Sept 2025 Entry
What's New
As one of the founding departments of the University in 1937, the Department of Mechanical Engineering has been at the forefront of the vast evolvement of its field.
The Department takes pride in its focus on grand challenges in the international arena and is actively collaborating with various overseas institutions addressing these challenges. Our global connections broaden the perspectives of the future generations opening their minds to discover new knowledge that benefits the society. The Department’s world-class faculty and internationally renowned programmes draw students from across the globe. The Department has also published numerous important research findings in world-leading journals.
The Department has made significant achievements in International University Rankings by discipline in recent years, based on its academic performance, employer reputation and research impact. The University was ranked highly in the subject of Mechanical Engineering and/or related disciplines by different international ranking systems. This is an impressive testament to the Department’s contributions and sustained efforts nationally and internationally.
Advanced Materials and Processing
| Supervisor | Specialisation |
| Prof. MW FU mmmwfu@polyu.edu.hk | Advanced materials processing and manufacturing; 3D printing; Computational materials science; Damage and fracture of materials; Finite element modelling and simulation; Micro-mechanics of materials |
| Dr ZB JIAO zbjiao@polyu.edu.hk | Advanced structural materials; High-strength steels & alloys; High-temperature superalloys; Nanostructured metals & alloys; Innovative material processing |
| Dr Q LIU john-qiang.liu@polyu.edu.hk | Green Chemical Vapor Deposition, Conformal polymer coating for lithium-ion battery materials, Conductive polymers, LIBs material interfacial engineering |
| Dr Y MA y.ma@polyu.edu.hk | Haptics metamaterials, micro/nano fabrication of textured surfaces for human-machine interactions, multi-physics modeling of material interfaces, biomechanics. |
| Prof. YW MAI yw.mai@polyu.edu.hk | Composites science, manufacturing processes and engineering applications; Multifunctional polymer nanocomposites; Materials for harsh environments; Fracture and fatigue mechanics |
| Dr HH RUAN hhruan@polyu.edu.hk | Non-equilibrium materials engineering; Amorphous materials and nanomaterials; Dynamic behaviour of materials; Theory of non-equilibrium phase transformation; Constitutive modelling of advanced materials |
| Prof. LQ WANG liqiu.wang@polyu.edu.hk | Engineering materials with designed micro-/nano-structures to confer new properties; Microfluidics-enabled soft and smart manufacturing; Soft materials; Soft and micro actuators/motors/robots/sensors |
| Prof. ZK WANG zk.wang@polyu.edu.hk | Nature-inspired surfaces and materials, additive manufacturing, energy harvesting, fluid dynamics, soft matter, interfaces and surfaces |
| Dr HM YAO mmhyao@polyu.edu.hk | Bio-inspired Mechanics & Structures; Soft Robotics; Multiscale Computational Mechanics; Adhesion Mechanics; Fracture Mechanics |
| Dr XL YU xiaoliang.yu@polyu.edu.hk | Advanced electrode materials development; Nanostructured materials; Carbon based materials; Interface design of composite materials |
| Dr BP ZHANG baoping.zhang@polyu.edu.hk | Nature-inspired materials and interfaces; Membranes; Water harvesting; Solar desalination |
| Dr X ZHANG xiao1.zhang@polyu.edu.hk | Structural engineering of novel 2D nanomaterials; Earth-abundant catalysts. |
| Dr YY ZHANG yi-yuan.zhang@polyu.edu.hk | Structuring of Fluids, Soft and Smart Manufacturing, Additive Manufacturing, Microfluidics, 3D Manipulation of Fluids, Flexible Electronics, Nonlinear Computation and Optimization |
| Prof. GP ZHENG mmzheng@polyu.edu.hk | Computational materials science; Atomistic modelling and simulation; Amorphous alloys; Nanostructured materials; Two-dimensional materials |
Aerospace Engineering
| Supervisor | Specialisation |
| Prof. L CHENG mmlcheng@polyu.edu.hk | Acoustics: sound propagation, noise control, passive and active control; Vibration: modelling, control and vibration reduction of structures. Structural wave manipulations; Structural health monitoring: vibration and wave-based damage detection methods; Smart structures with embedding sensor technology; Fluid-structure-sound interaction |
