News

DoRISports’s exclusive interview with Ta Kung Pao

Prof. ZHANG Ming, Director of Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology (RISports), Head of Department of Biomedical Engineering and Chair Professor of Biomechanics, PolyU, revealed in an exclusive interview with Ta Kung Pao earlier that his team has been working on the custom additive manufacturing (3D printing) of various sports equipment such as orthotic insoles. Additive manufacturing is a technique that uses 3D data to produce products and significantly reduces material waste, manufacturing cycle times, and manual processes as compared to traditional manufacturing. Not only can this technology be applied in sports equipment for athletic performance enhancement, but also in the production of personalised insoles and shoes to help address foot problems like flat feet, high arches, severe overpronation, etc.  The next step of the research project is to continue improving the insole design and its surface materials for improved user comfort, sweat absorption and cushioning. The team is connecting with the Hong Kong Sports Institute and other related institutions, for wider opportunities to put 3D insoles into application. Apart from personalised insoles, Prof. Zhang also works with the inland on the development of custom-made basketball shoes that protect sports players from injuries. The team developed a three-axis sensor built into the shoe sole to analyse the distribution of the vertical and shear forces on the sole of the feet during tangential motion, thus facilitating functional basketball footwear that improves forefoot comfort. Further reading: http://www.takungpao.com/news/232109/2022/1202/793124.html (simplified Chinese)

RILS scholars clinch "Research Team of the Year" in 2022 RICS Awards Hong Kong

The research team led by Prof. Geoffrey SHEN Qiping, Member of the Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS), Associate Vice President (Global Partnerships), Director of Global Engagement, and Chair Professor of Construction Management in the Department of Building and Real Estate, won the “Research Team of the Year” award in the 2022 Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) Hong Kong Awards Since 2019, the research team has been working closely with the Qianhai Authority to enhance collaboration between the construction sectors in Shenzhen and Hong Kong and to put forward solutions to problems encountered by the construction industry of the two places in the cross-border cooperation in the Greater Bay Area (GBA). The team successfully drafted two sets of measures: “Administrative Measures for the Registration of Hong Kong Construction Organisations in the Qianhai Shenzhen—Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone” and “Administrative Measures for the Registration of Hong Kong Construction Professionals in the Qianhai Shenzhen—Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone”. These two measures have been adopted by the Qianhai Authority for enforcement. The implementation of the two measures helps break down the barriers to qualification recognition in the construction sector of Shenzhen and Hong Kong. As of 18 November 2022, 409 Hong Kong-based professionals and 45 Hong Kong-based organisations completed their filings in the Qianhai Cooperation Zone. In 2021, the administrative measures were listed by the National Development and Reform Commission as one of the 47 innovative measures and practices and will be rolled out nationwide. The contribution of the research team in promoting collaboration in the construction industry in the GBA has been highly recognised by the Society. The prestigious award not only represents the team’s outstanding achievements in the built environment, but also motivates the team to continue contributing to the infrastructural development in the GBA.

President of Westlake University, Prof. SHI Yigong delivers the PAIR Distinguished Lecture

