News

Revolutionising sustainable distributed energy: Prof. WANG Zhonglin’s Distinguished Lecture on TENGs

On 7 January 2026, Prof. WANG Zhonglin, Director of Beijing Institute of Nanoenergy and Nanosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, delivered a PAIR Distinguished Lecture titled “Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENG) for sustainable energy and sensing”.  The event drew a full house at the Chiang Chen Studio Theatre, with over 240 in-person participants, and reached an impressive online audience of more than 16,600 across social media platforms. Prof. Wang began by outlining the historical development of triboelectricity and its significant contributions to human civilisation.  He introduced TENGs as innovative devices that convert mechanical energy—such as motion, vibration or pressure—into electrical energy through the triboelectric effect and electrostatic induction.  By combining layers of materials with different electron affinities and then separating them, TENGs generate a voltage difference that drives current through an external circuit.  Their lightweight, flexible design and use of inexpensive materials make them particularly effective at harvesting low-frequency, high-entropy energy—random, low-density mechanical energy that is widely distributed in the environment.  This positions TENGs as vital components in distributed energy systems and self-powered technologies, with applications spanning the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, environmental monitoring, medical science and security. Delving deeper, Prof. Wang emphasised the unique capability of TENGs to harvest high-entropy energy from everyday sources such as footsteps, wind and water movement.  Unlike traditional electromagnetic generators, which require consistent and high-quality energy input, TENGs excel at capturing dispersed, low-amplitude mechanical motions. This makes them ideal for powering small devices and sensors in environments where energy is otherwise wasted or difficult to capture.  Their versatility is further enhanced by the wide range of materials that can be utilised, allowing TENGs to be tailored for specific applications—from wearable electronics and medical devices to environmental sensors and industrial monitoring.  This adaptability unlocks vast possibilities for TENG technology, enabling integration into diverse fields such as smart textiles, robotics, ocean science, healthcare, and precision agriculture. In conclusion, Prof. Wang highlighted the profound impact of TENGs on both fundamental science and current technologies.  TENGs enable the development of self-powered devices, promote sustainable and green energy harvesting, and offer low-cost, scalable production methods.  Their flexibility and customisability allow seamless integration into clothing, infrastructure, and even medical implants, while their dual role as energy sources and sensors enhances smart infrastructure and remote monitoring systems.  As TENG technology matures, it is expected to drive the emergence of new commercial products across industries, contributing positively to the sustainability and advancement of human society.  Prof. Wang expressed confidence that TENGs will play a crucial role in supporting the sustainable development of humankind. Following the presentation was a lively question-and-answer session moderated by Prof. XU Bingang, Management Committee Member of Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR) and Professor of School of Fashion and Textiles.  Both on-site and online audiences engaged actively in a thoughtful exchange with Prof. Wang. Please click here for an online review.

Prof. DING Xiaoli shares insights on coastal cities’ subsidence risks in Nature

Prof. DING Xiaoli, Director of the Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS) and Chair Professor of Geomatics, contributed expert insights on subsidence risks in coastal cities to science journal Nature. Prof. Ding explained that coastal cities are particularly vulnerable to subsidence due to their natural characteristics.  Many are situated on river deltas or coastal plains, where sediment compaction over time leads to subsidence. For coastal cities located in earthquake-prone regions, such as Tokyo, tectonic activity can further contribute to the problem.  Meanwhile, the expansion of coastal cities themselves — with nearly one-third of the global population in 2018, or more than 2 billion people, lived within 50 kilometres of the shore — has significantly exacerbated the issue. For more details, please read the full paper “Sinking cities: how China is moving subsidence research forward” by YOU Xiaoying at https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-03529-z

Prof. LIU Liang elected IEEE Fellow 2026

Prof. LIU Liang, Member of Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Things (RIAIoT) and Associate Professor of Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, has been elected a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) in the Class of 2026. Prof. Liu has been recognised for his influential contributions to next-generation cellular networks, particularly in 6G integrated sensing and communication and massive IoT connectivity.  His pioneering research enables future networks to transmit data while simultaneously sensing environments, supporting applications such as drone operations in the low-altitude economy, robotic navigation, and smart city infrastructure. IEEE Fellow is the Institute’s highest grade of membership. This prestigious distinction honours individuals whose extraordinary accomplishments have significantly advanced engineering, science, and technology worldwide.

