The Department of Building and Real Estate has selected four of its academics for its annual Research Publication Awards, which reward staff at four respective levels. Based on the highest number of scholarly outputs, the Awards were given to Prof. Eddie Hui (Professor category), Dr Daniel Chan (Associate Professor category), Dr Ann Yu (Assistant Professor category), and Dr M.J. Wadu (Teaching staff category). They will each receive a certificate signed by Prof. Geoffrey Shen, Head of the Department, and a sum of $5000 to top up each of their staff development fund.

Prof. Eddie Hui

Dr Daniel Chan

Dr Ann Yu

Dr M.J. Wadu

For Outstanding Achievement in Research Funding, departmental awards went to Prof. Albert Chan, Prof. Edwin Chan, and Dr Ni Meng, who will receive a certificate and a sum of $12,000 to top up each of their staff development fund. Congratulations to all of them. Award presentation will be held at the Faculty Congregation ceremony on 12 November 2013.

Prof. Albert Chan

Prof. Edwin Chan

Dr Ni Meng

At the 13th East Asia-Pacific Conference on Structural Engineering and Construction (EASEC 13) on 11 September 2013 in Sapporo, Japan, Dr Yong Xia of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was awarded the Nishino Prize, which is given in honor of Prof. Fumio Nishino (1936 – 2007) at each EASEC conference to a young engineer below the age of 45 from the Asia-Pacific region who has made significant contributions and shown potential for great achievements through research, development, and/or practice in the area of structural engineering and construction. Congratulations to Dr Xia.

At the 4th Cross-Strait Workshop on Structural Monitoring and Vibration Control in Civil Engineering in Inner Mongolia, China, held during 4-8 August 2013, a PhD student from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), Mr Wei-Li Luo, was honoured with a Best Paper Award. Titled “Experimental Investigation of Traffic-induced Responses of a Typical Urban Asphalt Road,” the winning paper was co-authored by Mr Luo, Dr Yong Xia, and Dr Yu-hong Wang. Mr Luo is currently supervised by Dr Yong Xia, an Associate Prof. of CEE.

A paper assessing the moral judgment of construction professionals in Hong Kong that was published earlier this year in Transactions, a publication of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE), has won its 2013 Best Paper Prize. It was co-authored by Dr Linda C.N. Fan, an Associate Professor of the Department of Building and Real Estate, and Angel O. K. Law, a PhD candidate of the same department. They received a cash prize of HK$5000 and a certificate from the President of HKIE, Ir Raymond K. S. Chan, in a ceremony on 24 September 2013 at the Marriott Hotel in Pacific Place. Congratulations to both of them.

The Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (HKIS) has agreed to sponsor the publication of Target Cost Contracting (TCC) Strategy in Construction: Principles, Practices and Case Studies with a grant of HK$80,000. The scholarly book will be written by Dr Daniel W. M. Chan, an Associate Prof. from the Department of Building and Real Estate and Dr Joseph H. L. Chan, a Lecturer in the Department of Construction at the Institute of Vocational Education (Tsing Yi campus). It is expected the book will be finished within the next two years.

The findings of a 2-year project assessing students’ generic learning outcomes with final year projects have been documented in a soon-to-be released booklet. Led by Prof. Esmond Mok of the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics, the Faculty-wide project was conducted between 2008 and 2010 to promote outcomes-based approaches in student learning, particularly with respect to generic competencies such as communication skills, problem solving, teamwork, creative and critical thinking. Four sets of assessment rubrics were developed for each of the Faculty’s departments to evaluate student learning in final year projects, perceptions of which may vary between the students and their supervisors. Revised according to the feedback from academic colleagues, the rubrics were formally adopted by LSGI for grading final year projects in the BSc (Hons) programme in Geomatics in 2011/12. In general, the rubrics were well received, though lingering resistance may have trumped widespread implementation of them. The work of Prof. Mok and his team has drawn attention to a murky area in teaching and learning that needs further exploration.

The range of experiences students can accumulate in their studies at the Faculty of Construction and Environment is as broad and multifaceted as the ocean is deep and teeming with life. Learning is not the only activity that engages them. Students are challenged to develop in many aspects, according to their special talents. Following are a few FCE students who have distinguished themselves in different areas:

Wong Yuk For

So Wing Sum

Yu Yau Hing

Tam Ching Har

Lam Kwok Cheung

Wong Yuk For, BSc (Hons) in Surveying
A recent graduate of the Department of Building and Real Estate, Mr Wong made the most of his three years at PolyU to develop his intellect. He has challenged himself by serving in the International Student Ambassador Scheme (ISAS) and the Peer Mentoring Programme, as well as studying as a summer exchange student at the Copenhagen Business School in Denmark. He thinks successful students should contribute to the community and pay attention to the problems in society, which he had a chance to do in a community service programme that focused on housing for the community. He is glad to have the experience of working with organizations like the HK Housing Society and SoCo. Since his graduation, he has continued his public service in the government’s Buildings Department.