The PAIR Distinguished Lecture delivered by Prof. SHI Yigong, President of Westlake University, China, was successfully held on 6 December 2022. The webinar attracted over 420 participants from over 40 countries and regions, including Australia, Belgium, China, Canada, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Russian Federation, Singapore, Sweden, the United States, the United Kingdom, etc. The lecture was also broadcasted live on multiple social media platforms, including Bilibili, Baidu, Weibo and Weixin, and viewed by over 131,000 online audience in total.  The webinar was attended by senior administrators from local and overseas universities, who had a short exchange with President Shi before the lecture. They include: (in alphabetical order by last name) Prof. Kevin ASHFORD-ROWE, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Digital Learning) of Queensland University of Technology, Australia Prof. Patrick CHAU, Vice Provost for Research & Knowledge Exchange of the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, China Prof. Geoff CRISP, Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic) of the University of Canberra, Australia Prof. Simon EVANS, Interim Vice-Chancellor and CEO of the University of New England, Australia Prof. GAO Song, President of Sun Yat-Sen University, China Prof. Paul LAM, President of Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong Prof. LIU Bin, Senior Vice Provost (Faculty and Institutional Development) of National University of Singapore Prof. LUO Xishen, Vice President of the University of Science and Technology of China, China Mr Eric NG, Vice-President (Administration) and University Secretary of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Prof. Catherine SUN, Senior Vice President of Hong Kong Shue Yan University, Hong Kong The webinar was hosted by Prof. CHEN Qingyan, Director of PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research (PAIR), Chair Professor of Building Thermal Science in the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering at PolyU. He briefed the audience about PAIR’s commitment to addressing societal challenges and responding to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.   In the welcome speech, Prof. TENG Jin-Guang, President of PolyU, thanked President Shi for giving a lecture for PolyU, which sheds light to the future of higher education. He stated that the role of universities is not confined to teaching and learning per se. “Universities are responsible for generating solutions through research and technology transfer to great societal problems we are facing … Westlake University aims to become a global leader in frontier scientific research and a reformer in higher education. Their objectives are to take on the greatest challenges facing humanity in the 21st century and vow to find scientific and technological solutions”, Prof. Teng added.   Prof. Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) and Chair Professor of Thermal and Environmental Engineering at PolyU, then introduced President Shi, giving the audience a brief background about Westlake University and President Shi’s academic and career accomplishments in the higher education sector.   President Shi began the lecture by providing a brief historical background about China’s education reform in the 1970s—millions of Chinese students enjoyed the new opportunities for overseas education brought by China’s reform and opening up, and students returned home with the knowledge that significantly impacted China’s development in education, science, and technology. President Shi also stressed that China always has a role in human civilisation—as indicated by the four inventions in ancient times. Thus, the Nation should contribute a large share of scientific and technological breakthroughs to the humanities and the world through exchange and collaboration.   President Shi further explained the distinctiveness of the Westlake University. The university pioneered a new model of a world-class university strongly supported by the government, philanthropies, and the private sector. The central government, the provincial government of Zhejiang, the municipal government of Hangzhou, as well as the local government of the West Lake district provided enormous support for the development of the university. The university also established the Westlake Education Foundation to raise funds from all sectors of society, integrating societal resources for promoting the establishment and development of the university.   After that, President Shi talked about the interdisciplinary culture of the Westlake University and gave illustrative examples in terms of the composition of its Board of Trustees and international advisors, global faculty recruitment, as well as student education.   To conclude the lecture, President Shi presented some recent cutting-edge scientific and technological achievements at Westlake University which benefit the world and humankind. These include the analysis of the structure of the receptor of the SARS-CoV-2; the development of an anti-COVID-19 oral drug WPV01; the deciphering of the structure of CatSper, the mammalian sperm cation channel complex; the discovery of the crucial role of bacteria in breast cancer metastasis for the first time; the revelation of the chemical catalytic process before oxygen formation in photosynthesis; as well as the design of a new strategy to improve the stability of perovskite solar cells.   A question-and-answer session moderated by Prof. Chen followed. The audienc was inspired to have a fruitful exchange with President Shi on the challenges of higher education reform, the positioning of Westlake University, the criteria for higher education success, global faculty recruitment, the importance of governmental support, and student recruitment.   Please click here for an online review.

20221216 Wishing you a Merry Christmas

[Please enter your news content, below is the sample content] he Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) will offer 90 taught postgraduate programmes in 2019/20, and is now inviting applications. Addressing the evolving needs of the society and the industries, PolyU remains committed to providing dynamic and high-quality programmes for nurturing talents to be capable of facing challenges of the times. In the coming academic year, PolyU is going to launch new programmes such as Master of Science in "Global Food Safety Management and Risk Analysis", "Accounting and Finance Analytics", and "Business Analytics". There are also programmes with restructured curriculum, such as "Industrial and Systems Engineering" and "Management and Marketing". PolyU's "Info Day for Taught Postgraduate Programmes" will be held on 12 January 2019 (Saturday) from 2pm to 6pm on PolyU campus to provide prospective applicants first-hand information and consultations on their further studies. More than 80 information seminars and consultation sessions will be organised by the eight Faculties/Schools of PolyU: Faculty of Applied Science and Textiles; Faculty of Business; Faculty of Construction and Environment; Faculty of Engineering; Faculty of Health and Social Sciences; Faculty of Humanities; School of Design; and School of Hotel and Tourism Management. For more details of the Info Day, please visit:-http://www.polyu.edu.hk/tpginfoday.

Don’t miss the last chance to see PAIR’s outstanding research achievements at InnoTech Expo 2022 on/by 22 December 2022 at HKCEC!

