News

Staff Highlights: Prof. Qing PEI

Prof. Qing PEI is an Associate Professor with a joint appointment in LSGI and the Department of Chinese History and Culture at PolyU. His research group specializes in the interdisciplinary intersection of historical geography, climate-society dynamics, digital humanities, and Historical GIS. By integrating qualitative and quantitative interdisciplinary methodologies based on historical archives, the team investigates the spatiotemporal patterns of historical climate change and societal responses. The research spans centennial to millennial timescales, with spatial coverage ranging from the global to the Eurasian, European, and Chinese contexts. 1. Reconstruction of Historical Climate Change and Its Societal Impacts Utilizing global documentary sources and historical records of weather and climate phenomena, the team enhances high-resolution climate reconstructions. By cross-validating these models with socioeconomic data, they reinterpret societal evolution through the lens of climate variability. Notable work includes a "trilogy framework" examining the nexus of climate change, warfare, epidemics, and famine, alongside significant revisions to Malthusian population theory regarding resource-population equilibrium. (Figure 1) 2. Climate Adaptation and Resilience in Historical Societies The group explores how past civilizations actively adapted to environmental shifts from mental and behavioral perspectives. From mental perspective, the research reveals how climate-induced pressures fostered the emergence of major European thinkers over two millennia. On behavioral side, they studies analyze top-down national policies versus bottom-up strategies, such as nomadic migration patterns, to understand adaptation across diverse societal structures. (Figure 2 & Figure 3) 3. Theoretical Construction and Methodological Innovation in Environmental Humanism The team proposes a causal-inference paradigm grounded in historical-geographical scales. By integrating historical records with quantitative data, this framework transcends traditional environmental determinism to establish a distinctive environmental humanism, providing a new epistemological foundation for human-nature interactions. (Figure 4) Honours and Awards ·        RGC Humanities and Social Sciences Prestigious Fellowship Scheme (Hong Kong) ·        Second Prize for Natural Science, Ministry of Education’s Awards for Scientific Research (China) ·        Carson Fellowship, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich ·        Li Ka Shing Prize ·        Swire Scholar Award Contact Information Professor Qing PEI’s research group is actively seeking PhD students, postdoctoral fellows, and research assistants with strong academic backgrounds in related fields. ·        Department Homepage: View Academic Profile ·        Email: qing.pei@polyu.edu.hk