So Wing Sum, BSc (Hons) in Surveying
So Wing Sum has enriched her learning at PolyU by her participation in extra-curricular activities, which has not hindered her quest for academic excellence. The two pursuits are not mutually exclusive as far as she is concerned. As a member of the Debate team, her speaking and presentation skills improved after much practice. She also became a critical thinker, an effective problem solver, a cooperative player, and a responsible leader as a result. Moreover, her participation as an International Student Ambassador and a member of the Social Services Group broadened her exposure to local and global issues, enabling her to make friends with people from all over the world. Without her extra-curricular activities, her life at PolyU would not have been as vibrant and fruitful. She currently works as a Quantity Surveyor at Rider Levett Bucknall Ltd.

Yu Yau Hing, BSc (Hons) in Environment & Sustainable Development
A recent graduate of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mr Yu’s social development was greatly facilitated by his participation in the Buddy Programme for non-local students and his experience as an exchange student at the University of Leeds in 2011/12. His social circle also expanded from his stint as an International Student Ambassador, which allowed him to hone his interpersonal and collaborative skills. He now works as an Environmental Engineer at Leighton Contractors (Asia) Limited.

Tam Ching Har, BSc (Hons) in Property Management
A second-year student, Miss Tam has represented Hong Kong in the Asian Cities Gold Cup Taekwondo Championships in 2012. Her physical prowess has won her scholarships to study at PolyU, including The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Local Students Scholarship (non-academic) and the Squina Sports Scholarship for Outstanding Athlete, both in 2012/13. She was also chosen for the “Most Valuable Player (Taekwondo)” Award of the University Sports Federation of Hong Kong in 2010/11 and 2011/12.

Lam Kwok Cheung, BSc (Hons) in Surveying
Another second-year student who has distinguished himself physically is Lam Kwok Cheung, who was the Hong Kong representative (Volleyball) in the 2013 World University Games in Kazan, Russia, 2011 in Shenzhen, China & the All China University Games (Preliminary Round) 2012 in Shandong, China. His training in volleyball has not stopped him from continuing his studies in a degree programme after recently completing a Higher Diploma in Building Technology & Management (Surveying). Already a 2nd Runner-up team member in the 2010 All China Secondary School Volleyball Competition in Liaonin, China, he won a Squina Sports Scholarship for Outstanding Athlete in 2012/13.

The Faculty of Construction and Environment is pleased that a team of students from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) has been chosen as one of two winners in the 2nd Singapore-Netherlands Water Challenge, which aims to strengthen the relationship between the water sectors of Singapore and the Netherlands by creating a bilateral platform for knowledge exchange and talent development. Supervised by Dr Po-Heng Lee, an Assistant Prof. of CEE, the team included two MSc students, Leng Ling and Wu Junhao, as well as two final-year undergraduates, Fan Jingyu and Lu Ka Kit, who addressed the challenge of adapting to climate change and its consequences by focusing on the growing freshwater scarcity and the disadvantages associated with the current use of seawater for toilet flushing in Hong Kong. They proposed a compact and environmentally friendly decentralized greywater treatment and reuse system based on a parallel operation of two processes to deal with flow variations.

With nearly 20 teams from 7 countries participating in the competition, the 5-member panel of judges praised the high quality of all the submissions and had an “almost impossible task of selecting the winners,” according to the Chairman of the jury, Prof. Vladan Babovic, Director of the Singapore-Delft Water Alliance. In addition to receiving the Singapore-Netherlands Sustainability Award at a celebratory event at the National University of Singapore (NUS) on 1 October 2013, the CEE team had a chance to present their research findings at the award ceremony and network with the sponsors and organizers, including the Ambassador of Netherlands to Singapore and the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering of NUS. They all agreed it was a great learning experience. Congratulations to all of them.

At the 40th Anniversary dinner of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) HK on 27 September 2013 at Hotel Nikko in Tsim Sha Tsui East, a recent BSc graduate in surveying from the Department of Building and Real Estate, Miss Wong Wai Ming, was honoured for her empirical study evaluating the effectiveness of the Safety Partnering Programme (SPP) in improving construction site safety in Hong Kong. Based on her final year project, the study focused on pertinent aspects of construction project management. The Outstanding Student Award 2012/13 came with a $4000 cheque and a certificate. Congratulations to Miss Wong and her supervisor, Dr Daniel W. M. Chan, an Associate Prof. of BRE.

