News

SFT staff members secured $19.3 million for granted research projects

SFT continues to excel in its pursuit of scientific and technological advancement, as demonstrated by the significant funding award for its research projects. In the first half of 2024, 15 research projects have been granted with a total of HK$19.3 million from external funding. The funded research projects have demonstrated the strong research capabilities of the SFT staff members and their commitment to the well-being of the community.  Congratulations to the successful recipients of the funding. The funded research projects are listed below: Funding scheme No. of funded projects  Funded amount (HK$) General Research Fund (GRF)  9 Approx. $8 million Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF)  1 Approx. $7 million (including sponsorship of $1.39 million) Lingda Technology (HK) Limited (Donation)  1 $0.2 million NSFC Young Scientists Fund  2 Approx. $0.6 million RGC Early Career Scheme  1 Approx. $0.9 million Green Tech Fund  1 Approx. $2.6 million   General Research Fund (GRF) Project coordinator  Project title Awarded amount (HK$) Dr Fan Di Building Resilience amidst the Global Regulatory Landscape: An Event Study of the Impacts of Government Trade Sanctions on Performance of Targeted Firms Approx. $0.5 million Prof. Fan Jintu Thermoregulatory Fabric with Temperature-Adaptive Thermal Emissivity for Personal Thermal Management Approx. $1.1 million  Dr Fang Bo Highly-Crystalline Conducting Polymer Fibers via Good Solvent Exchange: Mechanism, Fabrication and Application Approx. $1.2 million Dr Huang Tsai- chun Developing sustainable pleats design and production methods through body, movement and modern dance Approx. $0.5 million  Prof. Li Li Development of a decoupled GAN system facilitating virtual collaboration on creative knitted design and manufacturing Approx. $0.7 million Dr Shou Dahua Modeling and Development of Plant-Inspired Fabric for Sweat Management  Approx. $1.1 million Prof. Wang Xungai Understanding Wild Silk Cocoon's Selective Gas Gating Properties Approx. $1 million Prof. Christina Wong Beyond target setting: Materializing emissions reduction in the Chinese manufacturing industry  Approx. $0.7 million Prof. Joanne Yip 3D Biomechanical Model with Soft Tissue Deformation for Leggings Design and Evaluation Approx. $1.2 million    Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) Project coordinator  Project title Awarded amount (HK$) Dr Tracy Mok Multimode Anti-Heating Green Uniforms for Construction Workers in Hong Kong – A Complete ESG Development and Management Proposal Approx. $7 million  (including sponsorship of $1.39 million)   Donation from Lingda Technology (HK) Limited Project coordinator Project title Awarded amount Dr Chen Jianming Floating Photocatalytic Device for Solar Hydrogen Production and Freshwater Co-production HK$0.2 million   NSFC Young Scientists Fund Project coordinator  Project title Awarded amount (HK$) Dr Chen Jianming Self-assembly mechanism of recombinant major ampullate spidroin 1 (MaSp1) in a biomimetic microfluidic device Approx. $0.3 million Dr Fang Bo Study on the controllable fabrication and ion-regulation performance of ultrafine PEDOT fibers Approx. $0.3 million   RGC Early Career Scheme Project coordinator Project title Awarded amount (HK$) Dr Huang Qiyao Study of High-resolution Conductive Patterns Permeated in Textiles Enabled by Photolithography-assisted Metal Deposition Approx. $0.9 million    Green Tech Fund Project coordinator Project title Awarded amount (HK$) Dr Shou Dahua Development of multi-functional building clothing using textile waste for energy saving and waste reduction Approx. $2.6 million

Service-learning inclusive design for the community through adaptive clothing and accessories

“Inclusive design for the community through adaptive clothing and accessories” is the learning outcome of a new service-learning subject at SFT. This is a collaborative effort among SFT, the Service-Learning and Leadership Office (SLLO) at PolyU and 1STep Association. Students form teams to plan, coordinate and collaborate with wheelchair users to design apparel and accessories.  The students are taught the concepts of inclusive design, as well as the basic skills and techniques of adaptive clothing design, including pattern design and construction, stitching, smart textile, and hand knitting. Apparel and accessories are used as tools to help the service recipients build inner confidence in their daily activities through the apparel outfits. The students had the opportunity to interact with each recipient to customise design products according to individual needs.  A photo exhibition was held in early March 2024 at The Fashion Gallery of PolyU and showcased the creative outputs from this subject. As the subject lecturers, Professor Kit Yick and Dr Huang Tsai-Chun also emphasised that the subject equips students with the skills and knowledge for inclusive design and adaptive clothing, and fosters a sense of empathy and understanding towards the different needs.  This is the first cohort of the subject, kick-started with students from SFT, and students in engineering, design, accounting, service management, linguistics and translation.  The subject provides opportunities for them to work and communicate with a diverse group of people, therefore developing their teamwork and communication skills which are very important as the students prepare for their professional future. We look forward to the next cohort who starts in Autumn 2024 and anticipate a dynamic collaboration with people who have different needs. We are confident that more students at PolyU and service recipients will truly benefit from this subject.