Outstanding research projects include: the “Surface Sampling and Packing System”, the “Mars Landing Surveillance Camera” (“Mars Camera”), and the “Innovative Topographic and Geomorphological Characterisation and Analysis Technique” developed by the Research Centre for Deep Space Exploration for the Nation’s Lunar and Mars exploration missions; the  “Smart Monitoring System for Urban Tree Management” by the Research Institute for Land and Space; the “Comprehensive Spatial Analysis and Onset Risk Prediction Platform for the COVID-19 Pandemic in Hong Kong” and the “Three-dimensional (3D) Mobile Mapping System” by the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Smart Cities Research Institute; and the “3D Ultrasound Imaging System for Radiation-free Scoliosis Assessment” by the Research Institute for Smart Ageing. https://lnkd.in/gUZfAv9X

Five interdisciplinary research projects funded by the NSFC/RGC Collaborative and Joint Research Schemes

Ten research projects led by scholars at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) have been funded in the 2022/23 Exercise of the Joint Research Scheme (JRS) and the new Collaborative Research Scheme (CRS) by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and the Research Grants Council (RGC).  PAIR is so proud that five of them are interdisciplinary research projects from our constituent research units. List of projects funded under NSFC/RGC Collaborative Research Scheme 2022/23: Project Title Project Coordinator (in Hong Kong) Principal Investigator/ Institution (in inland) PAIR Constituent Research Unit Monolithically Integrated Electronics with Two-Dimensional Semiconductors – from Controllable Growth to Device Integration Prof. CHAI Yang, Department of Applied Physics Prof. ZHANG Wenjing, Shenzhen University Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR) Long-cycle and High-energy-density Flexible Li Batteries Using Hollow Multishelled Structure and Hierarchical Composite Electrode Prof. ZHENG Zijian, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology Prof. YANG Mei, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE)   List of projects funded under NSFC/RGC Joint Research Scheme 2022/23: Project Title Project Coordinator (in Hong Kong) Principal Investigator/ Institution (in inland) PAIR Constituent Research Unit Investigation of Rainstorm - Storm Surge Joint Occurrence Pattern and Induced Flooding Risk Assessment in Coastal Cities within the Greater Bay Area (GBA) Dr DUAN Huanfeng, Department of Civil and Environment Engineering Prof. ZHENG Feifei, Zhejiang University Research Institute for Land and Space (RILS) Tin-Based Metal Halide Perovskites for X-Ray Detectors Prof. YAN Feng, Department of Applied Physics Prof. YANG Shihe, Peking University Research Institute for Intelligent Wearable Systems (RI-IWEAR) Time-sequence Regenerative Repair of Atherosclerotic Blood Vessels with Janus Cardiovascular Stents Dr ZHAO Xin, Department of Biomedical Engineering Prof. YANG Zhilu, Southern Medical University Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation (RCMI)   The NSFC and the RGC jointly established the CRS and the JRS to promote cooperation between the inland and Hong Kong in valuable and innovative science research projects. The CRS, which was newly introduced in 2022/23, aims to support larger-scale cross-institutional and collaborative research projects to enhance research output and impact. The CRS funds about 10 projects in each year exercise and provides funding support of up to HK$3.6 million per approved project by Hong Kong applicants. The JRS promotes collaboration between researchers in the Mainland and Hong Kong for their complementary strengths and provides funding support of up to HK$1.25 million per approved project by Hong Kong applicants. Further reading: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/en/media/media-releases/2022/1130_ten-polyu-projects-funded-by-the-nsfc_rgc/

RCSV researchers launch innovative spectacle lens powered by PolyU’s two patented technologies to slow down myopia progression in children

The Vision Science and Technology Co. Ltd. (VST), a PolyU-supported start-up, has successfully developed the Nano Multi-rings Defocus Incorporated Lens, offering children and adolescents a convenient, non-invasive and effective option to delay myopia progression. The VST collaborated with the State Key Laboratory of Ultra-precision Machining Technology (The Hong Kong Polytechnic University) (SKL-UPMT), the Research Centre for SHARP Vision (RCSV) and the School of Optometry of PolyU to create the new solution by integrating PolyU’s proprietary technology—Defocus Incorporated Soft Contact (DISC) technology and Ultra-precision Nano Multi-rings Machining Technology—to create the new spectacle lens, which will soon be rolled out  in Hong Kong and the inland. The company will continue collaborating with PolyU to develop new myopia control products based on DISC technology to protect the vision health of children and adolescents. Founded by PolyU’s professor and alumni, VST has received financial support from the PolyU Micro Fund and the PolyU Tech Launchpad Fund. In 2018, the VST secured a licence from PolyU for commercialising DISC technology, which VST manufactures and distributes DISC lenses at its authorised optometric clinics and fitting centres. Further reading: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/rcsv/news-and-events/news/2022/20221207-rcsv-associate-director-and-member-launches-innovative-spectacle-lens/

