News

PolyU attains excellent results in the Environment and Conservation Fund 2021-22 research funding exercise

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has achieved excellent results in the Environment and Conservation Fund (ECF) 2021-22 funding exercise for Environmental Research, Technology Demonstration and Conference Projects. Among the 41 awarded research projects from local UGC-funded universities, PolyU received the highest number of projects awarded and topped the amount of funding granted. In all, the University received a total of HK$10 million in funding from the ECF, supporting 13 research projects ranging from the study of how high purity oxygen could enhance sewage treatment, using remote sensing technology and AI for monitoring oil spills in the sea, producing hydrogen while purifying wastewater simultaneously by solar power, to the development of a smart robot that can pick up and sort litter in difficult terrain automatically. These projects will be led by PolyU researchers from the Faculties of Construction and Environment, Applied Science and Textiles, and Engineering, with details listed in the Appendix. Professor Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation) of PolyU, who leads a task force of the University on achieving the goal of carbon neutrality before 2050, congratulated all successful applicant research teams and said, “These research projects will foster more innovative and green technologies to address local and regional environmental issues and set paths for supporting the carbon neutrality roadmap in our society. We are pleased to receive the funding support from the government, which will complement our concerted efforts to advance decarbonisation technologies for a vibrant and sustainable society.” The ECF was set up by the Government in 1994 for funding educational and research projects on environmental and conservation matters. Research and Technology Demonstration Projects awarded by the ECF will contribute in a direct and practical way towards environmental improvement and conservation of the local environment, or promote and encourage adoption of green technologies in Hong Kong.

PolyU research to develop green technologies are supported by Green Tech Fund

Three PolyU research projects have been approved in the first round application of the Green Tech Fund with topics focus on decarbonisation, green transport, energy saving and efficiency. The research teams have explored new approaches with their research competence to develop various green solutions to address environmental challenges.  The three funded projects are as follows, The team led by Prof. Dan TSANG, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering develops innovative designs and science-informed manufacturing technologies for the cutting-edge production of biochar-enhanced construction materials for sustainable waste management and long-term decarbonisation. The pioneer products will include biochar partition block and biochar porous paver. This project “The Biochar-enhanced Construction Materials for Sustainable Waste Management and Decarbonisation” receives a HK$8.8 million grant.  Dr. Lawrence LEE, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, has developed a new thermos (electro) chemical method to collect cathode materials from used LIBs to simplify the current procedure, reduce the use/leak of hazardous chemicals, and significantly lower the cost. This project “Recycling of Waste Lithium-ion Batteries as Highly Active Fuel Cell Catalysts” receives a HK$2.8 million grant.   The project “A Safe, Efficient and Facile Approach for Hydrogen Storage and Generation: Catalytic Hydrolysis of Solid-state Hydrogen Storage Materials” receives a HK$3.3 million grant for development. Dr. ZHENG Guangping, Department of Mechanical Engineering has developed a safe and efficient approach for hydrogen storage and efficient catalysts for hydrogen generation, that help solve the pivot issue of hydrogen storage and transportation by using solid-state materials. The technique developed in this project for hydrogen storage and generation will make the widespread utilization of hydrogen energy possible.  The Green Tech Fund of HK$200 million was set up by the Hong Kong SAR Government in 2020 to provide better and more focused funding support for research and development projects which can help Hong Kong decarbonise and enhance environmental protection towards its goal of carbon neutrality before 2050.  

Two PolyU data-driven intelligent research projects awarded Smart Traffic Fund

Two projects led by PolyU researchers awarded Smart Traffic Fund with a total amount of HK$6.9 million. These projects which embrace innovative ideas and technology advancement are designed to develop practical solutions for building a sustainable and smart city.   Network-wide Traffic Speed-Flow Estimator Led by Ir Prof. William LAM Hing-keung, Chair Professor of Civil and Transportation Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The project proposes a model-based data-driven approach to develop a network-wide traffic speed-flow estimator for estimating traffic speeds and traffic flows simultaneously.   Investigation of an Online Data-driven Intelligent Automation Platform for Drivers Considering the Psychological Condition Instability and Behaviours for a Sustainable and Safe Transportation System Led by Dr. Kam Hung NG, Assistant Professor, Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering. The project aims to develop an online data-driven risk-taking behavioural prediction mechanism by identifying the driver’s psychological condition instability using intelligent automation techniques.   The Smart Traffic Fund is a funding initiated by the Transport Department to support local organisations or enterprises for conducting research and application of innovation and technology with the objectives of enhancing commuting convenience, enhancing efficiency of the road network or road space, and improving driving safety. HK$1 billion have been earmarked for the Fund which commences operation in 2020-21, with an aim to support I&T projects for promoting smart mobility in Hong Kong.

