News

Prof. Qi Zhao Secures Grant from China Space Station Application and Development Program / Space Science and Application Projects

We are pleased to announce that Prof. Qi Zhao, Associate Professor of CEE, for securing a grant of RMB3,670,000 under the China Space Station Application and Development Program / Space Science and Application Projects. Prof. Zhao is the first PolyU scholar to receive this type of funding associated with the China Manned Space Program. The approval of this project recognizes Professor Zhao’s previous research efforts in planetary geotechnics and reflects the alignment of this research direction with the future space science development. Prof. Zhao’s research project, titled "Dynamics of dense granular flows under low-gravity conditions,” involves conducting the first rotating drum granular flow experiment aboard the Chinese Space Station to investigate how particles segregate, mix, and move in the granular flow under low-gravity conditions. These experiments aim to uncover the fundamental physics that shape planetary surfaces and provide engineers with the quantitative data needed to design safer landing systems and select sites for long-term bases.  Since the completion of the China Space Station in 2022, the programme has entered a new phase of application and development. As a strategic technological platform for the nation’s long-term development, the space station has carried out over 100 experiments spanning earth observation, space materials and new technology applications. For researchers, the China Space Station is not only a world-class laboratory, but also a “dream factory” where limitless possibilities can be put into practice. The approval of Professor Zhao’s project also creates a new opportunity for PolyU to further participate in the development and use of major national research platforms.  

CEE Departmental Visit – Ho Yu College and Primary school (Sponsored by Sik Sik Yuen) (6 May)

CEE welcomed 28 secondary students from Ho Yu College and Primary school (Sponsored by Sik Sik Yuen) on 6 May 2026 (Wednesday) for an afternoon of exploration and hands-on learning. The visit kicked off with an interactive Q&A session by Prof. Jacqueline Lo, Assistant Professor of CEE, which provided students with an engaging overview of the recent developments in civil and environmental engineering. Prof. Lo also shared the admission procedures and career prospects for BEng (Hons) in Civil Engineering and BEng (Hons) in Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Development. 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 80 cm. The group also visited the Water and Waste Teaching Laboratory and the Geology Laboratory. Through a series of interactive experiments and demonstrations, they gained practical insights into sewage treatment processes and the geology of Hong Kong. We sincerely thank all students and teachers for their enthusiastic participation. We look forward to welcoming more young talents to explore the world of civil engineering with us!  

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.