SHKP and PolyU sign MoUs on Building Innovation & Technology Research Projects and Scholarship Programme

Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited (SHKP) and PolyU signed memoranda of understanding on 18 November 2022 for collaboration on research projects on green application, green building materials and green construction processes to support Hong Kong’s development into a smart city. Prof. WANG Shengwei, Director of Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), and other two professors will lead three collaborative projects, each of which worth HKD 5 million. Among them, the green application project “Full Life Cycle Optimization of Green Smart Building Energy System” led by Prof. Wang, will be conducted at SHKP’s integrated complex atop High Speed Rail West Kowloon Station, for real-time, flexible and optimised energy control. The green and smart building technologies developed by the team have been used for the International Commercial Centre (ICC) in SHKP–PolyU collaboration in 2005 with proven success. The team’s energy solutions have been used in a range of commercial and industrial buildings, including factories, hotels, commercial and office complexes, and underground facilities, as well as PolyU campus buildings, with an energy saving of 15–40% and maximum annual energy saving of over 10M kWh per individual building. Further reading: https://polyu.me/3URlW0o

PolyU's research excellence to be showcased in InnoTech Expo 2022

The InnoTech Expo organised by Our Hong Kong Foundation will be held from 12 to 22 December 2022 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.  PAIR is so proud that some of our outstanding research have been selected for exhibition.  Prof. Christopher Chao, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, is one of the academic experts appointed to the selection panel by the organiser for selecting representative scientific research achievements in Hong Kong for exhibition.  The expo aims to inspire youngsters to develop an interest in innovation and technology.  “Nurturing students to become international I&T talents is one of the keys to help develop Hong Kong into an international I&T hub,” Prof. Chao said. Selected PAIR research projects include: the “Surface Sampling and Packing System”, the “Mars Landing Surveillance Camera” (“Mars Camera”), and the “Innovative Topographic and Geomorphological Characterisation and Analysis Technique” developed by the Research Centre for Deep Space Exploration (RCDSE) for the Nation’s Lunar and Mars exploration missions; the “Smart Monitoring System for Urban Tree Management” by the Research Institute for Land and Space; the “Comprehensive Spatial Analysis and Onset Risk Prediction Platform for the COVID-19 Pandemic in Hong Kong” and the “Three-dimensional (3D) Mobile Mapping System” by the Otto Poon Charitable Foundation Smart Cities Research Institute (SCRI); and the “3D Ultrasound Imaging System for Radiation-free Scoliosis Assessment” by the Research Institute for Smart Ageing (RISA). https://www.ourhkfoundation.org.hk/en/event/1603/inno-platform/innotech-expo-2022 Media coverage: SCMP - https://polyu.me/3ilOaCj Ming Pao Daily News - https://polyu.me/3VCvfkL Hong Kong Economic Times - https://polyu.me/3F8mHwN Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/3Vwhpk0 Hong Kong Commercial Daily - https://polyu.me/3ify64V HK01 - https://polyu.me/3UcA1EH Dot Dot News - https://polyu.me/3EJ2U5I China Review News - https://polyu.me/3AQopQI

RCSV Management Committee Member conferred American Mathematical Society Fellowship 2023

Prof. Chen Xiaojun, Management Committee Member of Research Centre for SHARP Vision (RCSV), Director of University Research Facility in Big Data Analytics and Chair Professor in the Department of Applied Mathematics at PolyU, was elected to the 2023 Class of Fellows of the American Mathematical Society (AMS) in recognition of her contributions to mathematical optimisation, stochastic variational inequalities and the analysis of non-differentiable functions. Prof. Chen has an distinguished track record in academic research and research leadership. She has published over 90 research papers in top journals of applied mathematics. Prof. Chen has received over 20 grants from the Australian Research Council, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Sciences and the Hong Kong UGC Research Grants Council (RGC). She was awarded over HK$3M grant from the RGC Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) in 2022. Prof. Chen has made significant contribution to the promotion and maintenance of high professional standards in mathematical research in PolyU. She serves as an Area Editor and an Associate Editor for seven international journals including the SIAM (Society for Industrial & Applied Mathematics) Journal on Numerical Analysis and the SIAM Journal on Optimization. The full list of 2023 AMS Fellow Class can be downloaded from the link below: https://www.ams.org/cgi-bin/fellows/fellows_by_year.cgi