Dr Shou Dahua publishes four impactful journal papers

In a remarkable stride towards innovative thermal management, Dr Shou Dahua, Assistant Professor, has successfully published 4 pioneering research papers in four different prestigious journals along with his colleagues in March 2024. His work revolutionises approaches to thermal comfort and energy conservation. The four journals include Advanced Science (impact factor = 15.1), Nano Energy (impact factor = 19.1), Nano-Micro Letters (impact factor = 26.6), and Advanced Energy Materials (impact factor = 27.8). In Advanced Science, Dr Shou discussed the development of soft robotic textiles that are capable of dynamic thermal adaptation. These textiles offer unmatched protection and wear comfort in extreme temperatures through an innovative actuation system for enhanced insulation and breathability. The proposed soft robotic clothing is meant to protect workers, particularly firefighters and steelworkers, against extreme heat, and prevent burn injuries. In Nano Energy, Dr Shou unveiled a novel approach to radiative cooling through the development of a durable, breathable, and weather-adaptive coating. This coating, which leverages on porous polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) nanoparticles, has remarkable solar reflectivity and thermal emissivity, thus offering a sustainable solution to energy conservation challenges while also unlocking the potential of harvesting raindrop energy. In Nano-Micro Letters, Dr Shou explored the burgeoning field of personal radiative thermal management (PRTM), and emphasised the use of advanced textile materials and technologies. This comprehensive review highlights the potential of PRTM in significantly reducing energy consumption by optimising heat and moisture transfer close to the body, thus promising greater thermal comfort and higher energy efficiency. Another breakthrough is detailed in Advanced Energy Materials, where Dr Shou introduced a highly-flexible, breathable photo-thermo-electric membrane (FB-PTEM). This innovative membrane efficiently converts solar energy into electricity while offering exceptional breathability and has all-weather suitability. The innovation is a significant leap forward in the realm of sustainable wearable technologies. Dr Shou’s contributions embody a significant leap towards sustainable wellbeing and occupational safety, and show the profound impact of interdisciplinary research on the future of thermal management and energy conservation technologies. Full papers can be accessed as follows: Soft Robotic Textiles for Adaptive Personal Thermal Management:       https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/advs.202309605 A durable, breathable, and weather-adaptive coating driven by particle self-assembly for radiative cooling and energy harvesting       https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2211285524002374?dgcid=rss_sd_all Personal Thermal Management by Radiative Cooling and Heating       https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40820-024-01360-1 A Highly-Flexible and Breathable Photo-Thermo-Electric Membrane for Energy Harvesting https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/aenm.202304032

Leung Chui-yi receives PolyU Outstanding Student Award 2023

Congratulations to Leung Chui-yi, a Year 4 student in the BA (Hons) in Fashion and Textiles, majored in technology, who received the PolyU Outstanding Student Award and Presidential Student Leadership Award of the School. This year, a total of 28 students were recognised as outstanding students and 9 students as leadership award recipients at the departmental and faculty/school levels respectively.  The presentation ceremony was held on 26 March in the Jockey Club Auditorium at PolyU. Professor Jin-Guang Teng, President of PolyU, officiated the ceremony and presented the awards to the students. “I have a strong desire for self-improvement. My passion for learning, exploring new knowledge, and challenging myself to surpass limits sets me apart. The Awards recognise my dedication, hard work, and motivation to keep moving forward. They also inspire me to continue striving for excellence in my leadership endeavours.” Chui-yi said. The PolyU Outstanding Student Award was established to recognise full-time final-year students who have excelled in both academic and non-academic pursuits during their studies. The Presidential Student Leadership Award is a new initiative introduced in the 2022/23 academic year to recognise our student leaders and encourage them in developing their potential fully.

RCTFF secures funding from Innovation and Technology Fund

Dr Tracy Mok, Associate Director of PolyU’s Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion (RCTFF),  Professor Jintu Fan, Director of RCTFF, and Ir Professor Albert Chan, member of RCTFF, recently secured approximately HK$5 million from the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) for a 2-year research project entitled “Multimode Anti-Heating Green Uniforms for Construction Workers in Hong Kong – A Complete ESG Development and Management Proposal”. This project aims to develop new multimode anti-heating green fabrics and garments for the production of construction worker uniforms in Hong Kong. The project will investigate new methods that best integrate novel knitting fabric structures as well as fabric surface modification approaches to realise new radiative cooling fabrics for the uniforms. For moisture management, the new uniforms facilitate rapid and one-way moisture wicking from the skin to the outer surface of the garment. They can keep the skin dry and prevent the clothing layer from sticking to the skin even in conditions where the wearer is sweating profusely.  For thermal management, the garments can facilitate the dissipation of mid-infrared radiation from the body to the environment for passive cooling while the outer layer of the fabrics can reflect solar radiation in a broad spectrum (near-IR, visible, UV) to reduce heat absorption in outdoor environments. The new fabrics and uniforms will be developed, tested and evaluated to offer new standards/guidelines for the production and management of construction worker uniforms, which will ensure compliance to new quality requirements. About the Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion (RCTFF) Established on 1 October 2023, 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

SFT and Tiangong University sign MOU

After the PolyU delegation visited Tiangong University in Tianjin, China last year, remarkable progress was achieved which has resulted in a partnership for potential collaboration opportunities between PolyU and Tiangong University. Prof. Erin Cho, Dean of SFT and Prof. Gong Jixian, Associate Dean of the School of Textile Science and Engineering at Tiangong University recently signed a memoranda of understanding (MoU) on 14 March 2024. The goals of this MoU are to strengthen student and academic exchanges, as well as facilitate joint scientific research projects. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Dr Lam Tai-fai, Chairman of the PolyU Council and Ms Shen Jiang, Secretary of the Party Committee at Tiangong University. Their presence highlighted the importance and support given to this collaboration by both universities. The MoU signifies a significant step forward in fostering mutual cooperation and knowledge sharing between the two universities. Tiangong University possesses impressive capabilities in the fields of engineering, fiber science, arts and literature and social science. We look forward to the fruitful outcomes of these collaborations and the opportunities that the partnership will create for our talented students and dedicated researchers.

Call for nominations | Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU SFT 2024

2024 Outstanding PolyU Alumni Award at School of Fashion and Textiles (former Institute of Textiles and Clothing, ITC) level is now open for nominations. This Award aims to give public recognition to outstanding graduates of PolyU for their professional achievements and significant contributions to the community and their alma mater. All graduates who has successfully completed full-time or part-time programme offered by SFT (former ITC) are eligible nominees. The proposer can be PolyU graduates, Honorary Graduates, University Fellows, PolyU staff, current PolyU Council and Court members and current Advisory Committee members.   Support and Contribution to PolyU is one of the key nomination and selection criteria at all levels. Four specific areas of achievement would be given recognition, which include: Professional achievement Entrepreneurial achievement Scholarly achievement Community service achievement Alumni who are aged at/under 40 would be eligible for the Outstanding Young Alumni Award. Awards will be conducted at three levels: Department level, Faculty/School level and University level. Each School should normally have one senior awardee and one young awardee each year. According to the schedule, the nomination period will be in May 2024 for the School level. We are now inviting your nomination for the PolyU Alumni Award at School Level and return back the attached nomination form to Dr Zhimin Chen at zhimin.chen@polyu.edu.hk for our further processing. The deadline for the nomination period for School of Fashion and Textiles' Outstanding Alumni will be on 31 May 2024. The awardees of the 2024 Outstanding PolyU Alumni at School level will be announced by the end of June 2024. Also, the selected School awardees will be nominated by the School of Fashion and Textiles for the PolyU Alumni Award at the University level. Please refer to the table below for the tentative schedule of the Award for 2024: Please click here to receive the details in the eligibility, award categories and selection criteria for your perusal and the nomination for the Outstanding Alumni at Faculty/School Level.

