News

Dr Dahua Shou and colleagues advance liquid engineering and publish in impactful journals

Dr Dahua Shou and his colleagues recently published a research article entitled “An All-Fabric Droplet-Based Energy Harvester with Topology Optimization” on intelligent wearables in the Advanced Energy Materials (IF: 29.368) journal, and a review paper entitled “Heterogeneously engineered porous materials and structures for directional and asymmetric liquid transport” on tunable liquid transport in Cell Reports Physical Science (a premium journal published by Cell Press which publishes cutting-edge research across the physical sciences, including chemistry, physics, materials science, energy science, engineering, and related interdisciplinary work). Dr Shou’s team has developed a novel all-fabric, droplet-based electricity generator. The topology-optimised droplet energy harvesting fabric (TO-DEHF) enables stable and efficient output from randomly falling droplets. TO-DEHF has high flexibility and breathability, based on which a self-powered wireless wearable prototype has been successfully realised for monitoring crucial droplet properties, including temperature, pH and salinity. It has recently been reported that the output power density of a triboelectric nanogenerator can be enhanced by several orders of magnitude by using a field-effect-transistor-like structure. However, previously reported strip top electrodes are not ideal for optimum generation and stable transfer of charges under practical dynamic conditions. Switched on by an impinged droplet, the bridged closed-loop electric circuit transfers the accumulated charges by converting the conventional interfacial effect into a bulk effect. Randomly falling droplets cannot always exactly impinge the electrode with the desired spreading contact to achieve a high peak voltage, and a large fraction of low-voltage direct-contact and sliding-contact modes will lead to low output and instability. To address this critical challenge, the proposed TO-DEHF with the optimised fabric electrodes in a hexagonal network feature a stable open-circuit voltage under moving and rotating patterns, 3-fold that with strip electrodes. The peak power density of the TO-DEHF (71.8 mW/m2) is 4.8-fold that of the latter (14.8 mW/m2). In the meantime, Dr Shou has comprehensively reviewed the latest progresses in advanced textiles for controllable liquid transport. Passive regulation of dynamic liquid transport in porous media in a directional or asymmetric manner has become increasingly critical to emerging applications such as personal moisture management, water harvesting, and liquid separation. Over the past decade, heterogeneously engineered porous materials and structures for tunable liquid transport have stimulated a remarkable amount of attention and triggered technological revolutions in those areas based on nature-inspired designs, metamaterial developments, and model-driven optimisation. Herein, Dr Shou and his colleagues provide an overview of the latest developments in directional and asymmetric liquid movements created by material and structural heterogeneities, with a focus on mechanistic models, physical mechanisms, and engineering strategies to provide a better understanding of controllability in directed liquid motion. The diverse implementations and applications with improved fluid directionality and asymmetry, from an overview of the fabrication methods to analyses of the significant influential factors, have been discussed. Current challenges and research gaps are summarised, in order to provide a road map for potential research opportunities. Research studies of liquid engineering based on advanced textiles and intelligent wearables by Dr Shou and his colleagues have also been published in other impactful journals, including Advanced Functional Materials in 2018 (IF: 18.808); Science Advances (IF: 14.136) in 2020; and a series of prestigious mechanics journals including Physical Review E (2), Applied Physics Letters (1), Langmuir (3), and International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer (3) from 2011 to 2020. He has been awarded Vebleo Fellow and delivered a keynote talk entitled “Smart Textiles and Wearables for Thermal Comfort and Energy Saving" for the Vebleo community.   References: Fei Liang1, Xujiang Chao1, Shudong Yu, Yuheng Gu, Xiaohui Zhang, Xin Wei, Jintu Fan, Xiao-ming Tao and Dahua Shou*, An All-Fabric Droplet-Based Energy Harvester with Topology Optimization, Advanced Energy Materials, 2021: 202102991. Guanghan Huang, Xin Wei, Yuheng Gu, Zhanxiao Kang, Lihong Lao, Li Li, Jintu Fan and Dahua Shou*, Heterogeneously engineered porous media for directional and asymmetric liquid transport, Cell Reports Physical Science, 2021.

