News

PolyU JUPAS Admissions Q&A 2026

PolyU JUPAS Admissions Q&A was successfully held on 9 May 2026. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the students and parents who joined us. It was a wonderful opportunity to connect with the next generation of engineering talent. Dr Barbara W.Y. Siu delivered an insightful programme talk, sharing admission strategies and career insights for BEng (Hons) in Civil Engineering [JS3739] and BEng (Hons) in Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Development [JS3375]. While Prof. Andy Y.F. Leung, Prof. Shao-Yuan Leu and Prof. You Dong engaged directly with students at our consultation counter, providing personalized guidance and a deeper look into our curriculum. With the HKDSE results release approaching, we invite students from all backgrounds to join our community. Don’t miss your final opportunity to modify your programme choices during 16-18 July 2026! We wish all candidates every success with the results and look forward to welcoming you in the upcoming academic year. Stay tuned for more updates to help you navigate your academic journey!  

Prof. Tao Liu Receives Young Innovative Researcher Award 2026

Congratulations to Prof. Tao Liu, Assistant Professor of CEE, for being awarded the PolyU Young Innovative Researcher Award (YIRA) 2026. This accolade recognizes Prof. Liu’s dedication to advancing knowledge and his commitment to societal impact through his innovative research, titled “Net-Zero Wastewater Management through Circular Resource Utilisation”. The project aims to develop circular, net-zero wastewater systems through integrated carbon management, in-situ resource recovery, and system-wide technological innovation.  The YIRA is a university-level award that honours early-career scholars for their research excellence, fostering impactful and interdisciplinary research that addresses the world’s most pressing challenges. This year, a record 60 submissions were received from across all schools and faculties, and after a rigorous selection process, six remarkable individuals have been chosen as awardees. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Prof. Liu! We are confident that this recognition will further inspire his pursuit of transformational solutions and technological advancement.  

CEE Member Awarded RGC Junior Research Fellow Scheme 2026/27

Congratulations to Dr Siyuan Wu, CEE postdoctoral fellow supervised by Prof. Qi Zhao, on being awarded the RGC Junior Research Fellow Scheme (JRFS) 2026/27. Dr Wu is one of the 11 PolyU recipients among 60 awardees across Hong Kong. The fellowship supports Dr Wu’s innovative research, “Intelligent characterization of lunar regolith: an in-situ testing-driven deep learning approach”. The project utilizes laboratory testing on lunar regolith simulants to establish relationships between geomechanical/geophysical properties of lunar regolith and in-situ drilling data. While characterizing lunar regolith is essential for exploration and resource utilization, it remains constrained by high retrieval costs and limited sample availability. By integrating data from real Chang’e-5 and Chang’e-6 samples and high-fidelity simulants, an AI-driven platform for real-time in-situ analysis will be deployed. Automating these predictions provides the reliable, continuous geotechnical assessments necessary for lunar construction and will directly support upcoming exploration missions. The JRFS aims to support promising local and non-local postdoctoral researchers at the early stages of their careers, and assist with their transition to Assistant Professor or Research Assistant Professor roles, thereby nurturing research talent and advance research and development in Hong Kong.  We congratulate Dr Wu on this outstanding achievement and wish her continued success in her research endeavours as she contributes to the advancement of her field in Hong Kong and beyond.  

New joiner – Dr Yu Gu

Dr Yu Gu received his Ph.D. degree (2024) from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). Before being appointed as a Research Assistant Professor, Dr Gu worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at PolyU for two years. Dr Gu's research advances the demand-side analysis of emerging urban mobility systems by bridging aggregate-level equilibrium travel demand analysis and disaggregate-level travel choice modeling. His research also extends to the performance of urban transportation systems under perturbations, including the development of models, algorithms, and empirical analyses of transportation network resilience, vulnerability, and reliability. Dr Gu has reported on 1 May 2026.  

