News

PolyU joins WHO Global SPECS Network, contributing towards 2030 global eye health target

We are pleased to announce that The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has joined as a member institution of the Global SPECS Network hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in January 2024. The Network, which comprises representatives from inter-governmental organisations, non-governmental organisations, academic institutions, private sector and philanthropic foundations, promotes collective and coordinated advocacy and action towards the WHO SPECS 2030 target, that is to achieve a 40% increase in effective global coverage of refractive error by 2030. Prof. HE Mingguang, Director of the Research Centre for SHARP Vision (RCSV), serves as the primary representative of PolyU in meetings, communication and collaboration of the Network. The RCSV shall continue pursuing various impactful and international collaborations, with the goal to create knowledge and solutions for the promotion of healthy life-long sharp vision. Please visit here for the member list of the Network.

RCDTT celebrates official launch at inauguration ceremony

The inauguration ceremony of the Research Centre for Digital Transformation of Tourism (RCDTT) was successfully held on 19 February 2024. The plaque unveiling ceremony was held with the presence of officiating guests, including Prof. Gang LI, Professor of Tourism Economics and Director of the Centre for Competitiveness of the Visitor Economy, University of Surrey, UK; Prof. Jin-Guang TENG, PolyU President; Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation); Prof. Qingyan CHEN, Director of PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research; Prof. Kaye CHON, Dean of School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM); Ms Monica LEE-MULLER, Vice Chairman of SHTM Industry Advisory Committee; Prof. Haiyan SONG, Director of RCDTT; Prof. LI Qing, Co-Director of RCDTT; as well as Dr Dan WANG, Prof. Mimi LI and Prof. Dan WANG, Associate Directors of RCDTT. The RCDTT was established under PAIR to lead interdisciplinary research on optimising travel experiences and achieving environmental and business sustainability through digitally transforming tourism and related businesses. The inauguration of RCDTT marks PolyU’s stepped-up efforts in driving hospitality and tourism research and propelling the travel industry towards a “digital future”. We look forward to many exciting and impactful research outcomes from the Centre! Watch now: http://xhslink.com/md5OQB Visit RCDTT’s official website at: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/rcdtt/

Prof. Hector TSANG featured on TVB programme Pearl Magazine

Prof. Hector TSANG, Interim Director of the Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC) and Chair Professor of the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, gave an interview to TVB’s programme “Pearl Magazine” to share his insights into the support needs of carers and the roles of the government and industry in supporting caregivers in Hong Kong. He mentioned that the support services for carers in Hong Kong are limited and fragmented; the existing services are mostly centre-based and require appointment booking in advance, and are therefore quite rigid. He suggested that the government can take reference from other countries to establish a clear set of laws or acts on the provision and coordination of support for caregivers. The programme shared findings of a relevant research study led by Prof. Tsang. The research pointed out that respite services are valuable resources for carers. It also showed that the utilisation rate of designated day respite services for the elderly in 2019–20 was only about 45%, indicating the needs to further improve the existing carer support system. Online coverage: TVB - https://polyu.me/3wsZVxy (4:47 – 5:59)  TVB - https://polyu.me/3TadAma (21:41 – 23:08)

Five PAIR researchers featured in PolyImpact Volume II

PolyImpact: PolyU Inventions and Innovations that Benefit that World includes a collection of ten impactful stories of the innovations and entrepreneurship at PolyU that address global problems and create real societal impact. Check out the latest volume of PolyImpact for stories featuring five PAIR researchers!   Story Name of PAIR Researcher Title(s) and Constituent Research Unit(s) On solid ground: Innovative, eco-friendly technique uses dredged sediments and industrial wastes as fill materials for land reclamation to save time, reduce cost, and lower carbon footprint https://polyu.hk/rkzpk Ir Prof. YIN Jianhua Chair Professor of Soil Mechanics, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Management Committee Member of Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS)   Member of Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD) Construction reimagined: Smart system employs cutting-edge technologies to automate construction site management tasks, improving performance in terms of cost, time, quality, and safety https://polyu.hk/LKCmS Ir Prof. LI Heng Chair Professor of Construction Informatics, Department of Building and Real Estate Associate Director of Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Things (RIAIoT)   Management Committee Member of Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR) and Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS)   Member of Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD) and Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology (RISports) True colours: State-of-the-art R&D optimises colours in lighting and imaging systems, improving users’ experience and well-being https://polyu.hk/FNium Prof. Tommy WEI Minchen Professor, Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering Management Committee Member of Photonics Research Institute (PRI)   Member of Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD) and Research Centre for SHARP Vision (RCSV) Taking out the guesswork: Computational models boost yield and reduce scrap rate in manufacturing ultra-thin, chemically strengthened, curved cover glass for electronic devices https://polyu.hk/ZWEVO Dr RUAN Haihui Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering Member of Photonics Research Institute (PRI) Rewire and revive: Lightweight 3-in-1 robotic arm helps stroke victims recover mobility at home by rewiring the brain while allowing remote monitoring by professionals https://polyu.hk/UKTjL Dr HU Xiaoling Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering Member of Research Institute for Smart Ageing (RISA) and Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology (RISports)   Read the full publication: https://polyu.hk/KAsXu   

Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry visits RCDSE Space Resources Laboratory

Prof. SUN Dong, Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, paid a visit to PolyU on 7 February 2024 and was warmly received by Prof. YUNG Kai-leung, Director of the Research Centre for Deep Space Explorations (RCDSE), Sir Sze-yuen Chung Professor in Precision Engineering, Chair Professor of Precision Engineering and Associate Head of the Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. Prof. Sun visited RCDSE’s newly established Space Resources Laboratory to learn about the latest development of deep space research. The Laboratory is used to store the returned planetary regolith from sample return missions and equipped with advanced electron microscopic system for in-situ regolith analysis. Watch now: https://lnkd.in/gUH2cNpi   Online coverage: Hong Kong Economic Times - https://polyu.me/49tu8es Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/3SAJWoV Dot Dot News - https://polyu.me/3HUbEb8

PolyU ground-breaking research on novel treatment against “superbug” listed 2023 Top Ten I&T News in Hong Kong

A PolyU research discovered the pathogenic mechanism of and novel treatment against “superbug” was listed among the 2023 Top Ten I&T News in Hong Kong by the Beijing Hong Kong Academic Exchange Centre. The research was led by Prof. CHEN Sheng, Member of the Research Institute for Future Food (RiFood), Member of the State Key Laboratory of Chemical Biology Drug Discovery, Chair Professor of Microbiology and Head of Department of Food Science and Nutrition. The team discovered a newly emerged genetic variant of Klebsiella pneumoniae, namely the hyper-resistant and hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-hvKP). This superbug is not only multidrug-resistant, but also highly invasive. It can cause untreatable and fatal infections even in healthy individuals. To date, CR-hvKP has been regarded as an “urgent threat to human health” by many medical experts worldwide. After several years of intensive research, the team has made breakthroughs in their efforts to delineate the pathogenic mechanism of CR-hvKP and devise effective intervention strategies. For the first time in the world, the team discovered that immunosuppressants can be used in the treatment of CR-hvKP infection, bringing important insights for the design of clinical treatments in the future. The research findings have recently been published in two prestigious journals, namely Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapyunder Nature and Journal of Infection.   Further reading: https://polyu.hk/FOLpM   Online coverage: Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/4brXk7k Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/3HXMpo9 Hong Kong China News Agency - https://polyu.me/49qRf9n   Online coverage about the research: TVB - https://polyu.me/3Pq7FIe Now TV - https://polyu.me/3JnCyJC i-Cable - https://polyu.me/43GSEGl RTHK - https://polyu.me/3NGcko0 Oriental Daily News - https://polyu.me/42P8Ow0 Ming Pao Daily News - https://polyu.me/3JlExxS Hong Kong Economic Journal - https://polyu.me/44bQ1Ms Hong Kong Economic Times - https://polyu.me/3CFV4sO am730 - https://polyu.me/43Pr4H0 Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/3Pq88ds HK01 - https://polyu.me/46bLziG Medical Inspire - https://polyu.me/3p7h111 China News Service - https://polyu.me/46gVhR1

Two PAIR scholars bestowed HKAES Fellow honour

Congratulations to Prof. WANG Zuankai, Associate Vice President (Research and Innovation), Member of the Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR) and the Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology (RISports), and Prof. Jerry YAN Jinyue, Chair Professor of Energy and Buildings, Management Committee Member of the Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD) and Member of the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), on their election as 2023 Fellows of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences (HKAES), in recognition of their outstanding achievements in the field of science, engineering and technology for the benefit of society. The HKAES is a professional engineering organisation in Hong Kong. Elected fellows are recognised leaders in their professions with distinguished achievements in engineering sciences and their applications. A total of 13 engineering experts received the prestigious honour this year.

