News

Professor FRANGOPOL, RISUD’s IAC member, has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE)

Professor Dan M. FRANGOPOL, an Honorary Professor and member of the International Advisory Committee at the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD), has been elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in recognition of his contributions to life-cycle civil engineering and his leadership in advancing its global development and adoption. NAE membership is one of the highest honors in engineering, awarded to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to engineering practice, research, and education; pioneered new and emerging technological fields; significantly advanced traditional engineering disciplines; or developed and implemented innovative approaches to engineering education and leadership. Prof. FRANGOPOL, the inaugural Fazlur R. Khan Endowed Chair of Structural Engineering and Architecture at Lehigh University, is internationally renowned for pioneering life-cycle civil engineering. His work has laid the foundation for the field and facilitated its integration into civil engineering practice worldwide. He holds five honorary doctorates, 14 honorary professorships, and membership in eight academies across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Japan, Belgium, Romania, and Europe, among others. His research focuses on the development and application of probabilistic and optimization methods in civil and marine engineering within a life-cycle framework. His key areas of expertise include life-cycle cost analysis; probability-based assessment, design, and multi-criteria life-cycle optimization of structures and infrastructure systems; structural health monitoring; maintenance and management of structures and distributed infrastructure under extreme events (such as tsunamis, hurricanes, and floods); sustainability and resilience of infrastructure; and climate change adaptation. Prof. FRANGOPOL’s contributions have been recognized with numerous awards for research, education, and service, including the ASCE OPAL Lifetime Achievement Award in Education. He has been honored by several prestigious organizations, such as the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the International Association for Bridge and Structural Engineering (IABSE), the International Association for Structural Safety and Reliability (IASSAR), the International Society for Structural Health Monitoring of Intelligent Infrastructure (ISHMII), and the International Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE International). In 2023, ASCE established the Dan M. FRANGOPOL Medal for Life-Cycle Engineering of Civil Structures to commemorate his groundbreaking work. In addition to his academic and research achievements, Prof. FRANGOPOL is the founding president of two major international associations: the International Association for Bridge Maintenance and Safety (IABMAS) and the International Association for Life-Cycle Civil Engineering (IALCCE). These organizations, which collectively have over 3,000 members from 75 countries, promote global collaboration and the advancement of societal well-being through their biennial conferences, typically held on different continents. He is also the founder and editor-in-chief of Structure and Infrastructure Engineering, a respected international peer-reviewed journal launched in 2005. Congratulations to Prof. FRANGOPOL!

RISUD member receives Smart Traffic Fund to develop AI-enabled parking garage vacancy prediction service

Prof. MA Wei, Member of the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD), Assistant Professor of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of PolyU, has been awarded a funding of about HK$2.9 million from the Smart Traffic Fund for a period of 18 months, for his project titled “Parking Garage Vacancy Prediction Services in Hong Kong: AI-enabled Solutions for Enhanced Reliability and Extensibility”.     This project aims to develop a deep learning-based parking garage vacation prediction service for off street carparks in Hong Kong. By leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) technology and combining big data with real time data, the service will predict parking vacancy and estimate queuing times for fully occupied garages, helping to reduce motorists’ cruising time and enhance road efficiency.   Read more: http://www.polyu.edu.hk/rio/news/2025/20250127---smart-traffic-fund/      

RISUD member receives AAEES “40 Under 40 Recognition Program” Award 2025

Prof. Nathanael JIN Ling, Member of the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD), and Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Department of Health Technology and Informatics, has been recognised by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists (AAEES) as one of the recipients of the “40 Under 40 Recognition Program” Award for 2025.   Prof. JIN’s interdisciplinary research focuses on the intersection of environmental chemistry, toxicology and microbiology. His works addresses critical planetary health challenges, including air pollution’s impact on human health and marine pollution’s effects on wildlife. Prof. JIN’s research has been recognised by multiple Best Paper and Most Popular Paper Awards. He was invited by Nature to contribute commentaries to discuss global issues such as microbial hazards in plastic waste and health disparities from air pollution.   Full list of the award recipients: https://www.aaees.org/40under40

Prof. Nathanael JIN writes commentary on microbial risks of plastic pollution for Nature prediction service

Prof. Nathanael JIN Ling, Member of the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD), and Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Department of Health Technology and Informatics, was invited by Nature to contribute a commentary titled “What harmful microbes are lurking in the world’s 7 billion tonnes of plastic waste?”.   In the paper, Prof. JIN and his team highlighted the microbial risks associated with plastic pollution and proposed a global strategy to address these challenges. Plastic debris creates a new ecological niche for microorganisms, forming a new ecosystem known as the “plastisphere”. The paper outlines the potential risks of plastisphere microbiomes pose to ecosystem functioning and the health of humans and other organisms. To develop a comprehensive global strategy, the paper suggests six priorities: quantifying effects, redefining plastic pollution, sustaining funding, establishing expert panels, adjusting management strategies and protecting people.   Read the full paper: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-03150-6  

