As part of PolyU’s efforts to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, remote infrared body temperature measurement was implemented at various entrances of the university in early February 2020. This was done with the help of Dr Wallace Lai of the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI), who converted prior work developed by Dr Steven Tsang in the Department of Building and Real Estate back in 2003 to fight SARS into feasible practice within a short period. Based on the scientific ground work done by Prof. Lung-Sang Chan and his team from the University of Hong Kong, Dr Lai elaborated on the science behind this preventive measure for the colleagues of the Facilities Management Office for their implementation.

Prof. Lin Lu and Prof. Hongxing Yang of the Department of Building Services Engineering (BSE) have received a 2019 Higher Education Excellent Research Results Award (second-class) in the category of science and technology from the Chinese Ministry of Education. Their work was on radiation heat transfer based on key energy efficient and thermal comfort technologies and applications. Members of their research team come from PolyU, Hunan University, and industry. They have worked together on the winning project since 2013.

Dr Zhenyu Yin, an associate professor from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), has been awarded funding from the PROCORE-France/ Hong Kong Joint Research Scheme to collaborate with Prof. Yu-Jun Cui of the Ecole des Ponts Paris Tech on a 2-year project entitled “Influence of Natural Deposition Plane Orientation on the Viscous Characteristics of Natural Clays: from Microstructural Investigation to Micromechanical Modelling.” He will receive HK$36,000 each year.

PolyU’s Areas of Excellence Committee (AoEC) has approved funding support of HK$9,503,840 from the Large Equipment Fund for Prof. Jianguo Dai of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE). The funding will go towards the purchase of an integrated climatic chamber for studying multi-scale behavior of FRP-concrete composite structures subjected to combined mechanical and environmental loading.

The Areas of Excellence Committee (AoEC) of PolyU has recently approved funding for the following 2 projects from FCE:

The PolyU Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme 2019 has supported 6 academics in the Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE) to each engage a postdoc fellow (PDF) in their research for 2 years. Following are the details:

To promote collaboration with overseas universities, a Joint Supervision Scheme with Chinese Mainland, Taiwan and Macao Universities was established several years ago. 7 PhD candidates in the Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE) have been approved in the latest round of the scheme. Following are the details:

To promote taught postgraduate programmes of the Faculty of Construction and Environment (FCE) in spite of the coronavirus outbreak on the mainland and elsewhere, an information seminar was held online for the first time on 23 February 2020. About 100 prospective students logged into the overview session, which was presented online by Prof. Geoffrey Shen, Associate Dean (Teaching). 12 programme leaders were also online in parallel consultation sessions presenting information on their respective programmes, including the newly launched MSc programme in Urban Informatics and Smart Cities for 2020/21. The online overview can be found here: [link to ppt]

The Faculty of Construction and Environment offers a range of taught postgraduate programmes (see http://www51.polyu.edu.hk/eprospectus/tpg) related to sustainable urban development in general and the construction industry in particular. Taught by leading academics in their respective fields and accredited by professional organizations, these programmes not only keep up with the latest advances in technology, but also address the practical needs of industry and society. In the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2019, PolyU was ranked 15th for Civil and Structural Engineering, and 20th for Architecture/ Built Environment. Students graduating with its postgraduate degrees in these related fields are well prepared for advancement in their respective careers. Entry scholarships are available for applicants with outstanding academic records.

In recognition of his research and passion to serve the scientific community, Dr Peng Wang of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) has been appointed associate editor of Environmental Science & Technology, a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by the American Chemical Society since 1967.

To ease the shortage of masks for PolyU staff and students, Dr Peng Wang of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) and his wife recently donated 10,000 face masks to the university. Their donation reflected the PolyU spirit of caring for the community.