FCE's remote sensing research gets boost from PolyU-HKATG partnership on satellite technology

PolyU and FCE have been committed to remote sensing-related research for many years to promote the development of smart cities. On 25 July 2023, an MoU was signed between PolyU and the Hong Kong Aerospace Technology Group (HKATG) to explore opportunities for collaboration in satellite navigation and communication, satellite remote sensing, payload development and strengthening exchanges among industry, academia and research sectors.

In a cross-departmental media briefing on satellite technology held on 30 August 2023, Prof. Charles WONG, Associate Dean (Teaching) of Faculty and Professor of the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI), introduced the use of satellite technology in the University’s research and application for the development of smart cities.

Prof. Wong expressed great enthusiasm for the potential benefits of the conventional optical remote sensing and synthetic aperture radar observation data in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area to be provided by HKATG, which will be more frequent and of higher resolution than the current data. He emphasised how this valuable resource can greatly aid research efforts. High-resolution optical satellites can assist remote sensing research projects related to multispectral features including carbon neutrality research, tree health monitoring, land cover classification, marine water quality monitoring and research on urban surface characteristics.

The partnership between PolyU and HKATG will hugely boost FCE’s smart city and environment-related research endeavours in the future and make positive impacts on society.

FCE scholar receives national award for contributions to Mars mission

Prof. Bo WU of the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI), Associate Director of the Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations (RCDSE), received the Outstanding Award (Individual) for China’s First Mars Exploration Mission - Tianwen-1, in recognition of his important contribution to the Nation’s Mars mission.

The prestigious national award was presented by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, China National Space Administration, and four other ministries, to honour individuals and groups who have made outstanding contributions to the Nation’s space exploration.

Prof. Wu and his team’s groundbreaking research on the development of innovative 3D topographic mapping and AI-powered geomorphological analysis techniques has contributed to several national space missions, including the Chang’e-3, Chang’e-4 and Chang’e-5 lunar missions. In 2021, Prof. Wu and his team mapped and selected the landing site for the Tianwen-1 mission on Mars in collaboration with national space institutions, which is paramount to the success of the Tianwen-1 Mars mission.

FCE Chair Professor honoured with IAGE Lifetime Achievement Award for advancing green energy

Prof. Jerry YAN, Chair Professor of Energy and Buildings of the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering (BEEE), recently received the International Association for Green Energy (IAGE) Lifetime Achievement Award 2023 for his outstanding leadership, research achievements, and advancement of knowledge and technology in energy systems; renewable energy; climate change mitigation; and related environment and energy policies.

Prof. Yan joined BEEE in August 2022. He has been committed to furthering the progress of green energy. He is an academician of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts and was appointed the inaugural editor-in-chief of PolyU’s new interdisciplinary journal Nexus earlier this year.

The IAGE Lifetime Achievement Award recognises individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the advancement of green energy throughout their lifetime. It is the highest accolade bestowed upon individuals by IAGE.

Dr Xinyan Huang named NSFC Excellent Young Scientist for project on wildfire prevention and control

Dr Xinyan HUANG, Associate Professor of the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering (BEEE), was awarded the highly competitive National Excellent Young Scientists Fund (Hong Kong and Macau) 2023 for the multi-disciplinary project “Smouldering Wildfire”.

Dr Huang’s winning project aims to control and reduce mega-scale smouldering wildfires by investigating combustion, safety, ecology, and geology. The research project provides scientific guidelines to help reduce carbon emissions from smouldering wildfires and helps reduce the hazards of wildfires in the Belt and Road countries, thereby promoting China as a leader in fighting against global climate change.

The Excellent Young Scientists Fund aims to support young scholars who have made significant achievements in fundamental research, enabling them to pursue innovative research and development. Dr Huang will receive funding of RMB 2 million to support his scientific research projects in Hong Kong for a period of three years. He is one of the two NSFC Excellent Young Scientists from PolyU this year.

Start-up co-founded by FCE young academic listed on Forbes Asia 100 To Watch 2023

As a strong advocate of PolyU’s vision that research outcomes of practical value should leave campus to create industry and societal impact, FCE is pleased to learn that Fleming MedLab Limited, a start-up co-founded by Dr Kelvin HEUNG, Research Assistant Professor of the Department of Building and Real Estate (BRE), has been listed in the newly-released Forbes Asia 100 To Watch 2023.

The medical technology start-up aims to help stroke patients walk again with its wearable robotic devices that improve users’ mobility. Its flagship product, Fleming Ankle, attaches to the patient's ankle joint and electrodes stimulate signals to the brain as they walk.

Dr Heung is a recipient of the PolyU Young Innovative Researcher Award 2023. His research focuses on the development of wearable and portable robotic exoskeletons for rehabilitation and human augmentation.

FCE undergraduate students receive HSBC Scholarships 2022/23

We are pleased to learn that six FCE students received scholarships in 2022/23 from HSBC, among a total of 27 awardees from PolyU. HSBC has a long history in supporting local students through various scholarship schemes, providing them invaluable resources and opportunities to enhance personal and professional development. The following FCE awardees are honoured under different flagship scholarship schemes for their academic excellence and all-rounded development:

FCE Awards for Outstanding PhD Theses 2022/23

The Faculty has always been promoting the development of professional excellence of our PhD students and values them as a vital part of the Faculty’s research efforts. The FCE Awards for Outstanding PhD Theses are therefore established to give due recognition to the high-quality theses produced by students.

To receive the awards, the theses have to be of exceptional quality and get an “excellent” rating by the Board of Examiners (BoE) concerned, go through the selection process by the respective Departmental Research Committees, and demonstrate outstanding performance in an oral presentation to be supported by the Working Group of the Faculty Research Committee (FRCWG).

The 2022/23 awards go to the following PhD students:

LSGI Student wins grand prize in global competition with international peers for innovation to combat waterways pollution

FCE encourages students to make good use of the knowledge they learn in classrooms and cultivate a global mindset through participating in international competitions. The Faculty is proud to learn that Miss Yi Nam XU, an undergraduate student of the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI) and recipient of the Outstanding Student Award of FCE 2022, won the grand prize in the tertiary category of the 2023 Xylem Global Student Innovation Challenge with her team for their innovation to tackle plastic pollution in waterways.

The team Ocean Rescuers, comprising Miss Xu and her two teammates from India and Pakistan, stood out from more than 1,000 international students in the global competition. The team used a data science and geospatial approach to identify high-risk plastic accumulation sites in India, estimated the amount of accumulated plastic litter which may leak into the oceans, and suggested a tailored plan to prevent plastic waste from choking the waterways and spilling into the oceans. The model they developed for analysis and solution-seeking can be applied to other regions to help communities identify and mitigate plastic pollution hot spots. Click here to learn more about the project.

FCE Departmental/Programme Orientation 2023

The four FCE departments held the Departmental/Programme Orientation Sessions from 15 August to 16 September this year, for a new batch of students admitted to the FCE’s undergraduate and taught postgraduate programmes. The orientation sessions were held in either face-to-face or a hybrid format and attracted more than 680 attendees.

The orientation sessions serve as one-stop information hubs where essential topics for new students were introduced to help them prepare for their study at PolyU. Besides getting useful information about their programmes of study as well as the support and resources available at PolyU, the freshmen also had the chance to meet and mingle with their Programme Representatives as well as their peers.

Long-serving staff of FCE

A Technical Officer of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), Mr Wai Shung LAM, retired on 26 September after more than 32 years of service at PolyU. Before his last day of service, he was presented with a souvenir by Prof. Xiang-dong LI, Dean of Faculty, as a token of appreciation for his committed service over the years.