3 undergraduates from the Department of Building and Real Estate have received the 2013 Outstanding Final Year Dissertation Award from the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (HKIS). Below are their details:

Discipline	Awardee	Supervisor
Building Surveying	Chan Ka Ho	Dr K.K. Lo
General Practice	Chan Hau Wai, Angie	Dr Steven Tsang
Quantity Surveying	Chong Sui Mui	Dr Meng Ni

In the MSc category, Miss Liu Yumeng, Helen, received the Grand Prize Award for her empirical study of the relationship between safety climate and safety performance of new construction projects in mainland China, with particular reference to the city of Shanghai. She was supervised by Dr Daniel W. M. Chan, Associate Professor of BRE.

The HKIS awards aim to promote research and reward the efforts of students. Based on the merits of the research contribution to the industry, innovation, and application of the surveying profession, the awards consist of a prize cheque of HK$1000 and an award certificate, which will be presented to the winners in a ceremony in June 2014. Congratulations to all of them.

A HK$300,000 donation has recently been made by Prof. Francis S. K. Lau to finance scholarships in his name for needy students in the Department of Building and Real Estate. It is hoped a government grant matching this donation will benefit as many students as possible. Many thanks go to the generosity of Prof. Lau, who is founder and chairman of RHL International, a group of companies providing comprehensive services in corporate valuation and advisory, real estate solution and surveying practice as well as advisory and facilitation of services provision among global professionals.

Student representatives from the 20th Faculty of Construction and Environment Students’ Association (FCESA) met with Prof. Geoffrey Shen, Associate Dean of FCE, on 22 October 2013 to discuss their plans for the year ahead. In addition to holding activities and sporting competitions for its members, the FCESA will also organize events jointly with students from other faculties and universities to broaden its social network. These include a mega sale in late November, a Christmas party, and a high table dinner early next year. No doubt such events will provide many memories of a vibrant university experience for all who participate in them.

On 5 October 2013, hundreds of people flocked to the campus of PolyU for its annual Education Info Day. The Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE) was represented by Prof. X. D. Li, Prof. Chiang Yat-hung, Prof. W. K. Chow, Prof. William Lam, and Prof. X. L. Ding at the opening ceremony. They were on hand when the Deputy President and Provost, Prof. Philip Chan, toured the exhibitions of the Faculty’s four departments. Info seminars introduced the specialties of the departments to interested students. One of the more popular seminars was about the broad discipline of Construction and Environment, with some 140 people in attendance. There were also guided visits to various laboratories, including the Construction Virtual Prototyping Lab, the Intelligent Building Laboratory, the Noise Laboratory, and the Soil Mechanics Laboratory. It was a great opportunity for prospective students to learn more about the degree programmes offered by PolyU.

Photos of the PolyU Education Info Day 2013: http://goo.gl/BLVjRP

HKAES Distinguished Lecture
In collaboration with the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences (HKAES) has organized a Distinguished Lecture at PolyU on the role of computing in smart cities of the future. Details are as follows:

Speakers:

Professor Andy Hopper
Professor of Computer Technology and Head of Department of the Computer Laboratory, University of Cambridge
President of The Institution of Engineering and Technology

Prof. Lionel M. Ni
Chair Professor of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Date: 9 November 2013 (Saturday) Time: 10:00 a.m. Venue: Cheung On Tak Lecture Theatre, PolyU Registration: www.arup.com.hk/greetings/HKAES2013/

2013 R&D Forum of the Drainage Services Department

To foster collaboration amongst the government, tertiary institutions, and partners in the industry on research and development (R&D) that supports innovation in delivering sustainable drainage and sewerage services in Hong Kong, the Drainage Services Department is having a R&D Forum with some 20 scholars/professionals/experts, a few of whom are from FCE. Details of the Forum are as follows:

Dates:
20 November 2013 p.m. (Sustainable Drainage Session)
28 November 2013 a.m. (New Engineering Contract Session)
3 December 2013 p.m. (Greening Session)
5 December 2013 p.m. (Wastewater Treatment Session)

Venue: Lecture Theatre of Hong Kong Central Library, 66 Causeway Road, Causeway Bay

Website: www.dsd.gov.hk/rdforum2013
Registration: www.dsd.gov.hk/rdforum2013/enroll.html

CIC Conference 2013
Local and overseas BIM leaders and experts will explain latest global BIM practices to maximise business value of BIM; how to adopt BIM in project management and facilities management; and resolutions of their challenges, including legal issues. Discount rates of $2,300 and $1,000 are offered to FCE faculty members and postgraduate students respectively.

Date: 29 November 2013
Venue: Kowloon Shangri-La Hotel
Registration: www.hkcic.org/conference2013

4th Staff Games Day Date: 8 December 2013 Time: 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Venue: Joint Sports Center Details & Registration: www.polyu.edu.hk/staffclub/?competitions=4th-staff-games-day Participating staff will receive a FCE T-shirt.