Prof. CHAI Yang appointed as Director of Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Things (RIAIoT)

We are honoured to announce the appointment of Prof. CHAI Yang as Director of the Research Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Things (RIAIoT) under the PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR), effective 1 January 2026.  Prof. CHAI’s leadership will further advance interdisciplinary research and innovation in this rapidly evolving field. Prof. Chai is a distinguished scholar specialising in nanoelectronics devices and emerging computation paradigms.  He currently serves as Associate Dean of the Faculty of Science, Director of the University Research Facility in Materials Characterization and Device Fabrication, and Chair Professor of Semiconductor Physics in the Department of Applied Physics.  His research has been published in prestigious journals such as Nature, Nature Electronics and Nature Nanotechnology, and featured in leading publications including Nature and IEEE Spectrum.  Prof. Chai’s outstanding research contributions have earned him recognition among the world’s top 2% most-cited scientists, as compiled by Stanford University. At PAIR, Prof. Chai holds multiple important roles, serving as a Management Committee Member of the Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR) and as a Member of the Photonics Research Institute (PRI).

Establishment of Research Centre for Environmental, Social, and Governance Advancement

We are pleased to announce the establishment of the Research Centre for Environmental, Social, and Governance Advancement (RCESGA) with effect from 1 January 2026 as one of the constituent research units of PAIR! RCESGA aims to serve as a leading research centre focusing on the interactions among environmental, social, and governance issues for balancing the needs of the environment, society, and economy to ensure the long-term prosperity and sustainability of Hong Kong, the Chinese Mainland and the world. Prof. WU Qiang, Associate Head (Research) and Professor of the School of Accounting and Finance, will lead the Centre as RCESGA Director.  Prof. Mike LAI Kee-hung, Associate Dean (Academic Support) of Faculty of Business, Interim Head and Chair Professor of Shipping and Logistics of the Department of Logistics and Maritime Studies (LMS) will serve as RCESGA Co-Director. Prof. Eric CHUI, Head of Department of Applied Social Sciences, Co-Director of Policy Research Centre for Innovation and Technology and Chair Professor of Social Work and Criminology, Prof. Jerry YAN, Editor-in-Chief of Nexus and Chair Professor of Energy and Buildings of the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering, and Prof. YANG Dong, Associate Head and Associate Professor of LMS, will serve as RCESGA Associate Directors.

Prof. LIN Jianguo discusses Hot Forming Quenching Technology on Phoenix TV

Prof. LIN Jianguo, Associate  Director of Research Institute for Advanced Manufacturing (RIAM) and Chair Professor of Materials Technologies, was recently featured in an interview with Phoenix TV, where he shared insights into the pioneering Hot Forming Quenching (HFQ®) technology he developed.  The discussion highlighted Prof. Lin’s ground-breaking research in lightweight metal forming and its applications in the automotive, aerospace and railway industries. Reflecting on his journey, Prof. Lin recalled that as early as 2002, he faced the significant challenge of forming the inner panel of an aluminium alloy car door in a single piece. The brittleness of the material made this task seem impossible using the technologies available at the time.  After fourteen years of relentless effort, he ultimately achieved a breakthrough with the innovative HFQ® technology, enabling the efficient manufacture of complex, lightweight, and high-strength components.  Prof. Lin emphasised that this technology not only effectively reduces costs and enhances design flexibility, but also brings substantial economic benefits to industry, such as saving billions of dollars in automotive development costs. Prof. Lin further analysed the profound impact of this technology in the aviation and aerospace sectors, highlighting the importance of lightweight, high-strength light alloys in improving fuel efficiency and overall performance.  He explained the challenges involved in forming such materials, and how precise control of the microstructure ensures optimal performance and durability.  Prof. Lin further noted that computer simulation and artificial intelligence play a crucial role in digitising and preserving the experience of senior technicians, ensuring that innovation continues despite personnel changes.  His international collaborations and industry partnerships have led to the establishment of multiple research centres and the successful transfer of HFQ® technology worldwide. Finally, Prof. Lin shared his vision for the future of manufacturing and materials science upon coming to Hong Kong.  He highlighted Hong Kong’s strong emphasis on scientific and applied research and the translation of scientific achievements, noting that micro-forming technology holds tremendous potential in the electronics and high-tech industries.  Addressing the misconception that materials science is a “dead end”, Prof. Lin stressed that its wide-ranging applications open up diverse career opportunities, from research to finance.  He advocates for interdisciplinary education and research, emphasising that modern scientific challenges require knowledge from multiple disciplines to be solved collaboratively.   Online coverage: Phoenix TV - https://polyu.me/4qqtren; https://polyu.me/4p79M1I  

