News

LSGI scholars engaged events with the China Manned Space delegation

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) recently hosted a momentous event, "A Dialogue between the China manned space delegation and PolyU students and faculty members" to extend a warm welcome to the esteemed China Manned Space delegation on 29 Nov 2023. The event, held at the Jockey Club Auditorium, provided an opportunity for approximately 700 PolyU students and faculty members to engage in discussions and exchange ideas with the delegation. (Event highlight Press Release) During the event, Prof. WU Bo, Fiona Cheung Professor in Spatial Science, Associate Head (Research) of LSGI, and Associate Director of Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations of PolyU and Dr. CHEN Long, a PhD graduate of LSGI were selected as representatives from PolyU to engage in discussions with the delegation on aerospace technologies, astronaut training, and life in space. Both of them contributed to China’s space missions by utilizing advanced topographic mapping technologies to identify suitable landing sites. Additionally, Prof. WU was awarded with the Outstanding Award (Individual) for his contribution to China’s First Mars Exploration Mission (Details). Prof. WU was also invited to join the live broadcasting event “「全港歡迎中國載人航天工程代表團大匯演」” at the same evening at Hong Kong Coliseum to share LSGI’s research contribution on national space missions. As one of our representatives, Dr. CHEN was interviewed by multiple media outlets after the event. Expressing his delight in welcoming the delegation to the university, he hoped to have the opportunity in the future to become a payload specialist and bring the team's research to the space station.   Online coverage (on 30 Nov 2023): Wen Wei Po Sing Tao Headline RTHK Now TV

LSGI PhD Student Wins the Best Research Postgraduate Student of the Year 2023

We are delighted to share that Ms Yamin QING, a PhD student in LSGI under the supervision of Dr Shuo WANG, Associate Professor of LSGI, has been honored with the Best Research Postgraduate Student of the Year 2023 award by the Graduate School. This award, which includes cash prizes and certificates, recognizes research postgraduate students who have demonstrated exceptional academic achievements and made significant contribution to the research community at PolyU. Ms Qing focuses her research on analyzing extreme weather events and water-related hazards using remote sensing and geospatial techniques. Her research provides valuable insights into the implementation of environmental policies, particularly in relation to emerging climate-induced disasters. In addition to this achievement, she was previously awarded the 2022 Young Scientist Award (Details). Congratulations to Ms Qing on this well-deserved recognition!

The Faculty of Geosciences and Environmental Engineering at Southwest Jiaotong University (SWJTU) visits LSGI

Congregation - LSGI Session 2023

The 29th FCE Congregation – LSGI Session was held in hybrid mode on 15 November 2023 at the Jockey Club Auditorium on the PolyU campus. More than 200 graduates from the LSGI were conferred degrees and awards from Higher Diploma, Bachelor’s to Master’s degree. Prof. Xiang-dong LI, Dean of Faculty, presided over the ceremony and encouraged graduates to follow the examples of FCE alumni and make lasting impacts in their chosen path. Graduates who could not attend the Congregation in person were presented virtually and live broadcasting was arranged to allow friends and families of the graduates to witness the ceremony online from all over the world. LSGI invited Mr Kelvin LO, SBS, JP, as a guest of honour to share with the graduating class their visions for the future of Hong Kong’s development in Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics discipline, as well as invaluable life lessons and mottos. Graduate Ms Cherry Lai Sze CHEUNG gave a valedictory speech on behalf of the class of 2023.   Congratulations to the graduating class of 2023!

