Awards and Achievements

Two awards for Dr Jeanne Tan in Korea

Dr Jeanne Tan, Associate Professor of ITC, won two awards; one for her textile work and another for her thesis in Korea in October 2016. Titled 'Sylvan', the fabric won the Excellence Award for Textile at the 2016 International FABI Exhibition organised by The Korean Society of Fashion Business (KSFB) in Korea. The fabric is an illuminating textile which utilizes polymeric optical fibres (POFs). This creative work challenges the preconception that textile designs that integrate technology only have futuristic inspirations. This textile is developed on a low-tech dobby loom to create illuminating textiles with craft aesthetics and therefore allows the seamless integration of technology into everyday environments. Dr Tan also won the Excellent Thesis Award for “The challenges of wearable technology from a polymeric optical fibre (POFs) textile perspective” for her presentation at the 2016 International Conference organised by the KSFB.

Asian Core Program / Advanced Research Network Lectureship Awards from Japan, Korea and Taiwan (27-30 Oct 2016)

We are proud to announce that Prof. Michael Fuk-yee Kwong and Dr. Man-kin Wong have received the Asian Core Program / Advanced Research Network Lectureship awards in the ACP-2016-Korea: the 11th International Conference on Cutting-Edge Organic Chemistry in Asia (ICCEOCA-11) & the 2nd Advanced Research Network on Cutting-Edge Organic Chemistry in Asia (ARNCEOCA-2)), held in Daejeon, Korea from 27 to 30 October, 2016. This conference program brings together outstanding researchers in the field of organic chemistry in Asia and serves as a major annual forum to showcase high-quality scientific achievements. It offers an excellent opportunity for the exchange of the most up-to-date science knowledge, as well as to nurture close relationships and collaborations between top organic chemists in the Asia region. This year, Prof. Michael Fuk-yee Kwong has gained the recognition from the Japanese representatives with his presentation entitled "Palladium-Catalyzed Three Component Cross-Coupling: Facile Access of Phenathrenes Using Norbornadiene as Ethylene Surrogate". Other than that, Dr. Man-kin Wong's presentation on "Development of (N^C, C^O) Cyclometallated Gold(III) Catalysts and Visible Light-Gold Catalysis for Organic Synthesis" has attracted the recognitions from both the Korean and Taiwanese representatives. The two awardees will be invited to deliver a series of lectures during their one-week visits to Japan, Korea and Taiwan in 2017 respectively.

Dr Hua Tao receives Early Career Award from Hong Kong Research Grants Council

The Hong Kong Research Grants Council (RGC) recently awarded the Early Career Award 2016/17 to Dr Hua Tao, Assistant Professor of ITC, in recognition of his excellent research performance. Applications for research project grants under the Early Career Scheme (ECS) are assessed by international experts. This year, the ECS received 366 applications from all eight UGC funded universities in Hong Kong. Only 12 early-career scholars received the Early Career Awards among the 155 ECS funded projects. His award winning project is titled 'Electro-mechanical Properties of Elastic Woven Strain Sensing Fabric Incorporated with Yarn Sensing Elements' for an amount of HK$0.81 million. Fabric-based sensors are soft, flexible, deformable, durable and washable, so they are appropriate for various applications on the human body, such as for health care, rehabilitation purposes and sports, and occupational wear for monitoring purposes. One of the objectives of this project is to systematically perform a theoretical analysis and experimental study on the electro-mechanical properties and sensing mechanism of woven strain sensing fabrics as well as the influential factors. The project will also develop a new yarn piezoresistive strain sensor that can be incorporated into a woven structure to form elastic strain sensing fabrics. In the long term, the project will provide engineering guidance on the design and fabrication of woven sensing fabrics.

Dr Christina Wong wins Journal of Operations Management Best Paper Award

Dr Christina Wong, Associate Professor in Fashion Business, received runner-up of the Jack Meredith Best Paper Award from the Journal of Operations Management, a premier journal in the field of operations management and supply chain management. The award is based on impact in the field from 2011 to 2015. Her award-winning paper is titled “The contingency effects of environmental uncertainty on the relationship between supply chain integration and operational performance”, and co-authored with Prof. Wong Chee-yew and Dr Sakun Boon-itt.