2025 International Graduate Student Workshop on Geo-Informatics (IGWG 2025)

The 2025 International Graduate Student Workshop on Geo-Informatics (IGWG 2025), was successfully held on 6 December 2025, at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). Jointly organized by PolyU, Peking University (PKU) and Wuhan University (WHU), the workshop served as a dynamic academic platform for postgraduate students and young scholars to share cutting-edge research and foster interdisciplinary collaboration. The event drew over 80 attendees from 14 universities worldwide, facilitated a rich exchange of ideas and collaboration. Following the Opening Ceremony, keynote speeches covering diverse areas of Geo-Informatics were delivered by: Prof. Wei Wan, Research Associate Professor, Institute of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System, PKU Prof. Timo Balz, Professor, State Key Laboratory of Information Engineering in Surveying, Mapping and Remote Sensing, WHU Prof. Yang YUE, Professor, Thrust of Urban Governance and Design, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou) Prof. Shuo WANG, Associate Professor, Department of Land Surveying & Geo-Informatics, PolyU The workshop featured 5 parallel sessions consisting of 30 oral presentations and 8 poster presentations, encouraging face-to-face interactions among PhD and Master's students, post-doctoral researchers and professors. The workshop concluded with a closing address by Prof. Yang XU, Associate Head & Associate Professor, LSGI, PolyU, and the announcement of the Best Presentation Awards by Prof. Tony Chengxiang ZHUGE, Associate Professor, LSGI, PolyU, recognizing the most outstanding student presenters. A Guided Laboratory Tour was also organized on 5 December 2025. The visitors toured 5 of the LSGI 's cutting-edge laboratories:  Underground Utility Survey Laboratory Laboratory for Smart City and Spatial Big Data Analytics Navigation Laboratory Remote Sensing Laboratory Laboratory for Deformation and Geohazards Studies The tour facilitated excellent idea exchange regarding the researches and technologies showcased within these advanced facilities.   Best Oral Presentation Awards (in Alphabetical Order) Awardee Topic CHEN, Yaogang (Central South University & Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya) A Near-Real-Time Multi-Temporal Polarimetric InSAR Method for Landslides Monitoring in Rapid-Decorrelation Scenarios HOU, Shuyang (Wuhan University) Research on Key Technologies of Geospatial Code Generation for Large Language Model-Based Multi-Agent Systems LIN, Haomei (Peking University) Streamflow Reconstruction Using Satellite Embeddings in Highly Human Disturbed Regions PEI, Zixuan (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University) A High-Quality Daily Nighttime Light (HDNTL) Dataset for Global 600+ Cities (2012–2024) QI, Junnan (Peking University) Local Urban Development Intensity Effects on Vegetation Phenology YIN, Hanyu (Peking University) Multi-city Building Facade Material Dataset ZHANG, Ying (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University) The Potential Uptake and Climate Impacts of Hydrogen-Fuel-Cell Vehicles in Beijing ZHOU, Ning (Wuhan University) DepthCD: Depth Prompting in 2D Remote Sensing Imagery Change Detection   Best Poster Presentation Awards (in Alphabetical Order) Awardee Topic SHANG, Haibin (China University of Geosciences (Wuhan)) Research on the Construction and Reasoning of Flood Disaster Chain Logic Graph Based on Large Language Model ZHU, Xinrui (The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou)) Inverse Reinforcement Learning for Elderly Travel Preference Modeling and Cognitive Map Analysis: A Case Study of Tianhe District, Guangzhou   Conference Manual https://polyu.hk/KrriR   Photo Gallery Morning Session - Opening & Keynote Speeches: https://polyu.hk/hqWzT Afternoon Session - Parallel Sessions & Closing: https://polyu.hk/vXJoc LSGI Guided Laboratory Tour: https://polyu.hk/ZYLFZ

2nd International Conference on Geomatics Education 2025

The Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI) successfully hosted the 2nd International Conference on Geomatics Education (ICGE) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) on 4 December 2025. The conference, theme “AI for Geomatics Education: Perspectives and Challenges,” brought together a diverse international community of educators, researchers, and industry professionals. Participants explored the transformative integration of artificial intelligence into geospatial science education. The event drew over 70 attendees from more than 30 organizations across 8 countries, facilitating a rich exchange of ideas through more than 20 presentations and engaging panel discussions. The Opening Ceremony included a welcoming address from Sr Prof. Charles Man Sing WONG, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Construction and Environment, followed by an opening speech from Sr Alex Siu Ki CHU, Deputy Director (Survey & Mapping Office) of the Lands Department. Prof. Xiaoli DING, Chair Professor of Geomatics and Director of the Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS), delivered a keynote address on the Applications of AI in Geomatics Education at PolyU. A Guided Laboratory Tour was also organized on 5 December 2025. The visitors toured 5 of the LSGI 's cutting-edge laboratories: Underground Utility Survey Laboratory, Laboratory for Smart City and Spatial Big Data Analytics, Navigation Laboratory, Remote Sensing Laboratory, and Laboratory for Deformation and Geohazards Studies. The tour facilitated excellent idea exchange regarding the researches and technologies showcased within these advanced facilities. Overall, the conference provided a global platform for sharing insights and practical experiences, paving the way for future collaboration in advancing geomatics education. The following researchers were honoured with the Best Paper Awards: Awardee Topic Dr. Ding MA (Shenzhen University) Exploring Hybrid Teaching Practices in Spatial Data Science Courses Prof. Liyang XIONG (Nanjing Normal University) GIS Major Education in China: Status and Challenges in the Era of AI Dr. Vyron ANTONIOU (Hellenic Army Academy) AI Innovations Introduced in the Military Geomatics Engineering Education Mr. Wenbo LV (The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (Guangzhou)) Causal Discovery in Large-Scale Spatiotemporal Data: Towards an Integration of Statistical, Econometric, and AI Approaches with Geospatial Infrastructures