LSGI PhD student’s research on impacts of space weather on aviation industry is published by the Nature Reviews Earth & Environment

We are pleased to share with you that the research work on the impacts of space weather on aviation industry, conducted by PhD student Mr. Dabin Xue at the Department of Land Surveying & Geo-Informatics (LSGI), the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), was recently selected to be highlighted by the Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, a journal published by the Springer Nature with an Impact Factor of 42.1. The research paper “Examining the Economic Costs of the 2003 Halloween Storm Effects on the Northern Hemisphere Aviation Using Flight Data in 2019", co-authored by Mr. Dabin Xue, his supervisors Dr. George Zhizhao Liu at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Dr. Jian Yang at the Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, and Dr. Shiwei Yu (a former graduate from Dr. Liu's Lab), was recently published at the AGU journal "Space Weather" in March 2023. It claims to be the world's first one to quantify the potential economic impacts of space weather on aviation operation, which is an interdisciplinary study involved with Space Physics including Ionosphere and Cosmic Radiation, GNSS Satellite Navigation, and Air Traffic Management as well as Operation Research. Space weather events, closely related to the 11-year cycle solar activities, can disruptively affect the aviation operations on the Earth in various aspects such as high-frequency communication blackouts, GNSS-based navigation and surveillance failures, and increased levels of cosmic radiation. These disruptions pose great potential risks to flight safety and security and result in flight delays and even flight cancellations. The consequential economic loss can amount to tens of millions of euros. Based on the space weather impact data from the severe solar storm event 2003 Halloween Storm in the Solar Cycle 23 and the flight data in 2019, this research from an operational perspective assessed the impact of a space weather event similar to the 2003 Halloween Storm on the aviation flights in 2019 when the current 11-year Solar Cycle 25 just began. New air traffic management strategies have also been proposed to mitigate the effects of these disruptions. This study can be a benchmark for evaluating and alleviating the potential effects of future space weather on aviation operations. More information about this Research Highlight can be found at Nature Reviews Earth & Environment. The original paper can be found at Space Weather.

Staff Promotions 2023

We are delighted to share the news that Dr. Yang Xu have been promoted to Associate Professor effective from 1 Nov 2023 respectively. Dr. Xu joined LSGI as Assistant Professor in 2017. Congratulations to Dr. Xu!

A Soft Launch of Geo-Project 1941

On 28th October 2023, Ir Dr. Wallace Lai, Associate Head of LSGI, together with historians, archaeologists and geologist from multiple universities, launched the Soft Opening of the art-tech exhibition for Geo-Project 1941. As an event of the project "Unfolding the Lost WWII Heritage: Promotion of Geo-spatial and Geophysical Technologies", it took place at a Campsite “Camptopia” in Sheung Shui. Led by LSGI, this project involves engagement of various stakeholders, such as collaboration with BU, HKU and CUHK, and support from 5 Bureau/Departments of HKSARG. Moreover, it is funded/sponsored by ITC (Innovation and Technology Commission), RILS (Research Institute for Land and Space), and Camptopia. All parties involved share a common vision: to maximize the publicity on historical interpretation, heritage conservation, STEAM education and exhibitions for the remembrance of the 80th anniversary of WWII in 2025. Representing the start of a series of public engagement activities on the use of geo-spatial and geophysical technologies to promote an integrated art-tech approach, this soft opening attracted over 80 visitors from diverse backgrounds. Attendees ranged from professors, teachers, and war enthusiasts to pupils, with interests spanning across geo-science, history, and archaeology. The event featured various art-tech exhibitions and experiential workshops, including a 4D CAVE that provided an immersive experience, transporting the audience back to the war zone in Hong Kong in 1941. Additionally, there were two archaeological test sites where workshop participants could engage in field archaeological excavation work following geophysical surveys. These exhibitions and workshops demonstrated how technologies can play a crucial role in historical interpretation, archaeological excavations, and forensic investigation. Looking ahead to the coming event in the project until early 2025, we anticipate further collaborations between LSGI and diverse communities.   Project:  Unfolding the lost WWII heritage: promotion of geo-spatial and geophysical technologies Website: https://geo-project1941.com/ PI: Ir Dr. Wallace Lai, Associate Head of LSGI

The World’s Top 2% Scientists in LSGI by Stanford University (2023)