ABCT New Chair Professor named among World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds

Congratulations to Professor Raymond Wong, the new Chair Professor of Chemical Technology in ABCT, who was named in the list of Highly Cited Researchers 2015 published by Thomson Reuters. The award ceremony of The World's Most Influential Scientific Minds 2015 was held this morning at the Sheraton Hong Kong Hotel & Towers. The "World's Most Influential Scientific Minds 2015" is a citation analysis identifying scientists who have made the most significant global impact in their respective fields of study determined by their fellow researchers in the form of citations. The identification of these awardees is rooted in the collective, objective opinions of the scientific community. The longer-range study, widely known as the Highly Cited Researchers, included an 11-year assessment of research paper citations to determine the leaders within 21 broad fields of science and social sciences. The fields included clinical medicine, biology & biochemistry, chemistry, engineering, geosciences, materials science, physics, immunology, computer science, mathematics, microbiology, space science, economics & business. The study recognised around 3,000 scientists who published the greatest number of articles ranking among the top one percent by citations received in their respective fields in each paper's year of publication. The analysis covered over 120,000 papers indexed between 2003 and 2013 for each specialty. Professor Wong's research focuses on the development of sustainable energy sources and improvement in light/electrical energy conversion technologies. He produced more than 500 research papers in leading international scientific journals. Professor Wong is featured among the world's top 1% in the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) list of most cited chemists and materials scientists. He was recognized as one of the world's top 130 researchers in materials science, and one of only two scholars in this field who come from universities in Hong Kong. Please join me in welcoming Professor Raymond Wong to the ABCT family and let us congratulate him again for this remarkable achievement. To download the full report of "World's Most Influential Scientific Minds 2015", please visit: http://stateofinnovation.thomsonreuters.com/worlds-most-influential-scientific-minds-report-2015 To read more about Professor Raymond Wong's background and research, please click here

ITC wins two prizes in Geneva

The 44th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva was held from 13 to 17 April 2016 under the patronage of the Swiss federal government, the State and the City of Geneva as well as the World Intellectual Property Organization. This event covered a wide range of breakthrough inventions. The inventions not only expand the boundaries of existing knowledge, but also enhance the well-being of society on different fronts. The ITC is proud to announce that two ITC faculty members were awarded medals in Geneva. The two recognised ITC projects are as follows. Gold Medal: Innovative Spinning System for Chitosan Yarn by Dr Li LI, Assistant Professor A new spinning system has been devised by Dr Li which can fabricate chitosan fabric in the form of a woven/knit fabric with exceptional elasticity, durability and comfort. This new technology solves the existing problems of chitosan fibre spinning and avoids the waste of a large amount of raw materials. The system also maximises the bio-functions of chitosan fibres, e.g. wound-healing, antibacterial properties and skin protection, thereby enhancing patient care. Bronze Medal: Novel Development of Superfine Wool Products by Dr Songmin SHANG, Associate Professor Dr Shang has successfully invented a novel spinning and knitting process that produces a new type of animal fibre - a superfine wool fibre. The new process is faster and simpler than the conventional means of producing common wool, while the garments made from this superfine wool fibre are expected to demonstrate an even better quality than cashmere products. The projects above were jointly undertaken by the ITC and The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel (HKRITA).

Award recipients of World Fashion Design Award 2016 - ITC staff and alumnus

Dr Allan Chan, Associate Head and Associate Professor of ITC, was recently awarded the "fashionTECH" award at World Fashion Design Award 2016 whereas Dr Kristina Shin, Assistant Professor of ITC, was awarded the "fashionCHIC" and "fashionFINE" awards. ITC alumnus, Andrew Lung, was also awarded the "fashionDECO" and "fashionPURE" awards. This is the first time that the World Fashion Design Award (WFDA) was concurrently held with the 11th Prime Source Forum (PSF), with the objective to strengthen buyer-supplier-relationships. The i.Dummy designed by Dr Allan Chan is the result of an anthropometric study which aimed to provide a better understanding of human growth from a small to a larger size. The main components of i.Dummy are the mechatronics system of actuators and the drive system, panel design, skin and cladding design, and the software that runs the body dimensions. The Black "Chanty" Lace Evening Gown designed by Dr Shin celebrates the beauty of lace by utilizing minimal cutting. The front and back bodices and the front skirt are connected and cut as one piece in order to preserve the lace edges and inside details. It is fully corseted and lined with silk satin. The Pocket BouncerTM jeans designed by Andrew Lung is made of sustainable and high performance denim fabric and suitable for most occasions. Pocket BouncerTM jeans is designed to protect private and sensitive digital information, such as ID cards, credit cards and Smartphones.

