-leading advantages of OPPO to facilitate innovation and breakthroughs in cutting-edge technologies, the cultivation of talents and the provision of social benefits.” Mr Levin Liu said, “OPPO adheres to the concept of making the best use of science and technology for mankind, and strives to develop innovative technologies and excellent products to bring the best technology experience to users around the world. In our pursuit of innovation, we wish to join hands with those in academia to explore various modes of cooperation for joint research and development as well as talent cultivation. By integrating the insights and experience of our industry with the excellent foundational talent and research capabilities of the University, we will be able to develop an ongoing and win-win industry-university partnership.”

PolyU and CAS’s Joint Lab Develop Optimisation Tools for Medical Image Analytics, Digital Economics, and Smart Cities Awarded CAS-Croucher Funding Scheme

Jointly established  by the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science (AMSS) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the CAS AMSS-PolyU Joint Laboratory of Applied Mathematics was recently awarded the “CAS-Croucher Funding Scheme for Joint Laboratories 2022” with a total grant of HKD 3 million. PolyU and AMSS will each provide a matching fund of HKD 375,000 for the project, equivalent to HKD 750,000.  Led by the two Directors , Prof Chen Xiaojun, Chair Professor of Applied Mathematics of PolyU and Prof Yuan Yaxiang, Academician of CAS, AMSS, this awarded project, entitled “Nonlinear Optimisation Theory, Algorithms and Applications”, aims to conduct a comprehensive mathematical investigation of nonlinear optimisation theory and build solid mathematical foundations for essential applications in data science, engineering and economics.  Complementing the strengths of PolyU and the CAS research institutes, this project will develop advanced and cutting-edge deep learning software using new optimisation theory and algorithms to overcome the difficulties of the existing software in terms of speed, accuracy, robustness and complexity. Efficient optimisation models and tools using artificial neural network-based machine learning algorithms will also be developed for medical image analytics, digital economy and smart cities. Although prediction processing is in general widely investigated in economics and smart cities, to tackle the lack of problem-specific network designs for rapid responses to market risk and disasters, such as emergent incidents and extreme weather, this project will develop fast optimisation algorithms for prediction problems in the digital economy and smart cities, making full use of different features of data and images.  CAS-Croucher Funding Scheme for Joint Laboratories  Launched by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Croucher Foundation Limited, this scheme aims to encourage researchers in Hong Kong universities and CAS research institutes to work together on highly specific scientific topics. The selection  has been conducted every two years since 2004 and evaluated by national and international experts.

PolyU and China Southern Power Grid (CSG) jointly establish the “ Joint Institute for Green and Secure Power Grid” to Promote New Power Systems and Dual Carbon Goals

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and China Southern Power Grid Co., Ltd. (CSG) have signed an agreement to jointly establish the “Joint Institute for Green and Secure Power Grid”. Led by the Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE) and the Faculty of Engineering (FENG) of PolyU, the long-term and in-depth strategic collaboration aims to build up a highly competitive and interdisciplinary research team in the fields of green and secure management of power equipment and green and safe power supply for smart cities to foster the development of new power systems. Promoting new power systems using new energy sources such as wind and solar with high security, openness and adaptability are crucial to meet the growing demand for clean electricity while achieving the country's "peak carbon" and "carbon neutral" goals.  Aiming to contribute to the transformation and upgrading of the national power system, PolyU will combine its existing strong research expertise with the complementary strengths of CSG to conduct various innovative research on green energy. CSG plans to invest RMB 30 million in the upcoming five years to support PolyU in carrying out a series of fundamental and forward-looking research projects. An interdisciplinary research team involving members from six departments of FCE and FE of PolyU has already been formed, covering the area of smart sensing, edge computing, big data, numerical simulation and advanced materials, etc., with a focus on digital twin technology of power equipment and the digitalisation of electric power distribution to provide safe and stable operation of the new power system. Under the Joint Institute for Green and Secure Power Grid, PolyU and CSG will actively participate in major provincial and national projects to achieve technological breakthrough and contribute to national energy security. The collaboration agreement was signed by Professor Christopher Chao, Vice-President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU and Mr Wang Hongzhi, General Manager of CSG, and witnessed by Professor Xu Kai, Deputy Director of Education and Technology Department, Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, Mr PENG Wenjun Bryan, Head of Innovation and Technology (Greater Bay Area) at Invest Hong Kong, Professor Teng Jinguang, President of PolyU, Mr. Liang Qinru, the Deputy Director-general of the Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province, Mr Wang Hongzhi, General Manager of CSG,  and Mr Zhang Wenfeng, Vice President of CSG during the ceremony on September 8, 2022. Prof Jin-Guang Teng said, "PolyU and SCG have been working together for a long time. The establishment of the joint research institute now deepens the partnership between the two parties. Our research team will mainly base on new energy sources, promote the construction of new power systems and research and development of new green technologies for smart cities, as so to contribute to the country's "peak carbon" and "carbon neutral" goals. Mr Wang Hongzhi, General Manager of CSG. said, “We are joining hands with PolyU to carry out comprehensive cooperation in technology innovation and talent exchange, promoting the development of new power systems through the Joint Institute. This partnership realises in-depth exchanges between industry, academic and research sectors, thus providing strong support for building the Greater Bay Area into a national model for high-quality economic, social and technological development.” In addition to joint research projects, the collaboration aims to cultivate a group of high-level interdisciplinary experts to form a research force for building new power systems. Prof Christopher Chao, Vice President (Research and Innovation), remarked, “PolyU has been actively contributing to the development of green technology and providing innovative solutions by leveraging its expertise in different disciplines to respond to global challenges. This collaboration with CSG will facilitate academic exchange and resource sharing, effectively support academics to conduct various research activities, and nurture research talents simultaneously for promoting major research projects in the area.” Professor Du Yaping, Director of the Joint Institute for Green and Secure Power Grid, said, "The interdisciplinary Joint Institute will focus on exploring the application of green and safe technologies in the field of power transmission and distribution to solve the pain points and difficulties in the construction of new power systems and will greatly promote the innovation and technology development of Hong Kong.”   China Southern Power Grid Co. Ltd. China Southern Power Grid (CSG), a major state-owned enterprise under the auspices of the State Council, guarantees electrical power supply services for Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, Guizhou, Hainan, Hong Kong SDR and Macao SDR. The Company connects the power grids in Hong Kong, Macao and Southeast Asian countries with the service area spanning more than one million square km2 and reaching over 254 million people.