Message from Department Head

Welcome to the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering!

Since its establishment in December 1981, the department has been serving Hong Kong’s construction industry by nurturing competent professionals and young researchers.  Many of our alumni are playing leading roles in the industry and government bodies.  The department aspires to be a world-leading academic unit in the field of building environment and energy engineering.

As the urban population is predicted to increase from 55% of the world population in 2018 to about 70% in 2050 (United Nations), the future cities must be more liveable, resilient, and sustainable.  To enable future building engineers to deliver effective solutions for creating comfortable, healthy, sustainable, and safe indoor and urban environments through integration of innovative technologies and green infrastructures, we have crafted the curriculum and designed the state-of-the-art study programmes, leading to awards from Bachelor of Engineering (BEng) to Masters (MSc and MEng) and to Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).  Our programmes are delivered by a multi-disciplinary team of dedicated academic staff with expertise in building services engineering, data science and artificial intelligence (AI), urban energy systems etc.  Students are provided a supportive learning environment which can help them become socially responsible professionals and future leaders with a strong sense of both national pride and global perspective.

In the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering, our academic colleagues are mainly involved in three research areas: (1) Building Energy, (2) Building Environment, and (3) Building Safety and Resilience.  Our academic colleagues are very research-active and many of them are leading experts in their fields.  According to a Standford University study in 2024, 17 of our academic colleagues have been ranked among the world’s top 2% scientists in their respective disciplines.  In the 2025 QS World University Rankings by subject, PolyU is ranked 17th worldwide in both the subject of “Architecture and Built Environment” and “Civil and Structural Engineering”, to which the department has made significant contributions.

The department has established a strong connection with the construction industry, government bodies and overseas institutions.  The strong ties with the public and private sectors not only facilitates the knowledge transfer of our research results, but also offers plenty of internship opportunities to our students to develop their practical professional skills.  The department also encourages and supports students to participate in international exchange and various local, national, and international activities and competitions.  Our students always shine at various competitions.

Please visit our website to discover more about our programmes, research activities, news and events, as well as achievements from our students and colleagues.  Join us to create a more sustainable, salutogenic, and safe living environments for our future generations.

Prof. Meng Ni

Chair Professor of Energy Science and Technology

Head of Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering