News

RISE member Prof. Ye ZHU published their research in Nature

We are excited to share with you that Professor Ye ZHU, Associate Professor of the Department of Applied Physics and RISE member, collaborating with international institutions, i.e. University of California-Irvine and City University of Hong Kong, published a research paper “Intrinsic polar vortex crystals in A-site layer-ordered perovskites” in Nature. Professor Zhu dedicated to the development cutting edge microscopy and spectroscopy techniques, and their applications on emerging materials. He and his team published papers in different high-quality journals, like Nature, Nature Materials, Nature Energy and Physical Review Letters. The abstract below is quoted from Nature: Topological phases, as characterized by their topological invariants, have been considered as distinct states from the raw phases and hold great promise as tiny yet robust information carriers for the era of artificial intelligence. However, these nontrivial states are typically found under non-equilibrium conditions, or stabilized by extrinsic electrical or mechanical boundary constraints which limit their applications. Particularly in ferroelectrics, it usually entails a maximized depolarization field produced by interfacial bound charges to balance the large elastic and gradient energies as dipole whirling at the atomic scale. Despite substantial attempts, achieving highly ordered topological polar crystals in bulk ferroelectrics still remains a challenge. Here we show that a two-dimensional polar hedgehog lattice with a period down to 4 nm can crystallize spontaneously free from any external boundary constraints in a family of A-site layer-ordered perovskites. Using advanced scanning transmission electron microscopy, we observe the polar hedgehog vortices in real space and disclose the physical nature as the cooperative assembly of modulated in-phase and out-of-phase octahedral rotations, further underpinned by hybrid improper ferroelectricity. Theoretical calculations show that the exchange interaction of phonons describing the octahedral rotations is the primary driving force of this intriguing dipole topology. Our findings not only clarify the ambiguity in the structure and origin of the widespread superstructure in layer-ordered perovskites but also demonstrate a viable framework for designing nontrivial structures and functionalities beyond perovskites. Xu, C., Luo, N., Yue, J. et al. Intrinsic polar vortex crystals in A-site layer-ordered perovskites. Nature 653, 83–89 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10470-2 Read the full paper: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10470-2 Know more about Professor Zhu: https://www.polyu.edu.hk/ap/people/academic-staff/prof-ye-zhu/

Prof. Jingjie Ge awarded PolyU Young Innovative Researcher Award (YIRA) 2026

We are pleased to announce that Professor Jingjie Ge, assistant professor and RISE member, awarded PolyU Young Innovative Researcher Award (YIRA) 2026! PolyU Young Innovative Researcher Award (YIRA) 2026 is a university-level honors to young faculty members who have demonstrated originality, contributed to technological advancement, and propelled transformational innovation into solutions addressing global challenges through their research. Recently, the result was announced, and six young scholars were selected among 60 submissions.  Each awardee will receive research funding support of HK$500,000 and a personal cash prize of HK$20,000. The research focus of Professor Ge is designing low-cost, high-efficient anodic catalysts for electrocatalytic hydrogen production. Please click here for more familiar with Professor Ge’s research. Congratulations to Professor Ge!

Professor Meng NI concludes successful debut at Innovation Zero World Congress 2026

Professor Meng NI, RISE Management Committee member, Chair Professor of Energy Science and Technology and head of Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering, was interviewed by Feng Shows and European Times at the Innovation Zero World Congress 2026, the UK’s largest low‑carbon innovation event. It is PolyU’s first participation at this Conference. Different innovative technologies and devices are showcased, such as renewable energy utilization, advanced cooling solutions, and smart materials. Furthermore, Professor Ni also shared his valuable insights in clean-energy research and policy developments in the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong during the panel session. Congratulations to the great success of the PolyU team in Innovation Zero World Congress 2026! Online coverage: Feng Shows - https://polyu.me/4tlQBnb European Times - https://polyu.me/4d47lZT

Prof. Wai-yeung WONG Raymond was elected as the Fellow of the Chinese Chemical Society (FCCS)

We are pleased to announce that Professor Wai-Yeung WONG Raymond, our RISE Associate Director, was elected as the Fellow of the Chinese Chemical Society (FCCS), for his significant contributions to the development and progress of the discipline of chemistry! In this round, according to the “Regulations on the Fellows of the Chinese Chemical Society”, 50 Chinese Chemical Society (CCS) members have been promoted to Fellows for the year 2025, and Professor Wong is the only one from the institutions in Hong Kong. The Fellowship system of the CCS was established in 2019, which aims at inspiring CCS members to continue reaching new scientific and technological heights while promoting the development of China’s chemical industry. FCCS is the highest and most elite membership level of the CCS. Until now, there are 346 FCCSs.  Congratulations to Professor Wong for his remarkable achievements!   For more detail: Chinese Chemical Society Official Website: https://www.chinesechemsoc.org/do/10.5555/5c50eb62-4d8d-45f8-9fcf-515f6febe095/full/

