News

Prof. Yuhong Wang Receives 2025 Ministry of Education Outstanding Scientific Research Achievement Award

We are proud to announce that a research project led by Prof. Yuhong Wang, Professor of CEE, has bestowed the 2025 Ministry of Education Outstanding (MoE) Scientific Research Achievement Award (Natural Sciences and Engineering Technology). A First-class award in Natural Science Research Achievement has been presented to the awarded project, titled “Pavement Forward and Backward Analysis Theory and Life-cycle Evolution Modeling”, focuses on developing analytical methods to calculate fundamental pavement behaviors and performance under traffic loads and to back-calculate pavement material/structural states from collected pavement responses induced by artificial loads. The research also investigates the lifecycle evolution of pavement materials and structures, offering insights for developing long-life pavements. The Outstanding Scientific Research Achievement Award is established by the MoE to recognize researchers who have achieved outstanding results and significant successes in natural science research and engineering technology innovation, and have made contributions to the cultivation of innovative talents. Once again, congratulations to Prof. Wang on this remarkable achievement and we wish him continued success in his future research endeavors.  

New joiner – Dr Yixiang Wang

Dr Yixiang Wang received his Ph.D. degree in Environmental Engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2021. He obtained his M.S. degree in Environmental Science and Engineering from Tsinghua University in 2016, and his B.S. degree in Environmental Engineering from Nankai University in 2013. Prior to joining PolyU, Dr Wang conducted postdoctoral research at Lehigh University in the United States and at the Southern University of Science and Technology in China. Dr Wang’s research focuses on indoor and outdoor air quality and associated health risks. His work emphasizes the development and application of health-relevant indicators to assess the toxicity, sources, and exposure risks of PM2.5. He also applies high-resolution mass spectrometry to investigate human metabolites and environmental pollutants, aiming to better link air pollution exposure with biological responses and public health outcomes. Dr Wang has joined us on 12 January 2026.  

Prof. Yi-Qing Ni Featured on Sing Tao Daily

Prof. Yi-Qing Ni, Chair Professor of Smart Structures and Rail Transit of CEE and Director of National Rail Transit Electrification and Automation Engineering Technology Research Centre (Hong Kong Branch), was recently interviewed by Sing Tao Daily (星島日報) on his cutting-edge research, INTACT: Intelligent Tropical-storm-resilient System for Coastal Cities. Under Prof. Ni’s leadership, the project aims to establish an intelligent tropical-storm-resilient system that systematically addresses the climate challenges posed by complex urban environments and mitigates tropical storm risks. By leveraging artificial intelligence, the system will create dynamic “wind maps” of the city, predicting not only the intensity of typhoons but also actual wind flows among different building heights and locations. This enables real-time forecasting of wind risks, allowing precise identification of areas and structures most at risk through a “precision health check” of the city. Prof. Ni and his team are committed to develop a real-time urban typhoon risk early warning system. They envision a future where typhoon paths can be accurately forecasted, helping to safeguard lives and properties by delivering actionable insights in advance. INTACT is expected to play a crucial role in Hong Kong's future disaster prevention and mitigation efforts in face of climate change. Online Coverage of Prof. Ni’s Interview: https://www.stheadline.com/edu-news/3529932/%E7%90%86%E5%A4%A7AI%E6%B8%9B%E7%81%BD%E7%B3%BB%E7%B5%B1%E7%82%BA%E5%9F%8E%E5%B8%82%E5%81%9A%E9%AB%94%E6%AA%A2%E9%98%B2%E9%A2%A8%E9%9A%AA-%E6%A7%8B%E5%BB%BA%E5%9C%B0%E5%9C%96%E9%A0%90%E6%B8%AC%E4%B8%8D%E5%90%8C%E5%9C%B0%E5%8D%80%E9%AB%98%E5%BB%88%E6%B0%A3%E6%B5%81%E8%B5%B0%E5%90%91%E5%B0%88%E8%A8%AA  

