News

Prof. Marco PANG named among World Physiotherapy’s 75 Noteworthy Physiotherapists

World Physiotherapy, the international authority for the physiotherapy profession, represents more than 600,000 physiotherapists through its member organisations across 129 countries and territories. To mark its 75th anniversary, the organisation selected 75 noteworthy physiotherapists worldwide. Prof. Marco PANG, Member of Research Centre of SHARP Vision (RCSV), Chair Professor of Neurorehabilitation and Head of Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, was among those selected. Prof. Pang has made significant contributions to physiotherapy education, research, and professional development, with a far-reaching impact both regionally and internationally. His notable achievements include leading the design and establishment of Southeast Asia’s first entry-level postgraduate physiotherapy programme (Master of Physiotherapy, MPT). Since 2022, he has also been ranked among the world’s top 1% most-cited scientists in rehabilitation by Stanford University. In 2023, he received the World Physiotherapy International Service Award (Research) and currently serves as Chair of the World Physiotherapy Asia Western Pacific Region Executive Committee.

Prof. Nathanael JIN Ling receives World Young Aerosol Scientist Award 2026

Warmest congratulations to Prof. Nathanael JIN Ling, Associate Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Department of Health Technology and Informatics, on receiving the World Young Aerosol Scientist Award 2026 from the International Aerosol Research Assembly (IARA), in recognition of his outstanding contributions and remarkable achievements in aerosol science and technology. Prof. Jin is a member of the Research Institute for Future Food (RiFood), the Research Institute for Microbiology (RIM), the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD), and the Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC). His interdisciplinary work is at the intersection of environmental chemistry, microbiology, toxicology, and data science, where he leverages scientific innovation to address pressing planetary health challenges and advance sustainable development. His research focuses on the impacts of air pollution on human health, the threats posed by marine pollution to wildlife health, and the challenges that solid waste presents to ecological health.

Prof. Charles XU Chunbao elected as Fellow of Royal Society of Canada

Congratulations to Prof. Charles XU Chunbao, Director of Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality (RCRE) and Chair Professor of Advanced Biorefinery, on being elected a Fellow of the Academy of Science of the Royal Society of Canada (RSC).  This prestigious honour recognises Prof. Xu’s outstanding contributions and unwavering dedication to the development of transformative biorefinery technologies, with research impacts extending across multiple industrial sectors in Canada and beyond. Founded in 1882, the RSC comprises leading scholars in the arts, humanities, social sciences, and sciences.  It is dedicated to recognising academic excellence, fostering innovation and providing evidence-based advice and scientific solutions to inform public policy and address major global challenges.  This year, 105 distinguished scholars worldwide were elected as new RSC Fellows, with Prof. Xu being one of only three scholars in Hong Kong to receive this accolade. Looking ahead, Prof. Xu will lead RCRE in advancing transformative biorefinery technologies towards industrial-scale deployment, converting organic waste into high-value bioproducts and contributing to global sustainable development while accelerating the transition towards carbon neutrality.

Four PAIR members elected to Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Young Member Section

Four PAIR members have been elected Members of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering (HKAE) Young Member Section (YMS), in recognition of their breakthroughs and contributions in their respective fields.  This remarkable achievement highlights the University’s success in nurturing young research talent and driving scientific research and innovation.   The four elected PAIR members are: HKAE Young Member Research Contributions Prof. DUAN Huan-Feng Member of RILS and RISUD Associate Head (Research) and Professor of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Innovation in engineering science and technology, enhancing the resilience of urban water infrastructure and supporting climate sustainability Prof. LIU Liang Member of RIAIoT Assistant Professor of Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering Next-generation cellular technologies Ir Prof. ZHENG Pai Member of RIAM Wong Tit Shing Young Scholar in Smart Robotics Associate Professor of Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering Mutual cognitive human-robot collaborative manufacturing systems Prof. ZHOU Chao Member of RILS and RISUD Tsui Tack Kong Young Scholar in Civil Engineering Associate Professor of Department of Civil and Environment Engineering Engineering advances in THM-coupled soil mechanics and geo-sustainability   Full list: https://hkae.hk/en/twenty-young-academics-and-industrial-leaders-elected-members-hkaes-young-member-section#gsc.tab=0  