Prof. Vivien LU integrates green radiative cooling coating with photovoltaics for energy saving in buildings

The PolyU Carbon Neutrality Funding Scheme aims to support the application of university research outcomes and to take the campus as a testbed to apply research solutions, with a goal of achieving carbon neutrality on campus and supporting Hong Kong’s goal of reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. With support from the Scheme, Prof. Vivien LU Lin, Member of the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD) and Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality (RCRE), and Professor of the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering, and her research team, has integrated the solar-driven adaptive radiative cooling (SARC) coating they developed, with bifacial solar photovoltaics (PV) to achieve synergistic enhancement in thermal management and power generation, transforming buildings from energy consumers into energy harvesters. The team is planning to install bifacial PV panels on the rooftops of the under-construction PolyU Kowloon Tong Student Hostel, with new coating applied on the corresponding area under the panels, to enhance power generation while radiatively cooling the buildings.   The carbon dots (CDs)-driven photoluminescent radiative cooling nanocoating can be applied to building rooftops and exterior walls. This novel coating can automatically adjust its absorption and emission of solar and thermal radiation in response to changes in environmental temperature or light conditions, helping to mitigate the heat island effect caused by building materials. It uses photoluminescence technology to convert ultraviolet light into visible light, thereby improving the absorption and utilisation of light by PV and increasing its conversion efficiency.   Compared to traditional coatings, this novel coating can effectively improve effective daytime solar reflectance from 92.5% to 95%, increase the cooling effect by 10% to 20%, and reduce the temperature by up to 25°C when applied to concrete rooftops. This nanocoating is environmentally friendly, water-soluble, volatile organic compounds (VOCs)-free, and can be produced in various colours, thus demonstrating significant application potential.   Press Release: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/media/media-releases/2024/0924_polyu-researchers-unveil-novel-carbon-dots-driven-green-radiative-cooling-coating/ Online coverage: Sing Tao Headline - https://polyu.me/4hofXLG (Chinese only)

RISUD member awarded ASCE Greater China Distinguished Leadership Medal 2025

Congratulations to Prof. XIA Yong, Member of Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD), Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations (RCDSE), and Professor of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, on receiving the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Greater China Distinguished Leadership Medal at the 3rd ASCE Greater China Conference held at Guangxi University from 10 to 12 January 2025.   This award recognises Prof. Xia’s exceptional innovative contributions and outstanding leadership in advancing the ASCE Greater China Section and the civil engineering profession in the region. The selection process for this award involved a comprehensive evaluation of criteria such as professional contributions, academic influence and international engagement.   The ASCE Greater China Section serves as a vital platform for fostering the growth of civil engineering in Greater China. It facilitates knowledge exchange, networking opportunities and professional development among its members, uniting engineers across diverse disciplines within civil engineering, including structural, geotechnical, construction, environmental, materials and water resources.    

Six RISUD members awarded RGC Collaborative Research Fund

The Research Grants Council (RGC) announced the results of its 2024/25 funding schemes, and a total of 18 PolyU projects have received approximately HK$91.76 million funding in total from the Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) and Research Impact Fund (RIF), the highest amount among the UGC-funded universities. Among them, six of them are the members of RISUD. Congratulations to all awardees!   Project Title Project Coordinator Collaborative Research Project Grant Ultrahigh-resolution Optical Vector Analysis for Broadband Photonic Devices Prof. YU Changyuan Professor of Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (in collaboration with CityU and CUHK) Advancing Compound Hazard Resilience and Adaptation for Urban Building Community in a Changing Climate Prof. DONG You Associate Professor of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (in collaboration with CityU, HKUST and HKU) Collaborative Research Equipment Grant Development of a Colorimetric and Photometric Characterisation Platform for Binocular VR/AR Headsets Prof. WEI Minchen Tommy Professor of Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering (in collaboration with CityU and HKUST) Young Collaborative Research Grant AI-empowered Wind Field Simulation for Sustainable Urban Microclimate Design Prof. YOU Ruoyu Assistant Professor of Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering (in collaboration with HKU) Research Impact Fund WASTES to WINGS– Constructing a High-throughput Sustainable Aviation Fuel Research Platform to Facilitate Zero Carbon Air Travel in Hong Kong Prof. Shao-Yuan LEU Associate Professor of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Development of Modular Integrated 3D-printed Concrete Construction (MI3DC) Prof. POON Chi-sun Michael Anson Professor in Civil Engineering, Chair Professor and Head of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Creating Delightful Experience in Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality Headset through Optimal Optical Design Prof. WEI Minchen Tommy Professor of Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering     Press release: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/en/media/media-releases/2025/0109_18-polyu-research-projects-awarded-rgc-collaborative-research-fund-and-research-impact-fund/   Online coverage: Sing Tao Daily - https://polyu.me/4ae85K3 (subscription required) Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/4gORlvs Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/425YOBM