| Dr S CHENG songryan.cheng@polyu.edu.hk | Green Aviation, Rocket/Satellite/Space Shuttle Propulsion, Sustainable Aviation Fuels, Green Propellants. |
| Dr YS CHOY mmyschoy@polyu.edu.hk | Structural health diagnosis by non-contact method; Turbine blade-tip clearance assessment; Engine noise and vibration measurement; Airport noise assessment; Engine noise control |
| Dr Randolph CK LEUNG mmrleung@polyu.edu.hk | Aeroacoustics and aircraft noise; Aeronautical flow-induced noise and vibration; Computational aeroacoustics and CFD; Active flow noise control; Aeroacoustics source identification |
| Prof. ZQ SU mmsu@polyu.edu.hk | Structural health monitoring (SHM); Non-destructive evaluation (NDE); Smart materials and structures; Advanced composite materials; Sensor and sensor network |
| Dr H TANG htang@polyu.edu.hk | Aerodynamics; Active flow control |
| Prof. LQ WANG liqiu.wang@polyu.edu.hk | Turbulence |
| Dr X YU lucien.yu@polyu.edu.hk | Vibro-acoustic modelling; Acoustic metamaterial; Noise and vibration control; Advanced functional material; Lattice structure and porous material; Hearing and auditory perception; Active noise cancellation; Smart actuator; Acoustic black hole. |
Clean Energy and Energy Storage
| Supervisor | Specialisation |
| Dr L AN liangan@polyu.edu.hk | Fuel cells; Batteries; Advanced energy materials |
| Dr S CHENG songryan.cheng@polyu.edu.hk | Battery Technologies, Battery Fire Retardants, Carbon-Free Energy Storage and Transfer |
| Dr MY LI mengying.li@polyu.edu.hk | Energy Meteorology, Solar energy resourcing and forecasting, Remote sensing, Radiative heat transfer, Mass transfer, Renewable power systems, Large scale energy storage, Passive cooling, Desalination |
| Dr Q LIU john-qiang.liu@polyu.edu.hk | Lithium-ion batteries, Electrochemical energy storage materials |
| Dr H TANG htang@polyu.edu.hk | Wind / marine energy extraction |
| Prof. LQ WANG liqiu.wang@polyu.edu.hk | Nature-inspired and microfluidics-enabled engineering; Heat transfer with thermal waves and resonance; super thermal conductors |
| Prof. ZK WANG zk.wang@polyu.edu.hk | Nature-inspired surfaces and materials, additive manufacturing, energy harvesting, fluid dynamics, soft matter, interfaces and surfaces |
| Dr MC WU maochun.wu@polyu.edu.hk | Electrochemical energy storage and conversion; Advanced battery materials; Heat and mass transfer |
| Dr HM YAO mmhyao@polyu.edu.hk | Mechanical behaviors of energy-storage materials |
| Dr XL YU xiaoliang.yu@polyu.edu.hk | Lithium ion batteries; Lithium sulfur battery; Lithium metal battery |
| Dr BP ZHANG baoping.zhang@polyu.edu.hk | Energy harvesting; Lithium/Hydrogen energy storage |
| Dr X ZHANG xiao1.zhang@polyu.edu.hk | Electrochemical reactor design; CO2 capture and conversion; Electrochemical conversion of small molecules (e.g., H2O, O2, CO2, and N2, etc.) to high-value chemical/fuel feedstocks; Membrane assembly technology. |
| Prof. GP ZHENG mmzheng@polyu.edu.hk | Nanoporous electrode materials; Solid-state refrigeration; Piezoelectric energy conversion |
Robotics and Control
| Supervisor | Specialisation |
| Dr S CHENG songryan.cheng@polyu.edu.hk | AI-Enhanced Uncertainty Quantification, Machine Learning in Reverse and Forward Solution Mapping, Convex Optimization, Optimal Decision Making |
| Dr Henry KH CHU khhchu@polyu.edu.hk | Contact and Non-contact Manipulation; Vision-based Control and Automation; Microsystem Design and Fabrication; Robotic Microassembly; Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering |
| Dr Y MA y.ma@polyu.edu.hk | Haptics, wearable electronics, sensing and actuation for human-machine interactions, application of artificial intelligence to human-machine interface |
| Dr David NAVARRO-ALARCON dnavar@polyu.edu.hk | Robotic manipulation; Multi-agent systems; Machine intelligence; Sensor-based control; Robot perception |
| Prof. LQ WANG liqiu.wang@polyu.edu.hk | Soft and micro actuators/motors/robots/sensors |
| Prof. D ZHANG dan.zhang@polyu.edu.hk | Synthesis and Optimization of Manipulator Mechanisms; Generalized Parallel Mechanisms Research; Reconfigurable Robots; Micro/Nano Manipulation and MEMS Devices (e.g., Sensors); Smart Biomedical Instruments (e.g., Exoskeleton Robots and Rehabilitation Robotics); AI/robotics/autonomous systems; Aerial and Underwater Robotics; New Developments for Humanoid Robots; Machine learning/Deep learning/Machine Vision for Robotics |
Sound and Vibration
| Supervisor | Specialisation |