Thirteen PAIR members shine at PolyU Patents Achievement Award

The PolyU Patents Achievement Award (PPAA) is a prestigious university-level accolade that recognises academic departments and faculty members for their exceptional commitment to knowledge transfer.  This award celebrates outstanding contributions to innovation and commercialisation while encouraging a strong culture of research impact across the University. PAIR is proud to celebrate 13 members who were recognised at the PPAA 2025, earning awards across four of the five award categories.  This achievement highlights PAIR’s strong commitment to innovation, intellectual property development, and research commercialisation. The PPAA comprises the following award categories: Top Patents Filing Award (Department and Individual Award): IP filing achievements over the past three years (2022–2025); Most Active Patents Filing Award in the Year (Department and Individual Award): Outstanding IP filing activities within year 2025; Most Active IP Commercialisation in the Year (Department Award): Highest number of licensing cases within year 2025; Outstanding IP Commercialisation Award (Individual Award): High-value licensing achievements over the past three years (2022–2025); Outstanding IP Commercialisation Awards in the Year (Individual Award): High-value licensing achievements within year 2025.   The PAIR awardees are as follows: Awardee Award Category Prof. Benny CHEUNG Chi-fai Associate Director of RCSV Management Committee Member of RCRE Member of RIAM Chair Professor of Ultra-precision Machining and Metrology Top Patents Filing Award Most Active Patents Filing Award in the Year Ir Prof. NI Yiqing Member of RISUD Yim, Mak, Kwok & Chung Professor in Smart Structures Chair Professor of Smart Structures and Rail Transit Top Patents Filing Award Ir Prof. POON Chi-sun Management Committee Member of RCRE Member of RILS and RISUD Michael Anson Professor in Civil Engineering Distinguished Research Professor of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Top Patents Filing Award Ir Prof. ZHENG Yongping Director of RISA Member of RI-IWEAR, RISports and RCSV Henry G. Leong Professor in Biomedical Engineering Chair Professor of Biomedical Engineering Top Patents Filing Award Outstanding IP Commercialisation Award Prof. ZHENG Zijian Associate Director of RI-IWEAR Management Committee Member of RISE Member of RIAIoT and PRI Vice President (Knowledge Transfer) Chair Professor of Soft Materials and Devices Top Patents Filing Award Most Active Patents Filing Award Ir Prof. ZHENG Pai Member of RIAM Wong Tit Shing Young Scholar in Smart Robotics Associate Professor of Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering Most Active Patents Filing Award Prof. Carly LAM Member of RiFood, RISports and RCSV Adjunct Professor of School of Optometry   Prof. TO Chi-ho Member of RCMI and RCSV Visiting Chair Professor of Experimental Optometry   Prof. Dennis TSE Yan-yin Member of RCMI and RCSV Associate Professor of School of Optometry Outstanding IP Commercialisation Award Prof. YANG Hongxing Former Management Committee Member of RISUD Former Member of RISE Retired Professor of Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering Outstanding IP Commercialisation Award Prof. Justina LIU Yat-wa Member of RILS and RISA Associate Head (Education) and Professor of School of Nursing Outstanding IP Commercialisation Award Prof. TAO Xiaoming Management Committee Member of PAIR Director of RI-IWEAR Member of RISE, RISA, RISports and RCTFF Chair Professor of Textile Technology Vincent and Lily Woo Endowed Professorship in Textile Technology Outstanding IP Commercialisation Award Prof. WONG Ka-hing Management Committee Member of PAIR Director of RiFood Member of RCRE Professor of Department of Food Science and Nutrition Outstanding IP Commercialisation Award in the Year  

Two PolyU young scholars named “MIT Technology Review Innovators Under 35 China”