HKIE-CIHT Joint Technical Seminar - Shaping Future Transport Planning: Insights from Travel Characteristics Survey

PolyU CEE was proud to support the technical seminar, “Shaping Future Transport Planning: Insights from Travel Characteristics Survey”, on 16 April 2026 which was jointly organized by the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) Hong Kong and The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (Logistics & Transportation Division) (HKIE-LTD). We were honoured to welcome Ir Stephen Lee, Chief Engineer of the Transport Department, as our speaker, who provided a masterclass in bridging classroom theory with real-world practical application, offering our students and academic community a fascinating perspective on the shifting travel behaviours in Hong Kong. The seminar explored Travel Characteristics Survey (TCS) methodologies, a goldmine for smart mobility research. Key discussions focused on demographic shifts, such as population decentralization to the New Territories and the notable rise in household car ownership. The session also highlighted the transition toward Activity-based Travel Demand Model, an advanced strategic modelling technique that effectively captures modern trends like telecommuting and flexible scheduling. With over 140 attendees, including students, academic researchers, and young engineering professionals, the event underscored our collective drive to utilise comprehensive travel statistics to guide future policies, enhance transit networks, and optimise major infrastructure planning. CEE remains committed to facilitating the knowledge exchanges and bridging the gap between academia, policymakers, and industry practitioners. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Ir Stephen Lee and all the participants. Stay tuned for more opportunities to connect your studies and research with the technological advancements shaping our city!   

PolyU ASCE Student Chapter Secures First Prize in 2026 Greater China ASCE Student Symposium Paper Competition

We are proud to announce that the PolyU ASCE Student Chapter has been awarded the First Prize in the 2026 Greater China ASCE Student Symposium Paper Competition. Under the mentorship of Prof. Kai Zhou, Assistant Professor of CEE, CEE undergraduate students Mr Zixuan Xu, Mr Naicheng Chen, Mr Chun Ki Liu, and Mr Hongjian Li brought honour to the Department and the University through their exceptional performance. Hosted by Zhejiang University during 10 - 12 April 2026, the Symposium featured various activities including Sustainable Solutions Competition, Technical Visit and a Paper Competition themed “Engineering the Public Welfare: How Civil Engineers Engage and Advance Communities Through Ethical Infrastructure Design in accordance with the ASCE Code of Ethics”.  The award-winning paper, titled “Beyond the Technical Optimum: Advancing Spatial Justice Through Ethical Infrastructure Design and Inclusive Policy”, examines how the ASCE Code of Ethics can benefit civil engineering to serve community effectively, bringing out an important alert that successful infrastructure design needs the community’s voice and support from its start. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the PolyU ASCE Student Chapter Team for their dedication and research excellence. We look forward to their continued success in future competitions and contributions to the professional arenas. More information of the competition: https://studentsymposium.asce.org/greater-china/competition-results-2026/ More information of the student chapter: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/cee/current-students/student-exposure/cee-student-organizations/asce-student-chapter/  

Prof. Shu-Chien Hsu Secures Innovation and Technology Fund

Congratulations to Prof. Shu-Chien Hsu, Associate Professor of CEE, for securing HK$800,000 from the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) under the Innovation and Technology Support Programme (ITSP), administered by the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) of the HKSAR Government. In response to the pressing challenges of managing incineration residues (IBA/IFA) and construction waste in Hong Kong, Prof. Hsu’s research project, titled “From Waste to Shield: High-Value Utilization of Incineration Ash and C&D Waste in Sustainable Radiation-Shielding Concrete”, proposes an innovative "detoxification-to-valorization" strategy through geopolymer-based stabilization and functional activation. The research aims to effectively immobilize hazardous heavy metals while leveraging the naturally occurring high-atomic-number elements (such as Pb, Fe, and Ni) within the waste as functional components for radiation shielding. By developing a sustainable X-ray shielding recycled concrete for medical infrastructure, this study seeks to pioneer a full-volume, high-value recycling solution that supports Hong Kong’s transition toward green construction and a circular economy. The ITF is designed to enhance the added value, productivity, and competitiveness of Hong Kong’s economic activities. Through the ITF-ITSP, the Government seeks to support applied research and development (R&D) projects undertaken by R&D Centres or designated local public research institutes in collaboration with companies. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Prof. Hsu. His innovative research in transforming waste into sustainable construction materials will promote sustainability and help achieve carbon neutrality goals in the construction sector.  

