Profiles of GS recipients

Dr Dong’s research outcomes have been widely adopted in optical network products. Among his key contributions is the development of the Fibre Iris solution, also known as DQ ODN, which introduces digitalisation and enhanced manageability to passive optical fibre networks. This approach significantly shortens broadband deployment time from one week to a single day, and reduces mean repair time from 24 hours to 60 minutes. This empowers operators to build internet infrastructure with unprecedented efficiency, while enabling end users to benefit from the integration of AI-enabled technologies. The DQ ODN solution received the Intelligent Fibre Deployment Solution of the Year award at the Broadband World Forum in 2021 and was also recognised as one of Huawei’s Top Ten Inventions. As of 2023, the global ODN market reached US$ 2.5 billion, with Huawei’s DQ ODN accounting for nearly one-fifth of the market.

After completing his doctoral studies in 2004, Prof. Duan continued at PolyU as a Research Associate, Research Fellow, and Assistant Professor before joining Zhejiang University in 2008 as an Associate Professor. He was promoted to a full professorship in 2015 and was elected as Changjiang Scholar Distinguished Professor in 2024. Since 2025, he has served as a Professor at Guangxi University. Prof. Duan’s research focuses on the structural health monitoring and vibration control of bridges and other large-scale structures. He has received several major research grants, including the National Natural Science Grant for Excellent Young Scholar, the Zhejiang Provincial Grant for Distinguished Young Scholar, and the Fok Ying Tung Grant. He has been Principal Investigator for over 30 national and local key projects, including the National Key Research and Development Programme, the key project of the National Natural Science Foundation Joint Fund, etc. He has published more than 130 papers and holds 25 authorised invention patents across China, the US, Japan, and Korea. His work has been widely applied in practice, contributing to the health monitoring or vibration control of more than 60 large-scale structures, including the main stadium of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, the Quanzhou Bay Bridge in the Chinese Mainland, and the Tseung Kwan O Cross Bay Link in Hong Kong. He has also been invited to deliver plenary and keynote speeches at over 30 national and international conferences. Prof. Duan’s contributions to teaching and research have earned widespread recognition, including a second prize in the National Teaching Achievement Award, and four provincial and ministerial-level science and technology awards.

Prof. Li is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics, and Associate Dean (Research and Postgraduate Education) in the College of Science at the City University of Hong Kong. He completed his MPhil in Applied Physics at PolyU in 2011. Prof. Li is known for his discovery of superconductivity in infinite-layer nickelates, a development that has attracted significant attention in condensed matter physics. His findings, published in 2019 in the journal Nature, demonstrated how a soft-chemistry approach enabled the synthesis of infinite-layer thin-film nickelates, opening what is now called the “nickel age of superconductivity”. This work has reshaped the field and ignited global interest in high-temperature superconductors, with far-reaching implications for energy transmission, quantum computing, and magnetic levitation technologies. He has published over 60 papers in high-impact journals, including Science and Physical Review Letters, and has secured more than HK$20 million in research funding to advance studies in quantum materials. As Associate Dean, Prof. Li also plays an active role in mentoring early-career researchers, fostering intellectual curiosity and collaboration within the College of Science.