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2024-08-09
Pioneering Figure | Prof. ZHANG Limin Received Highest National Honor as Outstanding Engineer
On January 19, 2024, Professor Limin Zhang, Head and Chair Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), and co-founder of STELLERUS TECHNOLOGY LIMITED, was awarded the "National Outstanding Engineer Award" at the Great Hall of the People. The full report is as follows:
Prof. ZHANG Limin Received Highest National Honor as Outstanding Engineer.
Professor Zhang is also leading the 2023/24 Research Grants Council (RGC)-funded project “Digital Twin-Based Intelligent Emergency Management of Landslide Risks,” which can be expanded to address risk management of other natural hazards such as earthquakes, floods, and typhoons.
Professor Limin Zhang, Head and Chair Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at HKUST, received the inaugural National Outstanding Engineer Award in Beijing on January 19, 2024. He is the only scholar from higher education institutions in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to receive such a prestigious accolade.
The National Outstanding Engineer Award is the highest honor in the engineering field of the People's Republic of China. The award ceremony was held grandly at the Great Hall of the People. Upon receiving the award, Professor Zhang stated: “As the only awardee from the Hong Kong and Macao regions, I feel deeply honored. This is a prestigious recognition for me and a strong affirmation of HKUST's research efforts. It reflects the support of the Central People's Government of the People's Republic of China for Hong Kong and Macao. This honor also serves as a motivation for me to remain grounded, strive for breakthroughs in core engineering technologies, and contribute to Hong Kong's major infrastructure projects, the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area(GBA), and national construction with HKUST’s strength.”
Professor Zhang has worked on a wide range of research areas, including foundations, slope safety, landslide risk management, and climate change adaptation. He has also participated in several geotechnical engineering projects, including post-disaster reconstruction research following the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake in Sichuan Province. In 2023, he was honored with the prestigious Ralph B. Peck Award by the American Society of Civil Engineers, a top international accolade in the field of geotechnical engineering.
Additionally, Professor Zhang is currently leading the 2023/24 Research Grants Council project "Digital Twin-empowered Landslide Emergency Risk Management," which received nearly HKD 74 million in research funding. The project aims to develop a digital twin system for slopes covering all of Hong Kong. This system can also be extended to the risk management of other natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and typhoons. It can be applied to landslide-prone areas globally, enhancing the disaster resilience of existing slope safety systems in Hong Kong and elsewhere. It pioneers a new field of science for disaster emergency management in the digital age, promoting the development of smart, sustainable, and resilient cities. He is also co-leading research projects stemming from the successful launch of the #high-resolution optical satellite "#HKUST-FYBB#1” in August last year.
In this first round of the National Engineer Award in 2024, over 80 individual engineers were honored as National Outstanding Engineers, and 50 teams were awarded the National Outstanding Engineer Team title. The awards recognize their outstanding contributions in engineering and technology and aim to inspire and lead engineering talents to make greater contributions to the comprehensive construction of a modern nation.
In March 2023, Professor Limin Zhang (left) was awarded the Ralph B. Peck Award at the Geotechnical Engineering Conference organized by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) in Los Angeles, California. The award is one of the highest honors in the international field of geotechnical engineering.
Read more about Prof. Zhang’s research journey: https://lnkd.in/gVg434Xz
Source: Ta Kung Wen Wei Media
URL: https://bit.ly/4nh5qp0