Prof. You Dong Secures RGC Research Impact Fund (RIF) 2025/26

Congratulations to Prof. You Dong, Associate Professor of CEE whose project were supported by RGC Research Impact Fund (RIF) 2025/26. The RIF supports impactful research initiatives that tackle significant societal challenges and have the potential to generate economic and social benefits for Hong Kong and beyond. Details of the awarded projects are as follows:  ✨Ref. No.: R5048-25F Name of PC: Prof. You Dong Proposal Title: Towards Life-Cycle Intelligent Predictive Maintenance for Railway Tracks: Advancing with Deep Learning Algorithms and Digital Twin Technology RGC Amount Awarded: $7,840,000 In 2025/26 RIF Exercise, the RGC received a total 195 preliminary proposals and shortlisted 35 submissions of full proposal, of which 19 were selected for interview. Finally, 13 proposals, totaling $75 million (exclusive of on-costs), were supported by the RGC.  Congratulations to Prof. Dong! We look forward to the positive impact his ground-breaking project will bring to the built environment.  

Prof. Tao Wang Named Highly Cited Researcher 2025 by Clarivate Analytics

We are proud to announce that Prof. Tao Wang, Chair Professor of Atmospheric Environment of CEE, has been named one of the “Highly Cited Researchers 2025” by Clarivate Analytics. This recognition highlighted his significant research impact and broad influence in the field of atmospheric environment. Highly Cited Researchers were selected for their exceptional research performance, evidenced by the production of multiple highly cited papers that rank in the top 1% by citations for their fields and publication year in the Web of Science over the past 11 years. Of the world’s population of scientists and social scientists, Highly Cited Researchers are 1 in 1,000. Prof. Wang’s research focuses on the root causes of air pollution using experimental and numerical tools. His research advances understanding of atmospheric physical and chemical processes and impact of human-nature interaction on air quality. His research results have been adopted in the United Nation’s climate assessment reports and international tropospheric ozone research, and have facilitated the Hong Kong and Mainland China government to develop air pollution mitigation measures in Hong Kong, the Greater Bay Area, and other regions of China. We extend our warmest congratulations to Prof. Tao Wang on this well-deserved recognition. We eagerly anticipate his continued achievements and are excited to see his ongoing efforts in developing air pollution mitigation measures. More information about Highly Cited Researchers 2025： https://clarivate.com/highly-cited-researchers/  

CEE Members Win Best Paper Awards at ICASS 2025 & ISICT 2025

The 12th International Conference on Advances in Steel Structures (ICASS 2025) & The 4th International Symposium on Industrialized Construction Technology (ISICT 2025) were successfully held in Singapore on 9-12 December 2025. Two CEE members, both supervised by Prof. Siwei Liu, Assistant Professor of CEE, received Best Paper Awards for their outstanding research in structural engineering.  Ms Wenjing Ouyang, CEE PhD student, presented her paper titled “Efficient Nonlinear Analysis of Glass Panes under Variable Lateral Loads with Physics-Informed Deep Operator Networks” and won the Best Student Paper Award. Meanwhile, Dr Liang Chen, CEE Postdoctoral Fellow, showcased his work titled “Structural Design of the First 3D-Printed Metal Steel Structure in Asia by Second-order Direct Analysis” and received the Best Paper Award for Application. ICASS is a distinguished international conference series organized worldwide every two years, providing a forum for researchers and professionals to discuss and disseminate recent advances in the analysis, behavior, design, and construction of steel, aluminium, and composite steel-concrete structures. ISICT is an international symposium series dedicated to recent advances in construction technology and building industrialization. This joint conference brought together global scholars and experts for in-depth academic exchanges and discussions on innovative technologies in structural engineering. The two award winners demonstrated outstanding capabilities in structural engineering research and excelled with their exceptional papers and presentations. We look forward to their continued efforts in the field, achieving further success and contributing more to the advancement of steel structures and industrialized construction technologies. For more information about the conference, please visit:  https://icass2025.org/  

CEE Member Wins the Gold Award at the 3rd National Postdoctoral Innovation & Entrepreneurship Competition