PolyU launches its 85th Anniversary celebration

On 25 November, over 600 distinguished guests, alumni, staff and students, including our Head and Chair Professor, Prof. Jintu Fan, attended the PolyU 85th Anniversary launch ceremony. The occasion shared PolyU's accomplishments over the years and paid tribute to its supporters, and symbolised the kicked-off of the year-long celebratory activities. The 85th Anniversary milestone also represents a time when PolyU is embarking on a new journey aiming to strengthen its position as a leading university with world-class education and research, help Hong Kong shine as a leading innovation and technology hub, and further contribute to a better and more prosperous future for the Nation and the world.

ITC Scholars Ranked Among Top 2% of Scientists In The World

ITC is proud to share that 13 of our colleagues are now ranked among the world’s top 2% scientists in a report by Stanford University in the USA. This recognition demonstrates the influence of ITC in a multitude of disciplines and signifies our dedication to conducting world-class research in Fashion and Textiles. The colleagues who are listed among the Top 2% include Profs. Jintu Fan, Xiaoming Tao, John Xin, Chen Wei, Hu Hong, Chi-wai Kan, Calvin Wong, Christina Wong, Bingang Xu, Kinor Jiang and Zijian Zheng, and Drs Fei Bin and Joanne Yip. This updated science-wide author database is created by using the Scopus database of over 100,000 top scientists in the world based on standardised citation indicators. The rankings are based on a composite indicator for career-long impact that consists of: an individual’s scientific productivity and impact or h-index, co-authorship adjusted hm-index, and citations to papers in different authorship positions. The list also provides metrics with and without self-citations and the ratio of citations to citing papers. There are 22 scientific fields and 176 sub-fields of scientists. Field- and subfield-specific percentiles are also offered to all scientists who have published at least 5 papers. Career-long data are updated as of the end of 2020. The following two tables highlight the rankings of ITC scholars in terms of their ‘Career-long Impact Statistics’ and ‘Single Year Impact Statistics’. Congratulations to all of them. Table 1 Career-long Impact Statistics Name of Researcher Position Subject Field Rank in Field Field Size Prof. Jintu Fan Chair Professor Polymers 796 100162 Prof. Xiaoming Tao Chair Professor Materials 408 285331 Prof. John  Xin Chair Professor Polymers 665 100162 Prof. Chen Wei Professor Nanoscience & Nanotechnology 1606 89177 Prof. Hu Hong Professor Materials 4390 285331 Prof. Chi-wai Kan Professor Polymers 581 100162 Prof. Calvin Wong Professor Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing 2086 253359 Prof. Christina Wong Professor   Operations Research 472 26063 Prof. Bingang Xu  Professor  Materials 4548 285331   Table 2 Single-year Impact Statistics (2020) Name of Researcher Position Subject Field Rank in Field Field Size Prof. Jintu Fan Chair Professor Polymers 615 100162 Prof. Xiaoming Tao Chair Professor Materials 197 285331 Prof. John Xin Chair Professor Polymers 672 100162 Prof. Chen Wei Professor Nanoscience & Nanotechnology 2352 89177 Prof. Hu Hong Professor Materials 1437 285331 Prof. Kinor Jiang Professor Materials  3619  285331 Prof. Chi-wai Kan Professor Polymers 351 100162 Prof. Calvin Wong Professor Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing 2181 253359 Prof. Christina Wong Professor Operations Research 167 26063 Prof. Bingang Xu Professor Materials 2601 285331 Prof. Zijian Zheng Professor Nanoscience & Nanotechnology  2030 89177 Dr Fei Bin Associate Professor Polymers 1803 100162 Dr Joanne Yip Associate Professor  Materials 4311  285331