Prof. Benedict LO Tsz-woon, Member of Research Institute for Future Food (RiFood), Associate Head and Associate Professor of the Department of Chemistry, alongside Dr LV Jiaxin, Member of Research Institute for Advanced Manufacturing (RIAM) and Research Assistant Professor of Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, have been named on the 2025 “MIT Technology Review Innovators Under 35 China” (TR35 China) list in the “Visionaries” and “Inventors” categories, respectively. Prof. Lo developed the synchrotron resonant soft X-ray diffraction (RSXRD) technique, achieving a major breakthrough beyond the limits of conventional methods. In an international first, his work enables the three-dimensional atomic-resolution mapping of framework aluminium (Al) in industrial-grade zeolite catalysts. This landmark achievement, published in Science in 2025, provides atomic-level evidence for the rational design of zeolites, definitively resolving the decades-long “black box” surrounding the precise spatial arrangement of active sites. Delivering high precision, selectivity and energy efficiency in catalytic processes without requiring modifications to existing factory reactor hardware, the industrial value of this technique has been validated through collaborative projects. It offers significant scientific and practical benefits for improving carbon-resource conversion efficiency and helping address global climate challenges. Dr Lv developed the Multi-container Extrusion (MCE) technology, which enables the integrated, seamless manufacturing of ultra-wide, thin-walled light alloy components that previously required segmented welding. This innovation increases profile width to more than three times that of traditional methods while reducing extrusion pressure by 70% to 90%. By establishing multi-scale material models and integrating artificial intelligence-assisted optimisation, she has significantly shortened product development cycles, holding four cross-border core patents as the primary inventor and patentee. This original technology was successfully commercialised in 2024, driving the establishment of a 6,500-ton industrial production line. When applied to passenger vehicles, these structural components achieve a potential weight reduction of up to 50% and carbon emission reductions of approximately 30%, comprehensively rewriting the manufacturing standards for large-scale lightweight components. Established by the MIT Technology Review, the annual TR35 global list recognises outstanding young technological innovators across multiple frontier tech and industrial fields. The TR35 China regional selection was established in 2017 to recognise exceptional and internationally influential young scientific and technological leaders in China. Press release: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/en/media/media-releases/2026/0730_two-polyu-young-scholars-named-2025-mit-technology-review-innovators-under-35-china/   Online coverage: Hong Kong Economic Journal - https://polyu.me/3TlETg0 Sohu - https://polyu.me/4fyzucJ HKCNA - https://polyu.me/44ZBMNu Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/4fRB7CL Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/4h7Bf3b Yidianxixun - https://polyu.me/3TLOGfH Sina - https://polyu.me/4fY9DN5; https://polyu.me/4zyVpKi

Three PAIR members honoured as RGC Senior Research Fellows and Research Fellows, spearheading innovations in advanced manufacturing, neuroscience and IoT

In the Research Grants Council’s (RGC) Senior Research Fellow Scheme (SRFS) and Research Fellow Scheme (RFS) 2026/27, four distinguished PolyU scholars, including three researchers from PAIR, have been awarded fellowships. The Schemes offer support for the awardees’ continued innovations and breakthroughs in diverse frontier fields, spanning advanced semiconductor manufacturing, cognitive neuroscience and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The RGC SRFS and RFS schemes aim to provide sustained research support for outstanding full Professors and Associate Professors with relief from teaching and administrative duties, so enabling them to more fully focus on R&D and nurture the next generation of research talent for Hong Kong. The successful projects showcase the University’s exceptional strength in bridging theoretical breakthroughs with real-life applications, underscoring the world-class calibre of PolyU research and the University’s commitment to translating frontier knowledge into impactful solutions that address pressing global challenges. The PAIR awardees are as follows: RGC SRFS 2026/27 Awardee Project Title Prof. Benny CHEUNG Chi-fai Associate Director of Research Centre for SHARP Vision (RCSV) Management Committee Member of Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality (RCRE) Member of Research Institute for Advanced Manufacturing (RIAM) Chair Professor of Ultra-precision Machining and Metrology of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering Director of the State Key Laboratory of Ultra-precision Machining Technology A multi-mode ultra-through-focus light-field-spectrometry microscopy (MULFSM) for in-situ measurement of nanostructured surfaces in semiconductor manufacturing RGC RFS 2026/27 Awardee Project Title Prof. Bolton CHAU Associate Director of Mental Health Research Centre Associate Professor of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences How distractors bias choices: Investigating mechanisms through computational modelling, neuroimaging, neurochemistry and neurostimulation Prof. ZHENG Yuanqing Member of Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Things (RIAIoT) and RCRE Professor of the Department of Computing Software-defined edge radio access networks: System architecture and applications Press Release: https://polyu.me/4fuNZ1t   Online Coverage: Bauhinia - https://polyu.me/4wbMuMF; https://polyu.me/4hrc9wb Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/4yy6hHz Sing Tao Daily - https://polyu.me/4fNDwiN; https://polyu.me/4bVjbFT; https://polyu.me/4yzxQAv Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/3TdXfj1 Dot Dot News - https://polyu.me/45gme7W Mirage News - https://polyu.me/4vDUsNp Zhihu - https://polyu.me/3TdvSWk HKong.hk - https://polyu.me/3Tjpaht