Six academic staff from LSGI, including Prof. John Wenzhong SHI, Prof. Qihao WENG, Prof. Jianli CHEN, Prof. Charles Man Sing WONG, Dr Xiaolin ZHU and Dr Ameer Hamza KHAN, are ranked as the World’s Top 2% most-cited scientists in career-long and single-year categories, according to the Stanford University list published on Oct 2023. The database categorized scientists into 22 subject fields and 174 sub-fields. It has taken their research publications into consideration, including information on citations, individual’s scientific research output, co-authorship and a composite indicator. For further details, please refer to the latest database here. Congratulations to our staff for their outstanding achievements!   Career-long Data  Name of Researcher  Subject Field   Prof. John Wenzhong SHI  Geological and Geomatics Engineering  Prof. Qihao WENG  Geological and Geomatics Engineering   Prof. Jianli CHEN  Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences    Single Recent Year Data  Name of Researcher  Subject Field  Prof. John Wenzhong SHI  Geological and Geomatics Engineering  Prof. Qihao WENG  Geological and Geomatics Engineering  Prof. Jianli CHEN  Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences  Prof. Charles Man Sing WONG  Geological and Geomatics Engineering  Dr Xiaolin ZHU  Geological and Geomatics Engineering  Dr Ameer Hamza KHAN  Electrical and Electronic Engineering 

PolyU Info Day 2023

PolyU Info Day was successfully held on 21st October 2023 at the campus. The Department of Land Surveying & Geo-Informatics (LSGI) received active participation from academic and supporting staff, student ambassadors and alumni, providing prospective students with the latest information about the programmes and assisting them in planning their future studies at LSGI. We offered various activities, including a consultation booth, guided laboratory visits, admission talks for the Undergraduate (Ug) and Taught Postgraduate (TPg) programmes, and sharing sessions with graduates. Our objective is to provide prospective students with a thorough understanding of the LSGI curriculum and programmes, while creating an engaging and informative experience. During the two sessions of Ug admission talks, Ir Dr Wallace LAI, Associate Head in Teaching, and Dr Sissi CHEN, Deputy Programme Leader, provided introductions and promramme details. Guest speakers and esteemed LSGI graduates also shared their work experiences and perspectives, emphasizing the exciting career opportunities in the government and private sectors. Admission arrangements were explained, and questions from visitors, mainly secondary school students and parents, were addressed on the spot. In addition to the talks, guided tours of the LSGI laboratories were arranged, allowing visitors to experience firsthand the state-of-the-art equipment and technologies used in LSGI. We extend our sincerest gratitude and appreciation to all colleagues, alumni, guests, and student ambassadors who wholeheartedly participated in the Info Day. The event successfully facilitated prospective students' understanding of the department and its academic programmes. LSGI eagerly looks forward to welcoming them to join in the near future! A recap of the BSc admission talk can be found here.

International Delegation from SISV and LJT Visits LSGI to Explore Collaborations and Programme Accreditations

On October 16, 2023, a delegation from the Singapore Institute of Surveyors and Valuers (SISV) and The Land Surveyors Board Malaysia (LJT) paid a visit to the LSGI, accompanied by representatives from the Hong Kong Institute of Surveyors (HKIS). The 13-member delegation was spearheaded by Mr. Mak Weng Tat, the Land Surveying President from SISV, and Dato' Indera Sr. Ismail bin Harun from LJT.  The delegation's morning was spent at Q-Leak, the underground water mains leak detection training centre of the Water Supplies Department. This centre was designed and supported by LSGI since 2021. Ir Dr Wallace Lai, the Associate Head and Associate Professor of LSGI, provided a demonstration and overview of the collaborations between LSGI and WSD, as well as the training and research conducted at Q-Leak.  In the afternoon, the delegation was warmly welcomed by Prof. Wu Chen, the Head of LSGI at PolyU. He provided them with the latest updates on LSGI programmes and research highlight. Discussions were held regarding collaborations on training and talent nurturing. The delegation expressed a strong need for training in underground utilities survey and management from LSGI.  The visit concluded on a positive note, with all parties expressing enthusiasm for future collaborations. The representatives from SISV and LJT were particularly impressed with the innovative programmes and research conducted at LSGI. They expressed their intent to consider further programme accreditation, which would undoubtedly enhance the value of LSGI’s programmes for both local and international students, especially from Malaysia and Singapore.