Prof. LIN Jianguo elected as HKAE Fellow

Congratulations to Prof. LIN Jianguo, Associate Director of the Research Institute for Advanced Manufacturing (RIAM) and Chair Professor of Materials Technologies, on being elected as one of the 2025 Fellows of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering (HKAE). Prof. Lin is a leading expert in metal forming, materials technologies, and process modelling.  His research focuses on developing models that simulate microstructural evolution and material formability during metals processing for a wide range of engineering materials and applications.  He pioneered Hot Form Quench (HFQâ) Technology, which has been used in automotive and aerospace industries.  This breakthrough process enables the production of complex-shaped, high-strength aluminium components for vehicles, contributing to lighter and more environmentally friendly designs.  Prof. Lin’s engineering excellence has been widely recognised.  In 2021, he was awarded a Gold Medal by the Institute of Sheet Metal Engineering for his outstanding contribution to the UK sheet metal industry.  His significant contributions to the field have also earned him recognition among the world’s top 2% most-cited scientists, according to an index compiled by Stanford University. He was elected as a Fellow of Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng) in 2013. 

When physics meets biology: Prof. Yeomans of Oxford unravels how mechanical forces sculpt tissue shape

Prof. Julia M. YEOMANS of the University of Oxford, UK, delivered a PAIR Distinguished Lecture titled “Active Matter meets mechanobiology: Evading the decay to equilibrium” on 18 December 2025.  The event drew over 70 in-person participants and an online audience exceeding 15,500 across various social media platforms. Prof. Yeomans commenced her presentation by introducing the concept of active systems—systems pushed out of thermodynamic equilibrium by energy at the particle level.  This framework is particularly valuable for understanding biological phenomena such as biomechanics and self-assembly, and supports the design of novel micro-engines and internally driven microchannel flows.  These examples underscore the broader principles of non-equilibrium statistical physics. Building on this foundation, Prof. Yeomans explored the physics of active matter and its implications for mechanobiology and developmental biology.  She discussed how active matter provides a new perspective on the organisation and behaviour of living systems, illustrating this with examples including the intricate patterns that emerge in bacterial colonies and the dynamics of dense active nematics, such as microtubules propelled by motor proteins.  In these systems, far-field flow patterns exhibit nematic symmetry—where liquid crystal molecules align in the same general direction.  Gradients in the magnitude or direction of nematic order—essentially, misalignments of molecules across a surface—create regions with different alignment directions, making them susceptible to splay distortions that lead to bending or curving deformations in tissues.  Notably, active turbulence within these systems can be suppressed by confinement, and in deformable nematic systems, the force axis is not necessarily aligned with the shape axis—adding to the complexity of their behaviour. Prof. Yeomans also addressed the relevance of these principles to medical science, specifically the distribution of lesions in invasive breast cancer.  By comparing histological slides with computational simulations, she presented evidence suggesting that cluster motility, rather than cell proliferation, is the primary driver of the distinctive patterns seen in malignant breast cancer.  This insight has significant implications for understanding tumour progression and could inform future therapeutic strategies. Furthermore, she examined the dynamics of epithelial cells, which can be modelled as deformable active nematics.  In addressing such systems, it is essential to develop theoretical approaches that decouple cellular shape from mechanical stress to provide a more accurate representation of tissue behaviour and development. In conclusion, Prof. Yeomans emphasised the importance of interdisciplinary research at the intersection of physics, biology and engineering, noting that advances in the study of active matter are continually reshaping our understanding of living systems and their complex behaviours. Following the presentation was a lively question-and-answer session moderated by Prof. WANG Liqiu, Member of Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology and Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion, Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Professor in Smart and Sustainable Energy and Chair Professor of Thermal-Fluid and Energy Engineering in the Department of Mechanical Engineering.  Prof. Yeomans led a productive discussion that engaged both the on-site and online audiences. Please click here for an online review.

