News

CEE Members Received JC STEM Early Career Research Fellowship for Translation and Application 2024/25

Congratulations to Dr Lei Zhou, CEE Postdoctoral Fellow supervised by 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟. Yong Xia, for receiving the inaugural JC STEM Early Career Research Fellowship for Translation and Application 2024/25. This Fellowship, established by the Jockey Club in 2024, supports promising young STEM researchers in translating scientific findings into practical applications. Dr Zhou’s research, titled “PIV-based 3D Flow Feature Reconstruction and Analysis for Building Aerodynamics in Twisted Wind”, has secured a grant of HK$2,640,000. This support will enable her to further develop her career in research and innovation, expand her professional networks, and make significant advancements in the research field. Congratulations to Dr Zhou again on this remarkable achievement, with only 10 Fellowships awarded per cohort, this recognition underscores her exceptional contributions to the field and her potential to create a substantial social impact. We look forward to the impactful research that will emerge from this Fellowship.   

CIHT Hong Kong 40th Anniversary Annual Conference

Jointly organized with Chartered Institute of Highways and Transportation (CIHT) Hong Kong, the annual conference “Celebrating 40 Years of Excellence: Sustainable Infrastructure and Mobility for Future Generations” was successfully held on 10 May 2025 (Saturday), gathering over 170 participants to exchange insights in creating sustainable infrastructure and mobility solutions for Hong Kong. Distinguished speakers from the industry and government agencies including Transport Department, AECOM, MTR, PolyU CEE, ASTRI, and WSP covered various topics on sustainable transport and infrastructure development in Hong Kong. It is believed that through collective expertise, the mission of promoting excellence in transportation and infrastructure can be fostered and the challenges ahead can be embraced, resulting in a more sustainable and resilient environment benefiting generations to come.  

CEE Departmental Visit – HKMA David Li Kwok Po College (29 April)

A group of 51 students from HKMA David Li Kwok Po College visited CEE on 29 April 2025 (Tuesday). Prof. Andy Y.F. Leung, Associate Head of CEE, kicked off the visit by a programme talk, providing the students with valuable information about the admission process for the BEng (Hons) in Civil Engineering and the BEng (Hons) in Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Development programmes. He also shared updates on the civil engineering industry and discussed career prospects, offering the students insights into their future opportunities. After the informative session, the students visited Soil Mechanics Laboratory and Structural Engineering Research Laboratory, where the students were able to have more understanding on soil categorization and structural engineering via interactive demonstrations and simple experiment. This enriching experience not only informed the students about academic programmes and industry trends but also gave them a glimpse into the practical aspects of engineering studies.  

CEE Members Awarded RGC Junior Research Fellow Scheme 2025/26

Congratulations to Dr Changchao Li and Dr Bao Zhao, CEE postdoctoral fellows, for being awarded the RGC Junior Research Fellow Scheme (JRFS) 2025/26. Dr Li, supervised by Prof. Ling Jin, will be pursuing research on "Assessing Plastic Pollution-associated Antimicrobial Resistance Risk", while Dr Zhao, supervised by Prof. Songye Zhu, will be focusing on "MetaPowered IoT System: A Metamaterial-powered Internet of Things System for Structural Health Monitoring". The RGC Junior Research Fellow Scheme (JRFS) aims to support promising local and non-local postdoctoral researchers at the early stages of their careers, assisting their transition to Assistant Professor or Research Assistant Professor roles, thereby to nurture research talent and advance research and development in Hong Kong. The JRFS provides crucial support to these researchers, enabling them to establish themselves as independent investigators and contribute to cutting-edge research. In the 2025/26 exercise, 10 candidates out of 15 nominations submitted by PolyU were selected for the award. We congratulate Dr Li and Dr Zhao again on their outstanding achievement and wish them success in their research endeavors. We are confident that they will make significant contributions to their respective fields and foster a vibrant research culture within Hong Kong.  

CEE Taster Programme 2025

The CEE Taster Programme 2025 held on 24 April 2025 (Thursday) was a resounding success, drawing participation from over 15 secondary schools. This event offered secondary school students a unique opportunity to explore the field of civil and environmental engineering and have a glimpse of university life through engaging activities. The event was kicked off with an insightful lecture by Prof. Jacqueline Lo, Assistant Professor of CEE, focusing on the Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics in civil engineering. Students learned how AI is transforming the civil engineering industry, enhancing efficiency and innovation in projects. Participants then explored cutting-edge research during laboratory visits to the PolyU-NAMI 3D Concrete Robotic Printing Research Centre and the Noise and Safety Laboratory. Under the guidance of Ir Chung-Lim Kwan, Senior Teaching Fellow of CEE, the students showcased their creativity and engineering skills in the Plastic Bridge Challenge. They designed and constructed bridges spanning 30 cm without interior supports using only plastic sticks. The competition was fierce, but the winning group achieved an impressive 68.49 strength-to-lightness ratio, setting a new record for the challenge! The day concluded with an inspiring sharing session from two final-year students, who offered valuable insights into university life. Prof. Andy Y.F. Leung, Associate Head of CEE, rounded off the event with a CEE Programme Talk, outlining the curriculum and career paths in civil and environmental engineering. We hope that the programme not only provided a comprehensive introduction to civil and environmental engineering but also ignited passion and curiosity among secondary school students. We look forward to nurturing more engineers of tomorrow in future departmental initiatives.

