News

Five PAIR members shine at PolyU’s inaugural Patents Achievement Award

The PolyU Patents Achievement Award was newly launched this year in appreciation and honour of the remarkable achievements of departments and inventors that actively engaged in IP filing. The scheme includes two categories of award. The “Top Patents Filing Award” considers the IP filing activities over the past five years, while the “Most Active Patents Filing Award” focuses on the IP filing activities within the award year. Results of the inaugural award have been announced. Congratulations to five PAIR members for winning the PolyU Patents Achievement Award 2023. Three members including Prof. Benny CHEUNG Chi-fai, Associate Director of the Research Centre for SHARP Vision (RCSV), Prof. John SHI Wenzhong, Director of the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Smart Cities Research Institute (SCRI), and Prof. TO Chi-ho, Member of RCSV, won the “Top Patents Filing Award”. Two members including Ir Prof. POON Chi-sun, Director of the Research Centre for Resources Engineering towards Carbon Neutrality (RCRE), and Ir Prof. ZHENG Yongping, Director of the Research Institute for Smart Ageing (RISA), won the “Most Active Patents Filing Award”!

Member of Chinese Academy of Sciences to deliver seminar on shape memory polymer composites

PAIR cordially invites you to join our seminar on 15 July 2024 (Monday) at 2:30pm–4:00pm (Hong Kong time) on PolyU campus. The seminar titled “Shape Memory Polymer Composites: Programmability, 4D Printing and Applications” will be delivered by Prof. LENG Jinsong, Dean of School of Future Technology, Director of the Center for Smart Materials and Structures (CSMS), Director of International Center for Applied Mechanics at Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), and Deputy Director of the Academic Committee of HIT, China. Shape memory polymers and their composites are smart materials with excitation response. They have the ability to maintain temporary shape and return to their original shape under specific external environment excitation. At present, shape memory polymers such as epoxy, cyanate ester, styrene, polyimide, polylactic acid, and polyurethane with adjustable glass transition temperatures have been developed. Smart structures prepared based on shape memory materials have unique shape memory properties and characteristics of lightweight and high strength and have the functions of active deformation, self-sensing and self-repairing. Prof. Leng and his research team have developed a variety of shape memory smart structures, which have been initially applied in aerospace, biomedical, 4D printing, and other fields. These materials offer significant promise for future smart products in many areas of science and technology. Prof. Leng is a Member of Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Foreign Member of Academia Europaea, Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. His research fields include smart materials and structures, sensors and actuators, stimulus-responsive polymers (shape memory and electro-active polymers) and their composites, multifunctional nanocomposites, space deployable structures, 4D printing and biomedical applications, etc. He currently serves as Vice President of the International Committee on Composite Materials (ICCM), Vice President of Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics (CSAA), and Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Smart and Nano Materials (IJSNM). He was elected as Fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Fellow of the Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE), Fellow of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Fellow of Institute of Physics (IOP), Fellow of Royal Aeronautical Society (RAeS), Fellow of Institute of Materials, Minerals, and Mining (IMMM) and Associate Fellow of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). Don’t miss the chance to learn from Prof. Leng! Fine out more and register at: https://polyu.hk/wxlgD

Ir Prof. Albert CHAN awarded Medal of Honour

Congratulations to Ir Prof. Albert CHAN Ping-chuen, Associate Director of the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD), Dean of Students, Able Professor in Construction Health and Safety and Chair Professor of Construction Engineering and Management, for receiving the Medal of Honour from The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on 1 July 2024, in recognition of his contributions in the construction policy research and in nurturing young talents to join the construction industry. The Government of the HKSAR Press Release: https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202407/01/P2024063000273.htm

Dr BU Siqi develops deep reinforcement learning-based framework for accurate prediction of photovoltaic power

Dr BU Siqi, Member of the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), Associate Professor and Associate Head of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and his teammates developed a novel deep reinforcement learning-based interpretable framework considering outliers for the accurate prediction of photovoltaic (PV) power. The study has recently been published in the journal Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments. The team utilised cutting-edge deep reinforcement learning-based interpretable models for predicting the occurrence of PV power outliers and improving PV power prediction accuracy. The proposed framework not only distinguishes outliers in forecast data, but also obtains complete outlier information with correct classification of PV power types, which can help engineers take emergency measures such as participating in demand response, increasing energy reserves, and optimising bids. The framework was verified on the actual operation data of the PV plant in Northwest China. The prediction performance of the proposed framework was analysed and compared with benchmark methods. Research results demonstrated that the proposed PV power prediction framework has great potential for application in future electric energy systems. Read the full article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213138824002261?dgcid=coauthor#appSB

DoRiFood honoured with Chief Executive’s Commendation for Community Service

Congratulations to Prof. WONG Ka-hing, Director of the Research Institute for Future Food (RiFood) and Professor in the Department of Food Science and Nutrition, for receiving the Chief Executive’s Commendation for Community Service from The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on 1 July 2024, in recognition of his contributions in promoting the sustainable development of the fisheries industry in Hong Kong.   The Government of the HKSAR Press Release: https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/202407/01/P2024063000273.htm

