My congratulations to the CEE Department of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Starting from 1973, CEE has progressed to a world-class department. Their achievement in education, research and outreach to the profession and society has been truly remarkable.
I have had the privilege of associating with the Department for a long time. My association with CEE started with Professor Chi Sun Poon's and my joint interest in cement-based materials. He has pioneered studies on the utilization of waste materials. He has developed a unique approach to improve recycled concrete aggregate by using CO2, thus solving the issues of waste material and CO2 storage.
I have collaborated with Professor Jian-Guo Dai for many years. I have been fortunate to work with him on topics including surface coating and ultra-high performance concrete. Both Professor Poon and Dai have been extensively involved with the industry, organizing international conferences and highly cited research papers. This is the hallmark of the CEE department. My colleagues at Northwestern University have been quite impressed with the excellent work conducted on the non-destructive evaluation of structures and structural health monitoring.
Currently, the faculty from the CEE department is extensively involved with the Theme Center (directed by President Teng) on utilizing seawater rather than drinking water for making concrete structures. This Center is making a global impact on sustainability. I am looking forward to continuing the excellence of the CEE department. The department's impact on society is truly outstanding.
Prof. Surendra P. Shah
Honorary Professor Professor
University of Texas at Arlington;
Walter P Murphy Professor (Emeritus)
Northwestern University