| Prof. L CHENG mmlcheng@polyu.edu.hk | Acoustics: sound propagation, noise control, passive and active control; Vibration: modelling, control and vibration reduction of structures. Structural wave manipulations; Structural health monitoring: vibration and wave-based damage detection methods; Smart structures with embedding sensor technology; Fluid-structure-sound interaction |
| Dr YS CHOY mmyschoy@polyu.edu.hk | Vibroacoustics; Environmental noise control; Fan and duct noise control; Sound source identification; Soundscape and sound quality of product |
| Dr Randolph CK LEUNG mmrleung@polyu.edu.hk | Low noise design for fans and turbomachinery; Metamaterial duct flow silencer; Urban and environmental noise simulation and control; CPX technology for tyre/road noise control; Product sound quality and design |
| Prof. ZQ SU mmsu@polyu.edu.hk | Structural health monitoring (SHM); Wave propagation; Non-destructive evaluation (NDE); Sensor and sensor network; Smart materials and structures |
| Dr HM YAO mmhyao@polyu.edu.hk | Bio-inspired Mechanics & Structures; Surficial and Interfacial Mechanics; Soft Actuator and Robotics; Lithium-ion batteries |
| Dr X YU lucien.yu@polyu.edu.hk | Vibro-acoustic modelling; Acoustic metamaterial; Noise and vibration control; Advanced functional material; Lattice structure and porous material; Hearing and auditory perception; Active noise cancellation; Smart actuator; Acoustic black hole. |
Thermofluids and Combustion
| Supervisor | Specialisation |
| Dr S CHENG songryan.cheng@polyu.edu.hk | Gas Phase Chemical Kinetics; Real-fluid Oxidation Chemistry; Low-carbon Oxidation Chemistry; Uncertainty Quantification and Optimization; Optimal Decision Making; Machine Learning |
| Dr H TANG htang@polyu.edu.hk | Fluid-structure interaction; Multiphase flow |
| Prof. LQ WANG liqiu.wang@polyu.edu.hk | Microfluidics; Droplets, bubbles and particles; Interfacial phenomena, Multiscale transport phenomena; Thermodynamics; Fluid mechanics; Heat and mass transfer |
| Prof. ZK WANG zk.wang@polyu.edu.hk | Nature-inspired surfaces and materials, additive manufacturing, energy harvesting, fluid dynamics, soft matter, interfaces and surfaces |
| Dr BP ZHANG baoping.zhang@polyu.edu.hk | Interfacial fluid mechanics; Heat and mass transfer; Droplets and bubbles |
The Department aims to provide advanced teaching and research accommodation for both undergraduates and postgraduates in state-of-the-art laboratories and facilities.
All research postgraduate applicants are recommended to approach potential supervisors and preferably, put their names on the applications. For details, please refer to “Research Areas” or ME website > Academic Staff.
The Department has organised/co-organised a series of symposiums and international conferences to pursue knowledge through interactions among the world’s foremost scientists and scholars. To further elevate its research quality and academic standing, the Department has also invited top-notch scholars to serve as visiting chair professors under the Distinguished Visiting Chair Professor Scheme. Learn more at Emeritus Professor, Visiting & Adjunct Staff.
The Department offers student exchange opportunities to enhance students’ global outlook, language skills and personal development. Every year, the Department arranges research attachments (from three months to one year) for students to visit overseas universities with financial support.
With the aim of advancing research by exchanging knowledge and ideas within the field of Mechanical Engineering, the Department also provides additional financial support to research students to attend international conferences.
Compulsory - Two Academic Referee's Reports are required. (Proposed supervisors from the PolyU and Partner University (if any), and persons from non-academic backgrounds are not considered as appropriate academic referee)
Compulsory - A standard form must be used for the submission of research proposal. Please click here to download the form.
Compulsory - Please upload all academic qualifications including Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree (if any) according to the University’s admission requirements, also refer to the ‘Procedures – Guidelines for Submitting Supporting Documents’ to follow the submission requirements.
Optional - Publication records, scholarships, awards/prizes and class rankings (with supporting documents)