Prof. John SHI Wenzhong elected as ISPRS Fellow 2026 for outstanding contributions to urban informatics

Prof. John SHI Wenzhong, Director of Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Smart Cities Research Institute (SCRI) and Chair Professor of Geographic Science and Remote Sensing, has been elected as a Fellow of the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) for 2026. Prof. Shi is widely recognised as a pioneer and global advocate of Urban Informatics, an emerging interdisciplinary field that integrates geographical information science, computer science and urban science to address complex contemporary urban challenges.  He is the Founding President of the International Society for Urban Informatics and the Founding Editor-in-Chief of Urban Informatics, the first international journal dedicated to the field. Established in 2010, the ISPRS Fellowship is among the highest distinctions in the global photogrammetry, remote sensing, and spatial information sciences community. This prestigious honour is bestowed upon distinguished scholars who have demonstrated sustained, exceptional service to the Society and the advancement of its mission.

Prof. WENG Qihao elected as ISPRS Fellow for outstanding contributions to GeoAI and remote sensing

Prof. WENG Qihao, Associate Director of Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS), Chair Professor of Geomatics and Artificial Intelligence and a Global STEM Scholar, has been elected as a Fellow of the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS) for 2026.  Since 2010, the ISPRS Fellowship is among the highest distinctions in the global photogrammetry, remote sensing and spatial information science community.  This prestigious honour is bestowed upon distinguished scholars who have demonstrated sustained, exceptional service to the Society and the advancement of its mission. Prof. Weng’s research focuses on remote sensing, image science, geospatial artificial intelligence, geospatial computer vision and geospatial big data.  His work has been widely applied to addressing urbanisation challenges, advancing sustainability, protecting coastal environments and ecosystems, and understanding global environmental change.  With a strict limit of no more than five Fellows elected globally at any ISPRS General Assembly, his election as an ISPRS Fellow not only recognises his global scientific leadership but also his significant contributions and profound impact on the geospatial community.

Ir Prof. NI Yi-Qing receives the Chinese Academy of Engineering’s 16th Guanghua Engineering Science and Technology Award

Ir Prof. NI Yi-Qing, Chair Professor of Smart Structures and Rail Transit at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Member of the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD), has recently been honoured with the 16th Guanghua Engineering Science and Technology Award. Established by the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), the Guanghua Engineering Science and Technology Award recognises Chinese engineers and scientists for their outstanding achievements and contributions in the fields of engineering, technology and management. Presented biennially, the award comprises two categories: the Guanghua Engineering Science and Technology Achievement Award and the Guanghua Engineering Science and Technology Award. Following a rigorous process involving nomination, preliminary assessment, public announcement and final review, CAE academicians selected 40 awardees from a pool of 471 outstanding candidates, including one recipient of the Guanghua Engineering Science and Technology Achievement Award and 39 recipients of the Guanghua Engineering Science and Technology Award. The awardees span a wide range of disciplines, including mechanical engineering, information technology, chemical engineering, metallurgy, materials and energy. Among them, three awardees are from Hong Kong. Prof. Ni has devoted more than 30 years to the research and application of structural health monitoring technologies. He pioneered an integrated modular design approach for large-scale structural health monitoring systems and a life-cycle structural health monitoring paradigm. These innovations have been widely applied in the design and implementation of health monitoring systems for major civil engineering structures. Press release: https://polyu.me/4fnU1km   Online coverage: Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/4bdy5Hi; https://polyu.me/4vRzYBJ Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/4vnsnd4; https://polyu.me/4bzXQBN Lion Rock Daily - https://polyu.me/44ojtkF China News - https://polyu.me/3Tt14AL Sina - https://polyu.me/4pbUqLh China Daily - https://polyu.me/4wgawq1 People.cn - https://polyu.me/4vZNfZb Dot Dot News - https://polyu.me/4gxPzBQ Qiaobaous - https://polyu.me/4yh3pPm World Journal - https://polyu.me/4w2CWDC Rednet.com - https://polyu.me/4yvvt1E