Director of RISUD receives Green Tech Fund to achieve carbon neutrality

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) is committed to advancing green technology to tackle the pressing need for global sustainability. PolyU researchers have developed a groundbreaking project aimed at designing and developing low-carbon marine self-healing concrete, which holds promising potential for marine construction materials and coastal engineering applications. This initiative will contribute to long-term decarbonisation efforts and has received support from the Green Tech Fund. The project titled “Marine self-healing concrete with biomineralization-enhanced construction waste for long-term decarbonization” is led by Prof. LI Xiangdong, Director of RISUD, Dean of Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE), Chair Professor of Environmental Science and Technology, and Ko Jan Ming Professor in Sustainable Urban Development at PolyU. It has been awarded approximately HK$ 6.03 million from the Green Tech Fund for a duration of 24 months. This project is focused on designing and developing low-carbon marine self-healing concrete by incorporating biomineralization-enhanced recycled aggregates (RAs). Marine carbon-capturing bacteria will utilise carbon dioxide (CO2) to accelerate carbonisation and improve RAs, thereby addressing the issue of scarce natural aggregates, reducing CO2 emissions, and achieving the recycling of construction waste. In addition, this microbial concrete structure possesses self-healing properties that enhance its durability, providing a significant advantage in achieving long-term decarbonization and sustainability objectives. Field testing and lifecycle assessments will be conducted to ensure that the new concrete meets the stringent standards of durability and marine ecosystem quality. Anticipated results include a comprehensive design guideline for marine self-healing concrete, optimised mixing techniques, and valuable insights into the influence and environmental performances on marine ecology. In promoting the recycling of construction waste, conserving land resources, and mitigating environmental hazards, this project also drive progress in the production of marine construction materials and the subsequent development of related industries. Consequently, it contributes towards achieving carbon neutrality and fostering sustainable development within the Greater Bay Area. The Green Tech Fund (GTF) was established in 2020 to provide better and more focused funding support to research and development projects which can help Hong Kong decarbonise and enhance environmental protection. Online coverage: Hong Kong Economic Times - https://polyu.me/4iMpJbR Hong Kong Commercial Daily - https://polyu.me/3Wh2vBd

Five PAIR members recognised amongst world’s most highly cited researchers 2024

Five scholars from PISUD have been named in the list of “Highly Cited Researchers 2024” by Clarivate Analytics. This recognition is a testament to PolyU’s research and academic excellence, and its dedication to making broad positive societal impact. This annual list recognises researchers who have demonstrated significant impact in their respective research fields. Each researcher selected has authored multiple highly-cited papers that have ranked in the top 1% by citations for their fields and publication year in the Web of Science over the past 11 years. This year, a total of 6,636 researchers from 59 countries and regions from diverse fields have been named as Highly Cited Researchers. RISUD researchers named in the Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researchers 2024 list (in alphabetical order): Name and Title Prof. LI Gang Sir Sze-yuen Chung Endowed Professor in Renewable Energy Chair Professor, Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Prof. HUANG Haitao Professor, Department of Applied Physics Prof. Geoffrey Q. P. SHEN Associate Vice President (Global Partnerships) Chair Professor, Department of Building and Real Estate Prof. YAN Feng Chair Professor, Department of Applied Physics Prof. YAN Jinyue Jerry Chair Professor, Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering

Prof. Raymond WONG , RISUD Executive Committee Member, discusses enhancing organic solar cells for carbon reduction on RTHK Programme Infinite Future

Prof. Raymond WONG Wai-yeung, Executive Committee Member of the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD), Associate Director of the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), Member of the Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR) and the Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology (RISports), and Dean of the Faculty of Science, was featured in the RTHK programme Infinite Future, sharing how enhancing the photovoltaic (PV) efficiency of organic solar cells can help reduce carbon emissions.   Prof. Wong’s current research focus is on the design and preparation of novel high-performance photofunctional materials, and optoelectronic applications, particularly the luminescence and stability of these materials. His team has developed high-performance organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with various colour emissions. Through molecular design, the team has developed a type of novel high-performance deep‐blue thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials. OLEDs made with this deep-blue material have achieved an external quantum efficiency of over 35%, which is one of the highest in the world.   The team has also achieved a PV conversion efficiency of over 19% in organic solar cells using transition metal complexes. The ultra-thin and highly flexible characteristics of organic solar cells can be integrated with wearable electronic devices, enabling these wearable electronics to be self-powered using sunlight.   Prof. Wong also mentioned that the future research directions for these two types of optoelectronic devices are mainly further improving energy conversion efficiency through the molecular design of high-performance active materials and the structural design of devices; enhancing their stability and lifespan; and developing organic semiconductor electronic technologies and applications. He believes that achieving low-toxicity or non-toxic active materials in the future can help reduce environmental pollution and achieve sustainable development.   Online coverage: RTHK - http://polyu.me/3Z2YSza (Chinese only)