Chinese New Year Giveaway

(Updated on 14-02-2022) Thank you for your enthusiastic participation! We wish you good fortune in Year of the Tiger! In order to share the joyfulness of PolyU 85th Anniversary with more staff & students, the " Chinese New Year Giveaway " campaign will be extended to 28 Feb 2022. Let’s share with your colleagues and friends! Join Together! ----------------------------------------------------------- To celebrate the joyfulness of Year of the Tiger, we have prepared a Giveaway campaign for all PolyU staff and students to participate and redeem the special PolyU 85th Anniversary gift. You just need to: - Follow RIO FB page @polyurio - Like this post - Tag 2 friends in the comment box - Captured the “Followed RIO” screen & send the image to us by Facebook inbox message Deadline: 14 Feb 2022, the gift will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis. We will inform you the souvenir collection arrangement upon the completion of the campaign! In the case of any disputes, RIO reserves the right of final decision.

Ten PolyU research projects granted Research Impact Fund and Collaborative Research Fund

Ten PolyU research projects have been awarded with a total amount of $47 million from the Research Grants Council (RGC) for three of its funding schemes, namely, Research Impact Fund (RIF) 2021/22, Collaborative Research Fund (CRF) 2021/22 and the second round one-off CRF COVID-19 and Novel Infectious Diseases (NIR) Research Exercise. The RIF supports projects that have potential to translate the research findings and create impact that can benefit society. The CRF supports Research Equipment and Research Projects for acquisition of major research facilities or equipment, and promoting group research across disciplines respectively.   Prof Christopher CHAO, Vice President (Research and Innovation), congratulated the research teams and said, “We are grateful to get these encouraging results to support our colleagues to further their research endeavours. PolyU’s core research facilities support a wide range of research activities and it is the  University’s strategy to strengthen these facilities to support more interdisciplinary research. This year we rank first in the CRF Research Equipment Grants in terms of the number of projects supported. It helps build up our central research facilities and support our researchers to explore more innovative solutions to various societal  challenges.”   RGC Research Impact Fund 2021/22 – two funded projects being awarded a total amount of $8.8 million • Dr WEI Minchen, Tommy, Associate Professor, Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering Project Title: Deeper Understanding of Color Matching Mechanism for Developing High-quality Lighting and Imaging Systems • Dr HSU Li-Ta, Associate Head and Associate Professor, Limin Endowed Young Scholar in Aerospace Navigation, Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering Project Title: Reliable Multiagent Collaborative Global Navigation Satellite System Positioning for Intelligent Transportation Systems   RGC Collaborative Research Fund 2021/22 – five funded projects (three Research Equipment Grant and two Research Project Grant) with  a total amount of $24.1 million Research Equipment Grant • Prof CHEN Xiaojun, Director, University Research Facility in Big Data Analytics, and Chair Professor, Department of Applied Mathematics       Proposal Title: High Performance Deep Learning Clusters for Big Data Analytics • Prof YANG Mo, Associate Head (Research) and Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering Proposal Title: An Upright Multiphoton Microscope for Intravital Imaging and Optogenetic Studies • Prof WONG Raymond Wai-yeung, Dean, Faculty of Applied Science & Textiles, Chair Professor of Chemical Technology, Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology Proposal Title: Advanced Fourier-transform Electron Paramagnetic Resonance Spectrometer for Molecular and Nano Functional Materials Research     Research Project Grant  • Dr ZHAO Xin, Department of Biomedical Engineering Project Title: Development of High-Resolution 3D Scaffolds with Biomimetic Triply Periodic Minimal Surface Structure for Bone Tissue Repair • Prof WONG Man Sing Charles, Professor, Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics Project title: Study of Carbon Sequestration in Hong Kong’s Vegetation: from Present to Future Prediction under Climate Change   Second round one-off CRF COVID-19 and Novel Infectious Diseases (NIR) Research Exercise – three funded projects being awarded with a total amount of $14.1 million • Ir Prof GUO Hai, Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Proposal Title: Is the Usual Social Distance Sufficient to Avoid Airborne Infection of Expiratory Droplets in Indoor Environments? • Dr SHIH Yi Teng, Assistant Professor, School of Design Proposal Title: The Effect of Distance Design Collaboration Necessitated by COVID-19 on Brain Synchronicity in Teams Compared to Co-Located Design Collaboration   • Prof SHI Wenzhong John, Professor, Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics Proposal Title: Spatiotemporal Prediction and Real-time Early Warning of COVID-19 Onset Risk

PolyU students won the first prize in Huawei ICT Competition Hong Kong SAR 2021-2022

Huawei ICT Competition is a prestigious ICT talent exchange event developed by Huawei for global college students to groom a healthy development of the ICT talent ecosystem - to "find young talents in the information and communication industry". Two PolyU’s teams won the First Prize and Potential Prize for their knowledge and outstanding performance. Polynomials team is passionate about big data, AI, cloud service, storage and geospatial technologies, and their applications in E-Commerce, Healthcare, IoT, and smart city. Through a comprehensive set of tutorials and guides on the Huawei iLeanringX platform, the team obtained in-depth knowledge on four kinds of state-of-the-art IT technologies as well as their evolutionary history and applications. Through two rounds of exams, the team stood out by winning the First Prize of the competition. Another team Babushka AI, on the other hand, also won the Potential Prize. They were the 8 teams selected for the finals from more than 300 people. With augmented knowledge and experiences, the teams wish to further enhance their practical abilities in the future and become the next generation workforce for the ICT ecosystem. First Prize team: Polynomials Team members:  Feng Yun Lin, Zhong Xiu Ming and Tang Man Kit (students from Department of Computing, Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics,) Instructor: Dr. Yang XU, Department of Land Surveying and Geo-Informatics Potential Prize team: Babushka AI Team members: LAM Ho Yin, Myrgyyassov Alisher and Dinesh Gautam (students from Department of Computing, Department of Electronic and Information Engineering) Instructor: Dr. Li Bo, Department of Computing According to Huawei, these local winning teams will be recommended to join the APAC regional competition, compete with other elite students within the region.