AIRSIDE Uniform Design Competition 2021

The Awards Presentation for the AIRSIDE Uniform Design Competition 2021 co-organised by ITC and Nan Fung Group was successfully held on 30 November 2021. The collaboration was a 3-month project that involved 30 ITC students who are majoring in Digital Fashion (BSc (Hons), Programme Code: 14404) and 10 ITC students who are majoring in Fashion and Textiles (BA (Hons) Scheme; Programme Code: 14490). During the 3 months, the students communicated their ideas with the Nan Fung team, revised them based on input, and worked to design and prototype their creations. Three groups of students were selected for three awards at the ceremony: Second runner-up — “Adhesion” by Group 4; First runner-up —"一”by Group 6; and Champion— “Line at infinity” by Group 2. They all received prize money and the opportunity for their concept to be produced and manufactured by Nan Fung. All of the winners were selected by a panel of professional judges who are Nan Fung Group staff, including: Ms Amanda Lee, Assistant General Manager, Marketing and Communications Mr Calvin Lee, Director & General Manager, Nan Fung Property Management Mr Ray Zee, Chief Designer/General Manager, Design Mr Rommel Lau, Director, Asset Management Mr Steven Au, Deputy General Manager, Project Congratulations to all of the winners.

Summer Internship Programme 2021/22 | Call for job opportunities

The outbreak of COVID-19 has brought upon unprecedented challenges and significant impact to business and the entire industry. ITC students understand that too. They treasure every learning opportunities at their online class, limited face-to-face tutorials as well as the precious workplace training offered by their future employers. They are fully aware of the importance of equipping themselves before graduation. Over the past years, ITC students have built their confidence and professional competence throughout the summer internship programme. The learning journey equips them to become mature students, who have a clearer direction of their career development. They also become a valuable human asset to our partners. Following the success of the programme, we are pleased to invite companies in the fashion and textile field to offer summer intern positions to the BA and BSc year 3 students in the summer of 2022. Programme features: Duration: minimum 7 weeks on a full-time basis Companies are expected to provide a mini-project, which enables the student intern to connect classroom theory with workplace applications during the programme Student interns are closely monitored by subject lecturers through email, telephone, personal consultation, progress report and final report Interested companies can send us the JD in pdf format, indicating the salary/allowance, working location and internship period by 31 December 2021.

Dr Chloe Ki and research team awarded CTRJ and Paper of Distinction Awards @ ITAA 2021

We are excited to announce that Dr Chloe Ki and her research team have received two awards at this year’s International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) annual conference. First, Dr Ki’s research work entitled “Consumer Versus Corporate Moral Responsibilities for Creating a Circular Fashion: Virtue or Accountability?”, which is published in the Clothing and Textiles Research Journal (CTRJ), was awarded the 2021 CTRJ Award for Top Altmetric Score since publication. ITC also received the ITAA 2021 Paper of Distinction Award in the Consumer Behavior track based on collaborative research work entitled "How Do Consumers' Attitudinal Ambivalence of Trust and Distrust toward Social Media Influencers Interplay and Influence Their Imitation Intention?". This award is particularly meaningful because the conference paper was developed based on the FYP of an ITC graduate, Ms CHOW, Tsz Ching, which was done in collaboration with an ITC alumni who is currently Assistant Professor at Macau UST, Dr LI, Chunsheung, and a current PhD student at ITC, Ms CHEN, Bingwen. Both awards were recognised at the 2021 ITAA Virtual Conference, which was held on November 3-6. Please join us in congratulating the team! About the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) and the Clothing and Textiles Research Journal (CTRJ) ITAA is a professional, educational association composed of scholars, educators, and students in the textile, apparel, and merchandising disciplines in higher education. CTRJ is a prestigious journal among scholars who are studying clothing, textiles, and related topics across the discipline.

ITC welcomes Dr Salvatore Luca Lo Sicco

Dr Salvatore Luca Lo Sicco is the newly appointed Teaching Fellow in Fashion Business at ITC. He has over twenty years of teaching experience, having taught in several countries such as the UK, the USA, New Zealand, France, and Italy. While teaching Fashion Marketing and Management-related subjects, he was appointed course director of the MA and MFA programmes in Fashion Business in London, Auckland, and Atlanta. Apart from his wealth of experience in teaching, he also has a close relationship with the fashion industry. He worked for renowned fashion companies, including Gucci, Fendi, Valentino, and Carlin International Paris before starting his academic career. He is a member of the research committee Progressive Connexions based in Oxford (UK) and event leader for fashion and photography. The publications and articles that are central to his research interests focus on the evolution of luxury brand management and the development and application of teaching models to improve creativity in academic environments. He supports several charities for the arts, poetry, and environment. Most recently, during the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, he co-founded an open-air museum that aims to support art and poetry while preserving the environment, thus bridging artists, the public, and other communities.  

ITC graduates participates in Global Source Trade Show

ITC is pleased to share our participation at the Global Sources Trade Show 2021. The event took place at Asia World-Expo from 25 - 27 October 2021. The show featured nine of our graduates' innovative designs, including the winning collections from 6 awardees of PolyU Fashion Show 2021 and the graduate collections from 3 PolyU Fashion Show 2021 finalists. A total number of 14 designs were displayed in the open area of the show. The trade show is an international event and exhibition for local and overseas buyers, suppliers, and retailers to discover on-trend products with high sales potential from China and across Asia. This is a valuable opportunity for our graduates to showcase their creative works to the clothing industry. About the Global Sources Trade Show Global Sources Trade Show is the largest fashion sourcing show in Hong Kong and is dedicated to fashion items including apparel, bags & luggage, fashion jewelry, underwear & swimwear, scarves, footwear, and fabrics. With a history of driving global trade for more than 50 years, Global Sources is an internationally recognized B2B sourcing platform.

Prof. Jintu Fan visits Fountain Set (Holdings) Ltd.

On 25 October, Prof. Jintu Fan, Head and Chair Professor of ITC, led a delegation to visit the headquarter of Fountain Set (Holdings) Limited. Prof. Hu Hong, Prof. Lilly Li and Dr Zhou Jinyu joined the visit. Mr Zhao Yao, Chairman and Executive Director of Fountain Set (Holdings) Limited and Prof. Fan are always keen to building up a stronger connection between Fountain Set and ITC. The delegation enjoyed a fruitful discussion during the visit. Fountain Set (Holdings) Limited is one of the world’s largest and long-established circular knitted fabric manufacturers, a global enterprise that established out of a small 20-staff dye house in Hong Kong back in 1969.

Bbase X MA Fashion PolyU

The awards ceremony and exhibition of the” Incubbase Design Awards”, organised by bbase in partnership with ITC, were successfully held on 22 October. The collaboration was an intensive 3-week project which involved 22 PolyU MA students. During the 3 weeks, the students learned all about the basics of sustainable eyewear design from bbase’s team, and worked to design and prototype their creations for PLAYBOY, Michael Young and bb LAB Athleisure. Three MA students were selected for the Incubbase Design Awards at the ceremony: Incubbase Design Awards for Michael Young —Ashley; Incubbase Design Awards for PLAYBOY —Mia; and Incubbase Design Awards for bb LAB Athleisure —Sylvia. They each received prize money and the opportunity for their concept to be produced and manufactured by bbase. All of the winners were selected by a panel of professional judges, including: Jo-Black, CEO, bbase Design Group Ryan Houlton, Head of MA Programme in Fashion & Textile Design, ITC Lindsay Jang, Founder of Yardbird Hong Kong, Ronin, Sunday's Grocery and Roti Tori Carine Pin, Co-Director, The Mills Fabrica Arnault Castel, Founder, Kapok Alexandre Nacrour, Lead Designer, Michael Young Studio Congratulations to all of the winners and their incredible design pieces. Follow Instagram account @mafashionpolyu for more photos.