MHRC Member Dr Jessie LIN shares views on postpartum depression

Dr Jessie LIN, Member of the Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC) and Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, shared her professional perspectives on postpartum depression in an interview with Bastille Post. Dr Lin explained that postpartum mothers can experience significant mood swings due to factors such as hormonal changes and challenges of maternal role adaptation. Family care and support can greatly help postpartum mothers to adapt to role changes and regulate emotions. She recommended seeking help from professionals as soon as possible should there be signs of postpartum depression or emotional distress. Read more: https://www.bastillepost.com/hongkong/article/14159866 (Chinese version only)

PolyU co-organises Micro Flow and Interfacial Phenomena Conference 2024 (µFIP 2024)

The Micro Flow and Interfacial Phenomena Conference 2024 (µFIP 2024) was successfully held at PolyU from 21 to 24 June. The conference brought together academic, research and industry communities coming from fields of thermodynamics, fluidics, bio-chemical and bio-medical engineering, and microfluidics, for interdisciplinary exchange with a focus on energy applications involving microchannel flow or microscale surface phenomena. The first day of the conference included plenary presentations by seven distinguished scientists from around the world, including Prof. Sir Andre GEIM, Winner of 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics and Regius Professor at the University of Manchester, as well as esteemed members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Sciences, and National Academy of Engineering. The speakers were warmly received by PolyU representatives, including Dr LAM Tai Fai, Council Chairman; Prof. TENG Jin-Guang, President; Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation); Prof. WANG Zuankai, Associate Vice President (Research and Innovation) and Conference Chair; Dr Laura LO, Associate Vice President (Institutional Advancement); Prof. CHEN Qingyan, Director of PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research; and the central management team of the University. The seven plenary sessions formed as part of PAIR Distinguished Lecture Series and received very positive responses, attracting more than 300 participants to join in person, and captivating an online viewing audience of over 24,900 from different countries and regions to watch the live broadcast on multiple social media platforms, including Bilibili, WeChat, Weibo, YouTube, etc.

Prof. LENG Zhen awarded ACSE’s 2024 Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize

Congratulations to Prof. LENG Zhen, Associate Director of the Research Centre for Resources Engineering for Carbon Neutrality (RCRE) and Member of the Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS) and the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD), for receiving the 2024 Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize (Huber Award) by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) for his innovative research in developing durable, low-carbon, cost-effective pavement materials and technologies. The Huber Award is the highest-level mid-career research award given annually to individuals with notable achievements and contributions in research with respect to all disciplines of civil engineering.

Meet the plenary speakers for the Micro Flow and Interfacial Phenomena (µFIP) Conference

The 2024 Micro Flow and Interfacial Phenomena (µFIP) Conference is taking place on 21–24 June 2024 on PolyU campus. The Conference brings together academic, research and industry communities coming from fields of thermodynamics, fluidics, bio-chemical and bio-medical engineering, and microfluidics, for interdisciplinary exchange with a focus on energy applications involving microchannel flow or microscale surface phenomena. We are thrilled to introduce the seven Plenary Speakers, who are distinguished scientists from around the world, including winner of the Nobel Prize, as well as members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Sciences, and National Academy of Engineering. They will share on some major scientific puzzles and breakthroughs in their fields. The plenary presentations will be broadcast live on various social media platforms of PAIR on the day of the event. Please subscribe to PAIR social media channels to receive the latest updates about the Conference! For conference details, please visit: https://microfip.org/   Exploring 2D empty space Sir Andre GEIM Regius Professor The University of Manchester, UK Winner of 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics   Photomolecular evaporation from hydrogels and pure water Prof. CHEN Gang Carol Richard Soderberg Professor of Power Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA   AI for turbulence modelling and computational fluid dynamics Prof. CHEN Shiyi Chair Professor, Department of Mechanics and Aerospace Engineering Southern University of Science and Technology   Interfacial flow over hierarchically structured surface: Slip boundary, flow separation control, and drag reduction Prof. DUAN Huiling Chang Jiang Chair Professor; Dean of College of Engineering Peking University   Some puzzles and flow research opportunities in soft matter science Prof. Steve GRANICK Robert K. Barrett Endowed Chair of Polymer Science and Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry and Physics University of Massachusetts, USA   Hydrovoltaics: From green energy to intelligence Prof. GUO Wanlin Chair Professor in Mechanics and Nanoscience Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics   Super-wettability and beyond—Quantum-confined superfluid: Biological energy conversion, chemical reaction and information transfer Prof. JIANG Lei Director of Key Laboratory of Bio-inspired Materials and Interfacial Science Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences

RILS develops deep learning-based remote sensing image classification for land use land cover mapping in cloud-prone areas

Prof. WENG Qihao, Associate Director of the Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS) and his team have developed an integrated time series mapping method to enhance the land use and land cover (LULC) mapping accuracy and frequency in cloud-prone areas. Other key PolyU members on the research team include Prof. DING Xiaoli, Director of RILS, and Dr LI Zhiwei, Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics. The method incorporates spectral-indices-fused deep learning models and time series reconstruction techniques. The team applied the method to the cloud- and rain-prone Pearl River Delta (i.e., Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area, GBA), and yielded an overall mapping accuracy of up to 87.01%, outperforming existing LULC products. This method has the potential to generate seamless and near real-time maps for different regions in the world by using deep learning models trained on datasets collected globally. It can provide high-quality LULC data sets at different time intervals for various land and water dynamics in cloud- and rain-prone regions.   Read the full paper: https://shorturl.at/jyj1B