PolyU develops integrated iWheelchair system

PolyU has developed an intelligent system called "iWheelchair", integrating a series of advanced PolyU technologies from its interdisciplinary division of ITC and Biomedical Engineering (BME). With a tablet computer as the centralized operation platform, the system integrates a variety of functions such as environment control, as well as safety, health and hygiene monitoring with automated alert, which better caters for the needs of users and reduce the workload of their caregivers. This wheelchair is unique in integrating the above functions into one platform in the market. By providing simple touchscreen commands on the tablet, users can control any home devices connected to the system, such as electric curtains, TV, motorized projector screens and electric beds. For those with impairment of hand functions, a fabric electronic switch can be used to convert thumb movements into touchscreen commands. Moreover, a sensor attached to the wheelchair measures vital health signals such as heart rate, and feed the readings into the computer for instant display and future record, while the fall monitoring function can activate an alarm through the tablet when the user or the wheelchair falls. The diaper wrap and the cushion seat is made with nano-treated fabric with dirt-proof, water repellent and antibacterial features, and the latter has fabric sensors that monitor the user's posture and buzz the user for prolonged inactivity to avoid bedsores and other circulatory conditions. The system is even connected to a smart diaper with sensors that can detect moisture levels and activate the buzzer on the tablet when changing is needed. Finally, optional setting is available for sending out SMS and/or email alerts to designated caregivers or family members in case of a fall, prolonged inactivity, abnormal heart rate and wet diaper to enlist help. The system uses Bluetooth for communication among all sensors. For sending out email or SMS alerts, a Wi-Fi connection or mobile data will be called for. In addition, the system can be easily customized to cater for the needs of individual users. The interdisciplinary project is supported by the Innovation and Technology Fund, and has won a bronze medal in the Seoul International Invention Fair 2015. A demo system of iWheelchair has been installed at Jockey Club Activity Center of Hong Kong Federation of Handicapped Youth (HKFHY) for their members' trial. The research team will continue to work closely with HKFHY to enable iWheelchair to better cope with the everyday challenges faced by wheelchair users.

ABCT winning the Champion and 2nd runner-up of the Most Favourite PolyU Research News of 2015

In 2015, CPA publicized in media more than 30 PolyU research findings which are of interest to the public. The innovative researches publicized have generated positive impact on many fronts, attracting attention and funding from government, industry collaborators, potential commercial partners and the public alike. A campaign to "Vote for the Most Favourite PolyU Research News of 2015" was launched in PolyU Facebook in early January 2016 for PolyU community and the public to vote for their most favourite PolyU research news. After counting the votes, our Department is honoured to announce that two of our research teams have won the Champion (Project: Hong Kong's First Breast Milk Nutrient Database led by Dr. Man-sau Wong) and 2nd runner-up (Project: Catalyst for Green Biodiesel Production from Unrefined Feedstock led by Prof. Wing-tak Wong and Dr. Joseph Yung), showing the impacts of our research on the community. The awardees were invited to a celebration luncheon hosted by the President and joined by Vice President (Research Development) on 2 February 2016, and were presented the certificates for recognizing their efforts during the luncheon. Congratulations to our awardees and thank you all for participating in media publicity which helped showcase PolyU's research excellence and quest for innovative solutions to problems!

AP researchers shined at the Wharton-QS STARS Reimagine Education 2016

Dr Mak C.L., Dr Leung C.W., Dr Tsang Y.H., Dr Choy S.H. and Dr Jim K.L. received the Regional (Asia) Award at Wharton-QS STARS Reimagine Education 2016.