Prof. Meng NI research project was awarded NSFC/RGC CRS Scheme

Congratulations to Professor Meng NI, our RISE Management Committee member, Associate Dean (Research) of the Faculty of Construction and Environment, Head and Chair Professor of Energy Science and Technology of the Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering, his project was awarded NSFC/RGC CRS Scheme. NSFC/RGC CRS supports larger-scale interdisciplinary collaborative research between universities in the Chinese Mainland and Hong Kong, in order to enhance research output and impact on both sides. Project: Development of high performance and durable solid oxide electrolysis cells (SOECs) for coupling with Fischer-Tropsch (F-T) reactor for green synthetic liquid fuel production Project Details: This project aims to develop advanced solid oxide electrolysis cells for efficient co-electrolysis of water and carbon dioxide, enabling integration with Fischer-Tropsch reactors for green synthetic liquid fuel production. The research team will engineer novel perovskite cathode materials using entropy engineering and in situ nanoparticle exsolution, supported by machine learning and theoretical modelling. Multiphysics simulations will evaluate system performance under fluctuating renewable power input, and a coupled system will be developed to demonstrate fuel production. The project will support carbon neutrality by advancing renewable energy storage, carbon dioxide utilisation, and clean fuel technologies, contributing to sustainable energy development in Hong Kong, the Nation and globally. Congratulations to Professor Ni!   Press release: English - https://polyu.me/44u7BOt; Chinese - https://polyu.me/4oZ9IBh   Online coverage: Ta Kung Pao - https://polyu.me/3KMojC7 Hong Kong Commercial Daily - https://polyu.me/3MCVR6d

Prof. WONG Wai-yeung, Raymond was elected as the new member of The Hong Kong Academy of Sciences

Congratulations to Prof. Raymond WONG Wai-yeung, Associate Director of Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE), Dean of Faculty of Science, Clarea Au Professor in Energy and Chair Professor of Chemical Technology on his election as a new member of The Hong Kong Academy of Sciences (ASHK).   Prof. Wong is a distinguished scholar in the field of advanced materials and energy science. His research focuses on the design and synthesis of molecular functional materials and one‑ and two‑dimensional metallopolymers with photofunctional properties and energy applications. His team is committed to transforming cutting-edge chemistry research into meaningful solutions for sustainable energy.   Explore more about Prof. Wong’s research: https://polyu.hk/HRubO   Press release of ASHK: Hong Kong Academy of Sciences Elects Five New Members – The Hong Kong Academy of Sciences Online coverage (Chinese only): Bauhinia - https://polyu.me/3KVZqE0 Wen Wei Po - https://polyu.me/4iOcVlE Bastille Post - https://polyu.me/3XOTn73    

Professor Zhonghua QIAO has been named a Fellow of the China Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (CSIAM)

We are delighted to share with you that Professor Zhonghua QIAO, our RISE member has been named a Fellow of the China Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (CSIAM)! The Fellowship is the highest academic honour conferred by the CSIAM in recognition of their extraordinary achievements in the field of industrial and applied mathematics. Congratulations to Professor Qiao!   Online coverage: Science Net - https://polyu.me/3J3Y2OR