LSGI Team Won the Championship at ACM SIGSPATIAL Cup 2025

We are delighted to announce that a team of PhD students from LSGI, led by Prof. Yang XU, has won first place at the ACM SIGSPATIAL Cup 2025 (GISCUP). The team—Mr. Guangyue LI, Mr. Yuxiao LUO, Mr. Shen LIANG, and Ms. Jinghan WANG—stood out among global competitors to earn this prestigious honor at the ACM SIGSPATIAL 2025 Annual Conference in Minneapolis, USA. The ACM SIGSPATIAL Cup is a premier competition in geospatial AI. This year’s challenge, “Human Mobility Prediction in Multiple Cities,” required participants to forecast complex mobility trajectories across diverse metropolitan areas. To tackle the challenge of adapting to various urban layouts, the team developed the “HuMob Predictor” framework. Their innovative approach combined a multi-level encoding module, designed to capture intricate urban structures, with an incremental training strategy that progressively learns from simple patterns to complex dependencies. The team’s solution demonstrated outstanding stability and performance during the official evaluation, setting a new benchmark for individual mobility prediction. This remarkable achievement underscores PolyU LSGI’s expertise in addressing complex spatiotemporal problems and advancing generalizable geospatial AI. Congratulations to Prof. XU and the team! Result announcement of ACM SIGSPATIAL Cup 2025: https://sigspatial2025.sigspatial.org/giscup/finalResults.html

31st Congregation - LSGI session

The 31st Congregation for the Faculty of Construction and Environment - LSGI session was held on 20 November 2025 at the Jockey Club Auditorium. Prof. Xiang-dong LI, Dean of Faculty, encouraged graduates to embody the University's motto and lead lives of purpose and fulfilment, while nurturing a sense of responsibility towards Hong Kong, the Nation, and the world. We were honored to have Mr Yue Chun CHAN, Head of Spatial Data Office of the Development Bureau, the Government of the HKSAR, as the Guest of Honour. Mr Ng Hoi Wah, the LSGI graduate representative for the Bachelor of Science in Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics, delivered the valedictory speech. He showed gratitude to their parents, professors, instructors and classmates of the Class of 2025. It was a day marked by pride and celebration for all attendees. Congratulations to the graduating class of 2025!

LSGI Professor showcases how 4D Technology can preserve WWII History on TVB’s “Sunday Report”

Ir Prof. Wallace LAI Wai-Lok, Associate Head (Teaching) of the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI), was featured on TVB’s program “Sunday Report” on 16 November 2025, demonstrating how modern technology is unlocking the secrets of Hong Kong's WWII relics. During the programme, Prof. LAI explained the importance of preserving these historical sites through advanced digital mapping technologies. He showcased a cutting-edge immersive 4D CAVE that allows the public to experience history firsthand, creating a powerful connection to the past. For more details, watch the interview here: TVB (19:04-21:45)  

The 4th Jiangsu-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance (JHMUA) Academic Forum Concluded Successfully

The Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI) and Remote Sensing Laboratory (RSL) successfully organised The Fourth Jiangsu-Hong Kong-Macau University Alliance (JHMUA) Remote Sensing and Environment Academic Forum at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) from 29 to 30 October 2025. The event gathered experts, scholars, and student representatives from more than ten universities and research institutions across Jiangsu, Hong Kong, and Macao, aiming to promote scientific research collaboration, academic exchange, cooperative innovation, and knowledge sharing in remote sensing and environmental studies among the three regions. Prof. Charles Man Sing WONG, Professor of LSGI, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Construction and Environment, and Associate Director of the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD), chaired the JHMUA Remote Sensing and Environment Annual Meeting. He facilitated discussions among representatives from alliance member universities, who joined both online and in-person, to deliberate on the consortium's strategic direction and future collaborations. During Opening Ceremony, Prof. WONG extended a warm welcome to all participants and reflected on the alliance's journey since its establishment in 2022. He highlighted the platform's vital role in strengthening the scientific and educational bonds among Jiangsu, Hong Kong, and Macao. The scientific program delved into the forefront of remote sensing and environmental science, covering critical topics such as climate change, air quality, carbon emission monitoring, geological hazard detection, and Earth system science. These themes were explored through a series of high-caliber invited reports delivered by renowned scholars, including: Prof. Guo-qiang SHI (PolyU) Prof. Xiao-lin ZHU (PolyU) Prof. Bo HUANG (HKU) Prof. Hui SU (HKUST) Prof. Meng GAO (HKBU) Prof. Fei JIANG (Nanjing University) Prof. Huilin CHEN (Nanjing University) Prof. Zhong LU (China University of Mining and Technology) Prof. Liang GAO (University of Macau) We extend our sincerest gratitude to all supporting organizations for their valuable contributions.

