News

Carbon-Neutral PolyU 48 Hours Hackathon – Orientation Day

The orientation for the Carbon-Neutral PolyU 48 Hours Hackathon was successfully conducted on 13 May 2024, with the valuable support from the PolyU Campus Facilities and Sustainability Office (CFSO) and Earth Hacks staff. During the orientation, Mr Ryan Lee, the Assistant Director of Campus Facilities and Sustainability (Campus Sustainability), delivered an inspiring presentation to the participating students. He shed light on the global environmental challenges and showcased the carbon clock, emphasizing the urgency of the issue. Mr. Lee also presented the campus carbon-neutrality roadmap, highlighting the major areas of focus for carbon emission reduction and the associated initiatives. Additionally, he discussed the key challenges specific to our campus. This information proved to be invaluable for the participants, as it provided them with insights to generate innovative ideas during the hackathon. On the other hand, Prof. C.S. Poon, Head of CEE, encouraged all teams to utilize the 48-hour duration effectively and strive to develop pioneering green ideas that would contribute to the betterment of our campus. Adding to the inspiration, Ms Sanjana Paul, the Executive Director of Earth Hacks & Dr An WANG, Assistant Professor of CEE, shared noteworthy examples of previous hackathon projects, aiming to further motivate the teams to think out-of-the-box. The examples highlighted that the projects can go beyond conventional business proposals, extending to games or smartphone apps that align with the challenge statement and foster community engagement in achieving carbon neutrality.  It is crucial to remember that our objective extends beyond the development of ground-breaking ideas. We aim to cultivate a carbon-neutral mindset among participants and actively contribute to a more sustainable future, aligning with our commitment to sustainability and environmental excellence.  The exciting 48-hour hackathon will be kickstarted on 16 May 2024. We look forward to meeting all the teams once again and witnessing the innovative solutions that will emerge from this event.    

PolyU CEE Webinar Series: Full-waveform Inversion for Leak Localization in Water Pipe Network

Dr Tong-Chuan Che delivered a seminar with the topic of “Full-waveform Inversion for Leak Localization in Water Pipe Networks” on 17 April 2024. It was co-organized with HKIE Civil Division. Find the full version of the webinar in the below link: https://youtu.be/1cpDPuB_-ng.

CEE Departmental Visit - Po Leung Kuk Vicwood K.T.Chong Sixth Form College (12 Apr)

A group of 25 students from Po Leung Kuk Vicwood K.T.Chong Sixth Form College visited CEE on 12 April 2024 (Friday).  Dr Andy Y.F. Leung, Associate Head of CEE, introduced the admission information of BEng (Hons) Scheme in Civil Engineering and Sustainable Development and the recent developments of the civil engineering industry to the students.  The students also had the opportunity to visit our Hydraulics Laboratory and Noise and Safety Laboratory, where they gained deeper understanding on the latest technology and research activities regarding hydraulic engineering, noise control and driving safety. With experiments and laboratory equipment demonstrated, students found the visit insightful and eye-opening.

Collaboration with Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) to Achieve Knowledge Transfer and Research Excellence

CEE has long been committed to supporting initiatives that inspire young minds and emphasize the vital role of civil engineering in shaping a sustainable city. We are honored to be one of the supporting organizations for a impactful campaign - "Shaping Our Future City 2024 - New Stories to Old Storeys", organized by the Institution of Civil Engineers Hong Kong Association Graduates and Students (ICE HKA G&S) Division.  The campaign takes the form of a scenario-based engineering project where participants use their STEM knowledge and creativity to compete against each other. It comprises four events targeting senior secondary school students to provide them with a more comprehensive view of engineering subjects and motivate their interests in science and technology. CEE supported events 1 & 3, with the aim of nurturing the next generation of engineers and empowering them to shape a brighter future for our city. Event 1 - Opening Ceremony (18 February 2024): Ir Chung-Lim Kwan, Senior Teaching Fellow of CEE, attended the Opening Ceremony and played a key role in providing technical advice in the Paper Tower Challenge. The event marked the beginning of an exciting journey for students to delve into the world of civil engineering. Event 3 - Engineering Skills Day (6 April 2024): Prof. Chi Sun Poon, Head of CEE, delivered an insightful introduction to CEE’s undergraduate programme and research activities, shedding light on the cutting-edge work being done in the field. Students had the opportunity to explore CEE's state-of-the-art facilities including the PolyU-NAMI Research Centre for 3D Robotic Concrete Printing, Transport and Highway Engineering Laboratory and Soil Mechanics Laboratory. CEE is proud to have been part of this transformative journey and is eager to collaborate with ICE HKA again to achieve knowledge transfer and research excellence. We wish all the students the best of luck on their competition presentation day in May and we look forward to seeing them in the civil engineering community in the coming future!   

