Chinese New Year Greetings from Dean of Faculty

Dear Colleagues, Students, and Friends of FCE

I extend my heartfelt wishes for a joyous and prosperous Chinese New Year to you! May the Year of the Dragon bring you fresh possibilities, new horizons, and boundless joys!

The past year has been a year of resilience and revival. We have deepened our bond with longstanding friends and have also forged dynamic alliances with new partners. We have fortified our core competencies and unlocked new opportunities. As we step into the dawn of 2024, I am thrilled to share with you some uplifting updates about our academic staff’s research pursuits and our students’ innovative entrepreneurship, which sets a promising tone for another rewarding year.

Prof. Xiang-dong LI
Dean of Faculty of Construction and Environment

RGC Collaborative Research Fund 2023/24

PolyU scholars have once again showcased their research excellence by securing competitive funding from the RGC Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) 2023/24 exercise, winning HK$55.49 million from the CRF Collaborative Research Project Grant (CRPG), the highest among local universities. Out of the nine CRPG projects awarded to PolyU, FCE academics contributed one-third of the projects and funding amount.

The CRF CRPG is designed to foster collaboration between researchers across disciplines and institutions, in facilitating research output with high levels of attainment, quantity, dimensions and impact.

RGC Research Impact Fund 2023/24

The RGC Research Impact Fund (RIF) aims to provide sustained support to local academics for conducting impactful and translational collaborative research projects and to articulate the potential for benefiting the wider community. We are thrilled to learn that three research projects led by FCE scholars have received support from the RIF in the 2023/24 exercise, as part of a total of 14 awarded proposals in Hong Kong. Within PolyU, FCE holds a leading position in terms of the number of grants received and the total grant amount. Our total funding exceeds HK$13 million, representing more than 60% of PolyU’s funding from the five awarded projects.

Strategic Public Policy Research 2023/24

The economic growth of the Greater Bay Area (GBA) is heavily dependent on the construction industry. Cross-regional cooperation (CRC) is a massive opportunity for the Hong Kong construction industry to expand its business in GBA and for Hong Kong to better integrate into the overall development of the country. A research project named “Policy Framework for Cross-Regional Cooperation Strategies in the Greater Bay Area’s Construction Industry”, led by Prof. Geoffrey SHEN, Chair Professor of Construction Management of the Department of Building and Real Estate (BRE), has been granted HK$3.96 million under the Strategic Public Policy Research Funding Scheme (SPPR) 2023/24.

SPPR is a government-financed funding scheme dedicated to supporting evidence-based public policy research by higher education institutions and think tanks in Hong Kong. Prof. Shen’s research project is one of the two projects that received funding from SPPR this year. The project aims to establish policy strategies for talent cooperation, project management cooperation and regulation cooperation, and to design and optimise a policy framework for CRC in the GBA’s construction industry. This research will propose a policy framework to provide systematic guidance for government authorities and industry practitioners with effective policy strategies.

Green Tech Fund supports project on ammonia-based pretreatment system for food waste digestate valorisation

In a densely populated city like Hong Kong, waste management and reduction comprise an essential part of cutting down carbon emissions and achieving sustainable development. A project led by Dr Shao-Yuan LEU, Associate Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), “Study of Ammonia Pretreatment - Power Generation System toward Complete Valorisation of Food Waste Digestate”, has recently been granted HK$6.8 million by the Green Tech Fund for its ability to enhance the efficiency of food waste digestate valorisation and mitigate carbon footprint.

In the long term, the project outcomes could be applied at facilities like the Organic Resources Recovery Centre and sewage treatment works to minimise odour, reduce landfill waste and produce high-quality organic fertiliser.

FCE students clinch gold and bronze at innovation and entrepreneurship competition

FCE fervently supports the idea that research results with practical implications should be utilised to create impacts on society, hence the Faculty encourages entrepreneurship among the Faculty’s academic staff and students alike.

At the 9th China International College Students' 'Internet+' Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition held in December 2023 at Tianjin University, FCE students won a gold award and a bronze award for demonstrating impressive entrepreneurial spirit. The Gold Award project “Smart Firefighting Robot” utilises artificial intelligence and computer vision technologies that autonomously navigate fire scenes, detect various objects, and automatically extinguish fires.

* Team leader

Seminar Series on Green Deck Development

The Green Deck, which will be built right over the existing Hung Hom Cross Harbour Tunnel Toll Plaza to connect the adjacent areas and form a landscaped platform over the vehicular traffic at the Toll Plaza, involves numerous construction and environment-related research, innovation and expertise throughout its development. This project at the doorstep of PolyU is an ideal example to illustrate the intricate project development process and cooperation among the various engaged disciplines.

The Faculty organised the Seminar Series on Green Deck Development on 9 – 12 January 2024 and invited guest speakers from PolyU and the industry to share their experience working on the project and how their research was translated into pragmatic applications. The seminar series was well received by FCE undergraduate students, total attendance at the seminars exceeded 120. Please click here to view the photos from the seminars.

Welcome new staff to FCE

Dr Tristance KEE joined the Department of Building and Real Estate (BRE) as an Associate Professor. She completed her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Architecture at the University of Waterloo, and a PhD at the Faculty of Architecture at The University of Hong Kong (HKU). She has been a full-time academic since 2009 where she served HKU and The Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong (THEi) previously. Her passion lies in exploring interdisciplinary approaches within architecture, reflecting and addressing the ever-evolving needs of the industry. As a Registered Architect and Authorized Person (Architecture) in Hong Kong, she serves as a Council Member in The Hong Kong Institute of Architects (2024-2026), and served as the Chair for the Asia Pacific Interior Design Awards from 2021 to 2023.