Fashion Asia Pop-up Spaces Exhibition

SFT was part of the exciting Pop-up Spaces Exhibition at I.T. One Hysan Avenue organised by Fashion Asia from 13 – 25 Mar 2024. The exhibition showcased the exquisite designs of Ms Cheng Chau-hung, Quinn (BA, 2023), Ms Yu Hiu-tung, Harriet (BA, 2023) and Ms Choi Lok-yi, Joey (BA, 2023), who are all SFT alumni. WHAT DO YOU SEE FIRST? by Ms Cheng Chau-hung, Quinn  Quinn’s collection drew inspiration from the connection between psychological tests and our subconscious mind. Illusion images, commonly used in psychological tests, offer insights into our true selves as our subconscious interpretation of ambiguous stimuli unveils our mental state, personality, emotions, and inner conflict. The fabrics used in this collection feature a mix of low-twist merino wool and elastic yarns, woven to create an ultra-soft material and to offer a 3D visual effect with knitwear so that the colour and shape change along with the movement of the wearer. THE MORPHO by Ms Yu Hiu-tung, Harriet Inspired by the morpho butterflies, which represent faith and rebirth, the outfits in Harriet’s The Morpho encourage people to stay confident during challenges and live as free as this type of butterfly. The collection uses shimmering velvet fabric and tulle to feature the morpho wing print, which highlight the unique iridescent blue colour and delightful pattern of the wings. The velvet fabric imitates the butterfly’s appearance and offers a smooth and soft texture that is comfortable to wear and suitable for intimate wear. Handmade crochet trims and embellishments on the collar and arms further enhance the elegance of the look. ARTIFICIAL LIGHT by Ms Choi Lok-yi, Joey Inspired by light, which is fundamental to vision, Joey’s collection explores the authenticity of our world by examining the interplay between natural and artificial light. Through the use of strongly contrasting colours and exaggerated accessories, the collection contains irregular and chaotic lines reminiscent of the natural rays of light. These elements beautifully capture the unique interactions among light, shadow, and the human form. Ultimately, this collection aims to let everyone experience the captivating interaction with light and appreciate its beauty. About the exhibition Fashion Asia is always enthusiastically discovering exceptional local emerging designers in the industry, which aligns with the vision of I.T to commit to bringing influential and creative fashion brands to the Greater China region. Through this collaboration, Fashion Asia and I.T aim to inject vitality into the fashion industry and create unique exhibition spaces for local rising stars. "Pop-up Spaces" showcases the outstanding works of local fashion design students and graduates from the Hong Kong Design Institute, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong and Caritas Bianchi College of Careers.

Dr Esfandiar Pakdel and Prof. Wang Xungai publish in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

Superhydrophobicity is a property frequently observed in plants and animals. This  property is an effective mechanism for natural species to keep their surface clean. Inspired by this characteristic, SFT researchers have reported a new type of multifunctional cotton fabric with simultaneous superhydrophobic, antibacterial, UV protective, self-cleaning and photothermal properties. Dr Esfandiar Pakdel, Research Assistant Professor and a member of the Jockey Club (JC) STEM Lab of Sustainable Fibers and Textiles led by Prof. Wang Xungai, Global STEM Scholar and Chair Professor, developed a feasible finishing process based on the treatment of fabrics with formulations that contain polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs). Dr Pakdel and his colleagues showed that the treated cotton fabric is highly superhydrophobic where the applied fluorine-free coatings give rise to a water contact angle (WCA) of 171.3°, which is an excellent WCA value without using any type of fluorinated compound. The achieved superhydrophobicity is because of the increased surface roughness due to the embedded AgNPs and lowered surface energy resultant of the presence of PDMS. Furthermore, it was reported that although the AgNPs are embedded in the PDMS polymeric binder, efficient antibacterial activity against E. coli bacterium is obtained by increasing their concentration. The coated cotton fabrics have excellent UV protection levels that protect wearers against the harmful impacts of UV radiation. It was shown that the transmitted level of harmful UVA and UVB radiations through fabrics which could reach the skin of wearers is only 0.14% and 0.34%, respectively, thus indicating the high levels of protection. The developed cotton fabric also has a strong photothermal functionality which could come in handy for the development of advanced thermoregulating clothing and anti-icing coatings for cold environments. The fabric is washable with high fastness against numerous wash cycles, thus minimising the risk of leaching out AgNPs and deterioration of the obtained functionalities.    Full paper can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1021/acsami.3c04598.

Major external appointments

SFT is pleased to announce the major external appointments of the following professors to share their scholarly expertise to benefit the wider community. Professor Fan Jintu - Visiting Chief Scientist, Shanghai International Fashion Innovation Center, Donghua University Professor Kan Chi-wai - Executive Director, China Textile Engineering Society