Call for Applications: Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) 2026/27

We are pleased to announce that applications are now open for the prestigious Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS), PolyU Presidential PhD Fellowship Scheme (PPPFS) and International PhD Fellowship Scheme (IPFS) fpr the 2026/27 academic year. The application deadline is 1 December 2025. Nominated HKPFS candidates by PolyU to RGC will automatically be offered a PhD place with the award of PolyU Presidential PhD Fellowship Scheme (PPPFS), International PhD Fellowship Scheme (IPFS) or PolyU Research Postgraduate Scholarship (PRPgS). Successful candidates of HKPFS, PPPFS and IPFS will receive a comprehensive package that includes student stipend, tuition fee waiver, conference grant, cash award, and guaranteed university accommodation. For the detailed information on the scholarship packages, please visit the Graduate School's website for HKPFS. Application procedure: To submit your application, please refer to the “How to Apply” section on the admission page and follow the following steps: Create an account and log in to the RPg Admission System * Explore the RPg programmes: Contact the potential supervisor and review the admission requirements Prepare the required supporting documents and submit your application *Note: HKPFS applicants must first submit an initial application to the Research Grants Council (RGC) via the HKPFS System to obtain an HKPFS reference number. Then, submit your applications through the PolyU RPgAdmission System, selecting “2026/27 Semester 1 (Sep 2026 Entry)” and providing your HKPFS reference number. We invite you to join PolyU LSGI and pursue excellence in research with a fully funded PhD fellowship – Apply Today!

Delegation from Beijing Society of Surveying and Mapping Visits LSGI

On 21 October 2025, the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI) at PolyU had the honour of hosting a 21-member delegation from the Beijing Society of Surveying and Mapping. The delegation was warmly welcomed by Prof. Wu CHEN, Head of LSGI. The visit began with a fruitful meeting, during which representatives from both institutions exchanged insights on the latest managerial practices and discussed opportunities for future collaboration. The open dialogue fostered mutual understanding and set the stage for enhanced cooperation in the field of surveying and geo-informatics. Following the meeting, the delegation toured three of LSGI’s state-of-the-art laboratories: Underground Utility Survey Laboratory: Ir Prof. Wallace Wai Lok LAI, Associate Head (Teaching) and Professor, demonstrated advanced underground utilities inspection systems. Survey Store and Instrumentation Laboratory: Prof. Guo-qiang SHI, Assistant Professor, introduced a variety of cutting-edge survey instruments. Laboratory for Smart City and Spatial Big Data Analytics: Prof. John Wen-zhong SHI showcased the latest research outputs and innovations in smart city technologies. The visit provided an excellent platform for knowledge exchange and strengthened the ties between LSGI and the Beijing Society of Surveying and Mapping. Both parties look forward to future collaborations that will advance research and development in the field.

New Book Published - "Definition and Realization of Height Systems in Terrestrial and Planetary Science Applications"

We are pleased to announce the publication of a new book titled "Definition and Realization of Height Systems in Terrestrial and Planetary Science Applications" by Prof. Robert TENZER, Associate Professor from the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics (LSGI) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Dr. Wei CHEN at Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, China. This book has been published by Science Press. This comprehensive work offers an in-depth overview of the theory of heights, covering following topics: Coordinate Systems and Transformations Gravity Field Quantities Theory of Heights Geoid-to-Quasigeoid Separation Height Systems in Planetary Geodesy Molodensky’s Concept in Planetary Geodesy Terrestrial and Planetary Gravity Maps The book serves scientists and professionals working in the physical geodesy field, particularly focusing on the theoretical definition and practical realization of geodetic vertical datums as well as the vertical datum unification. It also provides useful reading material for university teachers and students in the broader areas of gravimetric geodesy and geophysics.