PolyU builds advanced human-robot collaboration system, empowering high-end manufacturing tasks

Prof. ZHENG Pai, Member of Research Institute for Advanced Manufacturing, Wong Tit Shing Young Scholar in Smart Robotics and Associate Professor of Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering, together with his research team, has developed the “Mutual Cognitive Human-Robot Collaboration Manufacturing System” (MC-HRCMS). This innovative system enables real-time perception of complex environments, accurate interpretation of operators’ intentions, and skill transfer through simple demonstrations. It can autonomously generate process codes and execute high-precision tasks, and is already being applied in advanced manufacturing scenarios such as autonomous aircraft drilling and electric vehicle battery disassembly. The MC-HRCMS utilises advanced machine learning and 3D scene perception to enhance efficiency, safety, and seamless human-robot interaction in complex scenarios. Through industry collaborations, the team has customised and deployed these systems for leading enterprises, addressing demanding requirements for precision and complexity. To tackle challenges in semi-structured and unstructured production, the team introduced a novel vision-language-guided planning framework that integrates Large Language Models, Deep Reinforcement Learning, and Mixed-Reality Head-Mounted Displays. This allows robots to analyse visual and linguistic cues, understand complex tasks, and collaborate with humans more effectively. The head-mounted device offers real-time data and guidance, redefining human-machine interaction. Press Release: https://polyu.hk/GaibX   Online coverage: EurekAlert - https://polyu.me/4pQsnk1 IT Pro - https://polyu.me/48PR5uU Mirage - https://polyu.me/4aUrt14 Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/44EyEXw Bastille Post - https://polyu.me/4pVq7b9    

Prof. Nathanael JIN Ling receives Asian Young Aerosol Scientist Award and James J. Morgan Early Career Award

Prof. Nathanael JIN Ling, Member of Research Institute for Future Food (RiFood), Research Institute for Sustainable Urban Development (RISUD) and Mental Health Research Centre (MHRC), and Assistant Professor of Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Department of Health Technology and Informatics, received the 2025 TSI Asian Young Aerosol Scientist Award from the Asian Aerosol Research Assembly, recognising his contributions to advancing mixture-toxicity modelling and uncovering chemical-microbial drivers of PM2.5 health risks. He has also been named one of the four winners of the 2026 James J. Morgan Early Career Award. The award, presented by Environmental Science & Technology (ES&T), Environmental Science & Technology Letters, and the American Chemical Society (ACS) Division of Environmental Chemistry (ENVR), recognises early career scholars who are pioneering new directions in environmental science and technology through innovative approaches. Prof. Jin’s research integrates environmental chemistry, microbiology, and toxicology to examine the ecological and health impacts of air and marine pollution, as well as solid waste. His notable achievements include developing the first full-length 18S rRNA database for harmful algae, establishing cell lines of the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (Chinese white dolphin) to study pollutant effects, and advancing PM2.5 mixture-toxicity modelling to inform regulatory policies. He also created a global atlas of plastic-associated bacteria and introduced the concept of the “microplastome”, deepening our understanding of the multifaceted impacts of plastic pollution.