PAIR research projects shine in RGC Collaborative Research Fund 2023/24 exercise

In the Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) 2023/24 exercise of the Research Grant Committee (RGC), PolyU has 9 projects granted with a total of HK$55.491 million from the Collaborative Research Project Grant (CRPG), ranking first among Hong Kong universities in the amount of CRPG funding awarded; and 2 projects granted with a total of $9.435 million from the Young Collaborative Research Grant (YCRG). Among them, eight CRPG projects and both YCRG projects are led by PAIR researchers.   Name of PI Title(s) and Constituent Research Unit(s) Research Project Amount PAIR projects supported by CRPG Prof XIA Yong Management Committee Member of RIAIoT Member of RISUD and RCDSE Towards future climate-resilient sea-crossing bridges via intelligent learning of long-term real monitoring data $5,056,919 Prof YANG Mo Member of PRI and RISports High-resolution single-cell multi-omics: Joint profiling of multiple types of biomolecules in the same single cell $6,412,248 Prof CHEN Jianli Member of RILS Multi-sensor monitoring, geophysical interpretation and prediction of sea level rise in Hong Kong $6,567,108 Dr TAN Youhua Member of RISA and RCSV The roles of mechanically heterogeneous local niches within primary tumors in metastatic organotropism $5,985,252 Prof. CAO Jiannong Director of RIAIoT Management Committee Member of RISUD Member of RiFood, RI-IWEAR, RISE, RISA and SCRI Heterogeneity-aware collaborative edge AI acceleration $7,364,305 Prof. WANG Yuhong Member of RILS, RISE, RISUD and RCRE Improving the health and stability of roadside trees in compact urban development through novel road systems and tree root “training” $5,407,780 Dr CHENG King Yip Kenneth Member of RiFood and RCMI White adipose tissue (fat) dysfunction in ageing and its related metabolic diseases: New insights and therapeutic potential $8,166,029 Dr ZHAO Jiong Member of RIAM Scalable two-dimensional polymorphic ferroelectrics towards in-memory processing $4,100,714 PAIR projects supported by YCRG Dr Bolton CHAU Associate Director of MHRC The role of the human frontopolar cortex in complex decision making: Neural network modelling, aging, and enhancement $4,591,504 Dr LIU Liang Member of RIAIoT Sensing in 6G cellular networks $4,843,318

Former Olympic diving gold medallist WANG Xin Speaks at Distinguished Elite Athletes Seminar

Former Olympic diving gold medallist WANG Xin speaks at Distinguished Elite Athletes Seminar The Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology (RISports) co-organised the inaugural Distinguished Elite Athletes Seminar on 24 January 2024, in collaboration with the Department of Biomedical Engineering, PolyU–Samaranch Sports Development Centre and PolyU–HKSI Research Centre. In the seminar titled “Never Stop Dreaming”, Ms WANG Xin, former Olympic diving gold medallist, shared with nearly 100 participants coming from PolyU, sports and related industry her journey from a sportsman to a research scholar. Ms Wang is currently a Sports Advisor of RISports and PhD student at PolyU. She won a Gold Medal in women’s 10m synchro platform event and a bronze medal in women’s 10m platform at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. She is also a gold medal winner in other international sports competitions including World Champions, Asian Games, Universiade and FINA Diving World Cup.

PolyU-developed electroreduction system turns carbon dioxide into plastic ingredients

Prof. Daniel LAU, Associate Director of the Photonics Research Institute (PRI), Management Committee Member of the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), Director of the University Research Facility in Materials Characterization and Device Fabrication (UMF), Head of the Department of Applied Physics (AP) and Chair Professor of Nanomaterials and his research team, developed a durable, highly selective and energy-efficient carbon dioxide (CO2) electroreduction system that can convert CO2 into ethylene for industrial purposes. Ethylene is a primary ingredient in plastics and chemical fibres. This research was recently published in Nature Energy and won a Gold Medal at the 48th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva in Switzerland. Conventional ethylene production generates significant carbon emissions. The research team adopted the method of electrocatalytic CO2 reduction to convert carbon dioxide into ethylene using green electricity, providing a more environmentally friendly alternative and stable ethylene production. The team is working to promote this emerging technology to bring it closer to mass production, closing the carbon loop and ultimately achieving carbon neutrality. This innovative PolyU project was conducted in collaboration with the University of Oxford, the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Centre of Taiwan and Jiangsu University. Further reading: https://polyu.hk/guFqw   Online coverage: WhatsNew2Day - https://polyu.me/3SEBt5n GBA Biz Tech Magazine - https://polyu.me/3OghVkV China.com - https://polyu.me/3u3NTdn East Money - https://polyu.me/3HBmGBL Tech Xplore - https://polyu.me/3u65cun ETNet - https://polyu.me/4922GE7 Ming Pao Daily News - https://polyu.me/4b4e7Nz Hong Kong Economic Journal - https://polyu.me/4932cxB Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/3UaP5Gl Dot Dot News - https://polyu.me/3u847C8 Yahoo News US - https://polyu.me/47MWqzb Yahoo Finance UK - https://polyu.me/3SaHqFo Sina HK - https://polyu.me/3SfUr0K