New Joiner - Dr Rongpan HU

Dr Rongpan Hu obtained his bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Harbin Institute of Technology in 2013 and Ph.D. degree in structural engineering from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2020. Prior to joining PolyU as a Research Assistant Professor, Dr Hu worked as an Associate Research Fellow at Shenzhen Academy of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. His current research focuses structural health monitoring, digital twins of civil structures, structural condition assessment, and performance-based earthquake engineering. Dr Hu has joined us on 16 April 2024.  

PolyU Ranked 14th in Civil and Structural Engineering in QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024

We are thrilled to announce that PolyU has achieved a remarkable milestone in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Rankings by Subject 2024 for Civil and Structural Engineering!  PolyU has soared to the 14th position globally and has secured the top spot in Hong Kong in this discipline for three consecutive years. This outstanding accomplishment reflects CEE’s commitment to academic excellence, impactful research, and strong industry recognition as well as highlighting our dedication to advancing knowledge and expertise in Civil and Structural Engineering. The QS World University Rankings by Subject features fivety-five subjects across five broad subject areas. Universities are scored based on various criteria including academic reputation, employer reputation, research citations per paper, the H-index and international research network. More details can be found at https://www.topuniversities.com/university-subject-rankings/civil-structural-engineering.  Join us in celebrating this incredible achievement and stay tuned for more updates on our groundbreaking research and academic endeavors!  

PolyU CEE Webinar Series: Towards establishment of data centric approaches for geotechnical reliability assessments

Dr Andy Y.F. Leung delivered a seminar with the topic of “Towards establishment of data centric approaches for geotechnical reliability assessments” on 3 April 2024. It was co-organized with HKIE Civil Division. Click the link below to view the full version of the webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UafCRwXe7j0   

New joiner - Dr Tao LIU

Dr Tao Liu graduated from Tsinghua University with a primary BEng in Environmental Engineering and a secondary BEc in Economics in 2015. He received his PhD degree from the Advanced Water Management Centre (AWMC) at The University of Queensland in 2020. After this academic milestone, he took up a Postdoctoral position from 2020 to 2021, and a Research Fellow position from 2022 to 2024, both at The University of Queensland, during which he secured the Australian Research Council DECRA Fellowship only eight months after the PhD. His research focuses on the development of innovative solutions for urban water and wastewater management, through the effective integration of fundamental science and applied engineering. Dr Liu has joined us on 28 March 2024.  

CEE PhD Student Received “Young Scientist Award - Best Oral Presentation” in the 8th National Bioaerosol Symposium

Congratulations to Miss YU Jinyan, CEE PhD student supervised by Dr Ling Jin, whose presentation titled “Contribution of Endotoxins to PM2.5-induced Inflammatory Effect” has received “Young Scientist Award (Best Oral Presentation)” in the 8th National Bioaerosol Symposium. The symposium was held from 15 to 17 March 2024 in Shanghai, China.  

Primary School Outreach Programme – Fanling Assembly of God Church Primary School

CEE welcomed around 100 passionate primary students from Fanling Assembly of God Church Primary School on 20 and 21 March 2024. The students had a fantastic time exploring CEE labs and participating in a hands-on workshop. The students first visited the Air Pollution Lab, where they learned about the causes and effects of air pollution. Through interactive demonstrations and experiments, they gained a deeper understanding of this pressing environmental issue. They also ventured into the Geology Lab, where they delved into the fascinating world of rocks, minerals, and earth sciences. The students attended an inspiring lecture on carbon neutrality, followed by an Air Purifier Model DIY Workshop, where the students got their hands dirty and built their own air purifiers. Guided by CEE experts, the students learned about air filtration and purification while creating their personalized devices. Overall, the departmental visit was filled with fun, learning, and hands-on experiences. CEE looks forward to hosting more engaging and educational events in the future to nurture sustainable young minds.