CEE PhD Student Honours with “Best Research Postgraduate Student of the Year 2025 ”

Congratulations to Mr Tong Nie, CEE PhD student supervised by Prof. Wei Ma, for being honored with the “Best Research Postgraduate Student of the Year 2025” by PolyU Graduate School. Notably, Mr Nie is one of only three PhD students across the university receiving the accolade this year. This Award recognizes extraordinary research postgraduate students who exhibit outstanding inquisitiveness and make brief impact on peers and research communities. Mr Nie’s research focuses on generative AI for safety-critical scenario generation to support robust training and testing of autonomous driving systems. His work develops AI methods to create safety-critical driving scenarios, helping autonomous vehicles learn from rare but dangerous situations and improving their safety before deployment on real roads.  Kudos to Mr Nie for his exemplary research and strong commitment to enhancing the safety and reliability of autonomous driving systems. His innovative work is paving the way for advanced AI-driven solutions addressing real world road safety challenges. We look forward to his continued contributions to research advancement and the positive impact his work will bring to the society.  

CEE Departmental Visit – China Holiness Church Living Spirit College (27 March)

A group of students from China Holiness Church Living Spirit College visited CEE on 27 March 2026 (Friday). The visit began with an interactive Q&A quiz hosted by Prof. Andy Y.F. Leung, Associate Head and Associate Professor of CEE, which provided students with an engaging overview of the recent developments in civil and environmental engineering. Prof. Leung also shared information about admission procedures and career prospects for BEng (Hons) in Civil Engineering and BEng (Hons) in Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Development programmes to the group. The highlight of the day was the Tower Challenge: Engineering with Straws, Tape and Imagination. Using a limited supply of straws and tape, students utilized their creativity and basic engineering principles to construct freestanding towers. The winning team achieved a tower height of 97 cm. The group also had the opportunity to visit the University Gallery, where they were about to learn different aspects of PolyU, including its history and impactful research. Alongside a collection of insightful facts, students gained a deeper understanding of PolyU’s rich history of pursuing excellence as a leading, innovative, and world-class university. We express our gratitude to all students and teachers for their enthusiastic participation. We look forward to welcoming more young talent to explore the world of civil engineering with us!  

HKIE-CIHT Joint Technical Seminar - Realizing Excellence: The Hong Kong Railway Standards in Practice

A technical seminar, themed "Realizing Excellence: The Hong Kong Railway Standards in Practice", was successfully held on 24 March 2026 (Wednesday). This event was jointly organized by the Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) Hong Kong, The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (Civil Division) (HKIE-CVD) and The Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (Logistics & Transportation Division) (HKIE-LTD), with support from CEE.  The seminar aims to discuss the future of Hong Kong’s railway development and explore how the new Hong Kong Railway Standards improve safety, reduce costs, and accelerate project delivery. It features a high-level panel of experts who will provide critical insights into the new unified framework, including Ir Thomas Sze, Government Engineer/ Railway Development 1 of the Highways Department, who shared insights on the strategic development of the new standards; Ir Henry Cheung, Chairman of the Association of Hong Kong Railway Transport Professionals, presented professional views and discussed the preparation of the standards; and Ir Richard Feng, Regional Institute Technical Director of Beijing Urban Construction, discussed practical implementation and illustrative case studies. The seminar attracted over 200 participants, including government officials, researchers, and leading practitioners. As a department dedicated to excellence in infrastructure and transportation, CEE is committed to serving as a vital platform for knowledge exchange. We believe that bringing together policymakers and industry leaders is essential for ensuring our students and researchers remain at the forefront of the technological advancements shaping our city. A big thank you to CIHT, HKIE, all the speakers and attendees for making this a vibrant and insightful exchange. We look forward to hosting more sessions that drive innovation and resilience in Hong Kong’s transport network!