37 RISE Scholars Ranked World’s Top 2% Scientists Released by Stanford University (Career-Long)

Stanford University has released an update for science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators in September 2025. According to the latest two rankings, 37 RISE scholars were included based on their career-long citation impact. Together with the scholars named for their single-year citation impact, 48 RISE scholars were recognised. It is prepared by a team of experts led by Professor John P.A. loannidis of Stanford University. The publicly available database provides standardized information on citations, h-index, co-authorship adjusted hm-index, citations to papers in different authorship positions and a composite indicator (c-score). By being included in this list, scientists receive global recognition for advancing knowledge and influencing their scientific communities. The list can be downloaded from here. Congratulations to our RISE top scholars! Reference: Ioannidis, John P.A. (2025), “August 2025 data-update for "Updated science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators"”, Elsevier Data Repository, V8, doi: 10.17632/btchxktzyw.8   RISE Top 2% Scientists in the Global List  * 37 RISE scholars were included based on their career-long citation impact. Name(by alphabetical order of surname) Subject Field Prof. AN Liang * Energy Prof. BU Siqi Energy Prof. CAO Jiannong* Networking & Telecommunications Prof. CAO Sunliang* Energy Prof. CHAI Yang * Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Prof. DAI Jiyan * Applied Physics Prof. DONG You * Civil Engineering Prof. HAN Suting * Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Prof. HAO Jianhua * Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Prof. HUANG Haitao * Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Prof. HUANG Xinyan * Energy Prof. LAU Shu Ping Daniel * Applied Physics Prof. LEE Yoon Suk Lawrence Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Prof. LEU Shao-Yuan Biotechnology Prof. LI Gang * Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Dr LIU Junwei Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Prof. LOO Ka Hong Electrical & Electronic Engineering Ir Prof. LU Lin, Vivien * Energy Dr Rujie MA Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Ir Prof. MUI Kwok-wai Horace * Building & Construction Prof. NI Meng * Energy Ir Prof. NIU Jianlei * Building & Construction Prof. QIAO Zhonghua Numerical & Computational Mathematics Prof. SHOU Dahua * Materials Prof. TAO Xiaoming * Materials Prof. TSANG Yuen Hong * Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Ir Prof. WANG Shengwei * Energy Prof. WONG Yuhong * Building & Construction Ir Prof. WONG Ling Tim * Building & Construction Prof. WONG Wai Yeung Raymond * Organic Chemistry Prof. WU Maochun Energy Prof. WU Tao, Tom * Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Prof. XIAO Fu, Linda * Building & Construction Prof. XU Bingang * Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Prof. XU Zhao* Energy Prof. XU Zhenglong Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Prof. YAN Feng* Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Prof. Jinyue YAN Jerry * Energy Prof. YANG Guang Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Ir Prof. YANG Hongxing* Energy Prof. YANG Xusheng Materials Prof. YAO Haimin * Mechanical Engineering & Transports Prof. ZHANG Biao * Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Prof. ZHANG Xiao * Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Prof. ZHANG Xiaoge * Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing Prof. ZHENG Guangping* Materials Prof. ZHENG Zijian * Nanoscience & Nanotechnology Prof. ZHU Songye * Civil Engineering

RISE members awarded for the PolyU Patents Achievement Award 2024

We are pleased to share the good news to all of you! Three of our RISE members are awarded for the PolyU Patents Achievement Award 2024!  The PolyU Patents Achievement Award continues to honour the exceptional achievements of departments and inventors who actively contribute to IP filing. This year, to recognise the contributions and achievements in creating impact through IP commercialisation, a new category“ Licensing ” has been launched. This new category aims to: • Recognise departments/research teams excelling in translating IP into commercial or societal impact. • Highlight achievements in leveraging IP for revenue generation through licensing and commercialisation. Professor Xinyan HUANG is awarded for the Top Patents Filing Award and Most Active Patents Filing Award. Professor Xiaoming TAO and Professor Hongxing YANG are awarded for the Outstanding IP Commercialisation Award. Congratulations to Professor Huang, Professor Tao and Professor Yang for their remarkable achievement and contributions!

World Fuel Cell Conference was successfully held on 9-12 July 2025

We are delighted to share with you that the World Fuel Cell Conference 2025 (WFCC 2025) was successfully held on 9-12 July 2025! This year, Hong Kong which is a cosmopolitan and energetic city, was selected to oragnise the  WFCC 2025! The conference was chaired by Prof. Meng Ni, the Head of Department of Building Environment and Energy Engineering and a member of the management committee of Research Institute for Smart Energy (RISE) of PolyU, and was co-chaired by Prof. Liang An (PolyU), Prof. Mengying Li (PolyU), Prof. Jian Wang (CityU), Prof. Weihong Li (CityU), Prof. Xianguo Li (University of Waterloo) and Prof. Jianbo Zhang (Tsinghua University).  Miss Kate Fung served as the secretariat for the conference. It is our honour to have Ir Professor Christopher Chao, our Vice President (Research and Innovation) and Mr Arthur Lee, Commissioner for Climate Change in the Environment and Ecology Bureau of HKSARG to deliver the welcome speech and the opening speech. In the Conference, more than 300 speakers and participants from 15 different countries and regions, such as United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Germany, Italy, France, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, India, New Zealand, South Korean, and Mainland China etc. shared their valuable insights towards the recent developments in hydrogen production, hydrogen storage, fuel cells, and innovative systems. Besides, the conference also features a 3MT competition for research postgraduate students. In the closing ceremony, we had award presentation session, more than 50 awardees are awarded with Best Poster Awards, Best Presentation Awards and 3MT Competition Awards. Congratulations to all of the awardees! At the end, Professor Xianguo LI are invited to announce an existing news which is the next World Fuel Cell Conference would be held in Japan! More information will be provided later. Undoubtedly, this conference provides an excellent platform for scientists, engineers, industrial practitioners, and governmental policy makers to exchange ideas and seek collaborations on the development and applications of hydrogen energy, fuel cells, and the inter-connection.   We’d like to thank all participants to join our Conference and look forward to the next conference!   Conference detail: https://www.iahe-fcd.org/wfcc2025 Prof. Christopher Chao was giving an opening speech. Mr. Arthur Lee from the Environment and Ecology Bureau of HKSARG was giving his opening speech Prof. Xianguo Li was giving a speech at the closing ceremony Group Photo of WFCC 2025 Organisers  The tea break of the conference