PolyU Young Innovative Researcher Award

PolyU is committed to research excellence, to address global challenges with innovation and to develop novel ideas to positively impact our community. We actively encourage multidisciplinary research and nurture young talents.  To this end, we have introduced the “PolyU Young Innovative Researcher Award” to recognize our outstanding young researchers, who have demonstrated exceptional research achievements in their areas.  The awardees will have to be under the age of 35 by August 1st of the year of the award (Year 2022).  The assessment panel is made up of the President, the Deputy President & Provost, the Executive Vice President, and the Vice President (Research & Innovation). Up to five awardees may be selected from nine research areas.  Awardees will receive cash prize and research funding support from PolyU (up to HK$ 500,000 each). They may also be nominated to compete for the prestigious award of MIT Technology Review Innovators Under 35 China or equivalent and receive additional funding support and PhD quotas according to the prevailing PolyU policy. 

PolyU scholars receive RGC Senior Research Fellow Award and Research Fellow Award

Three PolyU scholars receive 2021/22 RGC Research Fellow Award and Senior Research Fellow Award for their outstanding research achievements. They were assessed based on the research capability, knowledge transfer and potential impact, and their engagement plan to train/nurture the next generation of research talent. PolyU’s awardees are as follows. 2021-2022 RGC Senior Research Fellow Award Prof. Jianhua Hao, Chair Professor of Materials Physics and Devices, Department of Applied Physics Project title: Coupling Ferroelectrics and Piezoelectrics to Optoelectronics: From Fundamentals and Materials to Device Applications to couple ferroelectric and piezoelectric effects on the optical and optoelectronic process in broad classes of cutting-edge materials and devices, investigate physical properties in the material systems, and demonstrate device applications based on the coupling effects Prof. Zijian Zheng, Institute of Textile and Clothing Project title: Permeable and Multi-functional Stretchable Electronics: Materials, Device, and 3D Monolithic System  to develop a new type of high-performance wearable and breathable sensor system integrated with various sensitive, reliable and multiplexed sensors on the basis of highly breathable materials and structures     2021-2022 RGC Research Fellow Award Dr. Gang Peng, Department of Chinese and Bilingual Studies Project title: Cortical Dynamics of Cantonese Lexical Tone Processing to fill the research gap in neuroanatomical basis of lexical tones by investigating the cortical dynamics of Cantonese lexical tone processing from different perspectives with behavioral and functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) measurements

PolyU and Huawei sign a memorandum of understanding to explore in-depth collaboration in Photonics Technology

PolyU and Huawei signed a strategic research cooperation memorandum of understanding today. Based on the existing cooperation, Huawei and PolyU’s newly established Photonics Research Institute jointly advance the technology development of photonics and its applications, by pursuing in-depth research collaborations to address major social challenges, setting up a joint lab and cultivating more young talents and organising joint academic activities. The MoU signing ceremony was held on the campus of PolyU, with Prof. Lu Chao, Associate Head of the Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, PolyU and Mr. Matthew Leung, Director of Huawei Hong Kong Research Center as signatories. Photonic technology has a wide range of applications, including but not limited to sensing, nanotechnology and biomedicine. The Photonics Research Institute provides an interdisciplinary photonic research collaboration and technology development platform in different fields. Since 2007, PolyU has established a long-term partnership with Huawei, and has accumulated rich scientific research results, covering various fields of technologies, including optical communications, big data, crowdsourcing platforms, mobile networks, portable devices, algorithm, and new materials etc.  

PolyU’s anti-cancer drug research to bring commercial and health benefits

PolyU researchers have played a significant role in cancer research over the years and have led to the development of various new anti-cancer drugs. Pegtomarginase, which was initially developed by the research team led by Professors Thomas Leung and Thomas Lo in the Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology and Lo Ka Chung Research Center for Natural Anti-Cancer Drug Development at PolyU, is further developed and exploited by Avalon Polytom and Athenex for the treatment of patients with advanced malignancies. They received U.S. FDA allowance of Investigational New Drug (IND) Application in 2019, and this second-generation human arginase (PT01 – Pegtomarginase) is further granted to enter into clinical trial phase 1, a significant milestone for this drug development with researchers’ innovation and strong execution capabilities at the companies commitment to commercializing novel technologies for the treatment of a wide range of cancers.