The project “Snowfield Shield: Long-Life and Resilient Technology for the Strategic Qinghai-Tibet Highway Corridor” led by Prof. Zhen Leng, Professor of CEE and Associate Director of the Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality (RCRE), along with a core team including Dr Chengdong Xia, Postdoctoral Fellow of CEE, and Prof. Songtao Lv, Professor of Changsha University of Science and Technology, has distinguished itself from over 8,000 competing projects to win a Gold Award at the 3rd National Postdoctoral Innovation & Entrepreneurship Competition, bringing honor to the Department and the University. The award-winning project innovatively proposed an integrated novel preparation method of “ultrasonic dispersion of nanomaterials + polymer grafting reactive extrusion”, developing a new asphalt modifier with chemically toughened microinterfaces. It achieves the simultaneous improvement of pavement materials’ high-temperature resistance, anti-instability, and anti-brittle fracture properties. Widely acclaimed by experts and scholars worldwide, the project offers extensive reference value for the international development of green infrastructure, fully demonstrating PolyU’s scientific research and innovation capabilities in serving the national “Transportation Power” strategy. The National Postdoctoral Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition is the largest, highest-level, and most wide-ranging nationwide event for postdoctoral researchers since the establishment of China’s postdoctoral system. This year’s competition consists of four divisions: Innovation Competition, Entrepreneurship Competition, Overseas Competition (including the Belt and Road category), and Challenge Competition. A total of 8,006 projects and 36,000 participants registered for the competition, both reaching record highs. After intense competition, more than 1,700 projects advanced to the national finals, ultimately resulting in 63 Gold Awards, 133 Silver Awards, and 198 Bronze Awards.  

CEE Graduate Excels at the National and International University Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition

We are pleased to announce that Miss Cleo Klossner, a CEE UG graduate supervised by Prof. Chi Sun Poon and Dr Hanxiong Lyu, has been awarded Third Prize at the 19th "Challenge Cup" National College Students' Extracurricular Academic Science and Technology Contest. Her project, titled “Synthesis of Eco-cement Using Waste Glass Powder and Recycled Concrete Fine”, focuses on reducing reliance on Ordinary Portland cement and promoting the circular economy to alleviate current environmental issues in the construction industry. This recognition highlights Miss Klossner’s innovative approach to sustainable construction materials by transforming industrial waste, including waste glass powder and recycled concrete fines, into eco-cement alternatives. It also validates the potential of her research in green construction materials and waste valorization. We extend our sincere congratulations to Miss Klossner for her exceptional achievement in this prestigious national competition. We look forward to witnessing her continued contributions to the field of sustainable materials and environmental engineering. More information about the competition:  https://www.hkchallengeplus.com/en/  

PolyU CEE Webinar Series: Food-related Waste Stream Valorization - Caproate Production via Carboxylate Chain Elongation

Dr Huichuan Zhuang delivered a seminar with the topic of “Food-related Waste Stream Valorization - Caproate Production via Carboxylate Chain Elongation” on 26 Nov 2025. It was co-organized with HKIE Civil Division. Find the full version of the webinar in the below link: https://youtu.be/mxMQrQyexsA?si=uZcMQBAKCUlM0hXH  

CEE Site Visit – Tung Chung Line Extension Project

Led by Dr Nicole Yiu, Programme Leader of BSc (Hons) in Environmental and Occupational Safety & Health, a group of CEE UG students embarked on an insightful site visit to the Tung Chung Line Extension Project on 22 November 2025 (Saturday). The visit provided a valuable opportunity for them to explore the major railway infrastructure development project currently underway in Hong Kong.  During the visit, students were guided through the site by the engineering team, who provided an in-depth overview of the project’s scope and objectives. They examined key construction areas, observed advanced tunneling operations, and learned about the innovative technologies and safety measures implemented on site.  We extend our gratitude to the staff from MTR and Dragages Hong Kong for their warm hospitality and informative guidance throughout the visit. This experience not only exposed students to large-scale railway infrastructure development but also inspired them to contribute to the sustainable future of Hong Kong.