New joiner – Ir Dr Samantha Kong

Ir Dr Samantha Kong is an award-winning Chartered Civil and Environmental Engineer. Prior to joining PolyU as an Associate Professor of Practice, she has over 10 years of experience at international engineering consultancies and a local NGO, where she led a diverse range of projects focused on environmental, planning, sustainability, and ESG across Hong Kong, Macau, China, Singapore, the Philippines, Thailand, and Qatar. She provided strategic advice that aligned with corporate ESG goals, leveraging her technical expertise in Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA), sustainable infrastructure design, sustainability roadmap and framework development, ESG reporting and compliance. Her cross-sector experience focuses on railway, maritime, aviation, data centres, and both residential and commercial building projects. Dr Kong is a passionate advocate for sustainable development and has been a Visiting Assistant Professor at PolyU since 2021. Renowned for her expertise, she frequently speaks at industry events, sharing insights on sustainability topics. Beyond her professional responsibilities, Samantha holds several strategic governance roles appointed by the Hong Kong SAR Government, including a member of the Antiquities Advisory Board, the Rehabilitation Advisory Committee Sub-committee on Access, the Product Eco-responsibility Appeal Board Panel, and the Green Tech Fund Assessment Committee. She previously served on the Advisory Committee on Built Heritage Conservation and the Advisory Council on the Environment, the highest advisory body to the Government on environmental matters.  Dr Kong is dedicated to making a positive impact in the engineering community. Over the years, she has received multiple accolades, including Asia Pacific Eco-Business Youth A-List in 2021, Institution of Engineering and Technology HK Young Woman Engineer of the Year in 2020, North America Association for Environmental Education 30 Under 30 in 2018 and HK Top 10 Outstanding Youth in 2014. She was also an award winner for the HKIE Young Engineers Arthur & Louise May Memorial Scholarship to pursue further education on city planning at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr Kong has joined us on 2 May 2025.  

CEE Members Awarded in International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva 2025

We are thrilled to announce that CEE members have excelled at the 50th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva, winning 2 awards including 1 Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury by Prof. Chi Sun Poon, Head of CEE, and 1 Silver Medal by Prof. Yi-Qing Ni, Chair Professor of CEE and Director of CNERC-Rail. Both projects exemplify a commitment to advancement through innovative technologies, by addressing critical challenges including environmental sustainability and safety in transportation, the cutting-edge research demonstrates how civil engineering can play a pivotal role in shaping a better future. Since 1972, the International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva has annually gathered over 825 exhibitors from 35 countries to showcase their inventions, research, and innovative, market-ready products. With over a thousand entries this year, CEE members have truly shone on the global stage, highlighting their perseverance in civil engineering development. Congratulations again to Prof. Poon and Prof. Ni for their accomplishments, we look forward to seeing how their pursuit of research innovation will pose a transformative impact to the built environment. To learn more about their impactful projects, please visit:  https://www.polyu.edu.hk/kteo/knowledge-transfer/innovations-and-technologies/award-winning-innovations/geneva2025. Project Principal Investigator / Co-investigator Award CO2-driven Superhydrophobic Carbon-sink Concrete Prof. Chi Sun Poon Head of CEE Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury AI-based Railway Obstacle Intrusion Detection System with Multimodal Transformers Prof. Yi-Qing Ni Chair Professor Director of CNERC-Rail Silver Medal

PolyU CEE Webinar Series: Image-based Characterization and Discrete Element Modeling of Granular Materials

Dr Meng-meng Wu delivered a seminar with the topic of “Image-based Characterization and Discrete Element Modeling of Granular Materials” on 16 April 2025. It was co-organized with HKIE Civil Division. Find the full version of the webinar in the below link: https://youtu.be/Dx-BDS8eCWM  

CEE Departmental Visit – Po Chiu Catholic Secondary School (9 April)

A group of 19 students from Po Chiu Catholic Secondary School visited CEE on 9 April 2025 (Wednesday). Prof. Andy Y.F. Leung, Associate Head of CEE, started the visit by a programme talk to the group introducing the admission information of BEng (Hons) in Civil Engineering and BEng (Hons) in Environmental Engineering and Sustainable Development. The civil engineering industry updates and career prospects were shared with the students. Following the informative session, the students joined the Tower Challenge: Engineering with Straws, Tape and Imagination where they were required to use their innovation to build a tower with only paper straws and tape. The winning team had set a record by creating a 62cm-high tower. The activity was concluded with a visit to Geology Laboratory, where the students were able to gain a deeper understanding on rock composition and distribution through interactive demonstrations and mini games. It enhanced the students’ insights on local geology in relations to civil engineering projects and community development in the real world.  

CEE Site Visit – Goodman Texaco Centre

Led by Dr Nicole Yiu, Programme Leader of BSc (Hons) in Environmental and Occupational Safety & Health (EOSH), a group of 37 EOSH students embarked on an insightful site visit to the Goodman Texaco Centre on 8 April 2025 (Tuesday). This visit provided a unique opportunity for them to explore the ongoing alteration and addition works for the project of transforming a 23-storey factory building to a data centre, managed by the main contractor, Chinney Construction Co. Ltd. The activity was kicked off with a comprehensive safety briefing, emphasizing the importance of safety practices in construction environments. Students were then guided through the site, where they were able to observe various key components of the project, including metal structures, tower crane, excavator and material hoist. The visit not only enriched the students' understanding of real-world construction practices but also reinforced the significance of occupational safety in the industry. We extend our gratitude to Chinney Construction Co. Ltd. for their warm hospitality and informative guidance throughout the visit. This experience undoubtedly contributed to the professional growth of the students, preparing them for future challenges in the field of occupational safety and health.