From 14 to 20 July 2026, three students from the Department of Land Surveying and Geospatial Science (LSGS) and five students from Department of Construction Management and Intelligence (CMI) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) traveled to Harbin to participate in the 4th Computational Urban Science: Urban Historical Space Computing and Modeling Workshop. Serving as an invaluable platform for academic exchange, spatial data research, and cross-institutional collaboration, the seven-day exchange camp was organized and hosted by the School of Architecture and Design at Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), with financial support provided by the Ministry of Education "Ten Thousand Talents Program".
The dynamic seven-day programme officially commenced on 15 July 2026 with an inspiring opening ceremony, followed by an insightful expert theme lecture focusing on the theoretical and technical frontiers of Urban Artificial Intelligence. To deepen their connection with the host institution, the delegates embarked on a comprehensive university tour, featuring guided visits to the HIT History Museum and the HIT Astronautics Museum, showcasing the institution's rich heritage and advancements in space science.
The subsequent days featured rich, diverse field investigations across Harbin's iconic architectural and historical landmarks, allowing students to examine urban history from a geospatial perspective. On 16 and 18 July 2026, the student delegates conducted extensive urban field surveys at the Harbin Grand Theatre, Central Avenue, Saint Sophia Cathedral, the Flood Control Monument, the Binjiang Railway Bridge, the Chinese Baroque Historic District, and the Harbin Confucian Temple historic district, alongside an architectural tour of the Harbin Grand Theatre, gaining a comprehensive view of historical urban spaces.
Dedicated collaboration formed the central focus of the camp. Following group topic selections and group discussions initiated on 17 July 2026, the students worked closely in mixed-school interdisciplinary teams alongside Mainland and Macao peers to develop innovative spatial modeling projects. The successful exchange programme officially concluded on 19 July 2026 with final group project presentations, theme discussions, and a closing ceremony - marking another milestone in regional academic collaboration, fostering meaningful student dialogue, and broadening the participants' research horizons in geospatial science.
