Global Sustainable Development Congress 2024 | The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Professor Yang WANG
Vice-President for Institutional Advancement
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology 

Yang Wang is Vice-President for Institutional Advancement at HKUST. He is also a chair professor of mathematics, and industrial engineering and decision analytics. He is the co-founder of HKUST’s Big Data Institute and the founding director of the Big Data for Bio Intelligence Laboratory. As chief scientific adviser of the Institute of Web 3.0 Hong Kong and the founding adviser for the Blockchain Academy, Professor Wang has made significant contributions to advancing digital technologies education. He also launched the popular big data technology MSc programme. He is an internationally respected scholar having published more than 150 research journal papers and two books, contributing to knowledge on wavelets, machine learning, harmonic analysis and supply chain management.

Professor Hong K. LO
Dean of Engineering and Director of GREAT Smart Cities Institute
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology 

Hong K. Lo is Dean of Engineering, Chair Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Director of the GREAT Smart Cities Institute at HKUST. He is an accomplished scholar in intelligent transportation systems, smart cities and sustainability. He serves as the founding editor-in-chief of Transportmetrica B: Transport Dynamics and managing editor of the Journal of Intelligent Transportation Systems. He is also director of the HKUST-MTR Joint Research Lab, leveraging AI and other technologies for urban mobility research. Professor Lo has been awarded the prestigious World Conference on Transportation Research Prize, and is a Justice of the Peace, fellow of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport, and fellow of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers.

Professor Alexis LAU
Director of the Institute for the Environment
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology 

Alexis Lau leads the Division of Environment and Sustainability at HKUST, also holding roles as Chair Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director of the Institute for the Environment. His research evolved from focusing on air quality, weather, and climate data to explore interdisciplinary areas like health impacts of air exposure, climate resilience, and decarbonization tools, including blockchain for carbon tracking. His contributions include developing systems for air quality studies used in major events like the 2008 Olympic Games. Recognized by Nature China in 2007 for his work on urban modifications affecting local climates, his research influenced Hong Kong's 2013 Clean Air Plan. Prof. Lau has served in various advisory roles, including for the Hong Kong Observatory and the WHO's Air Quality and Health Advisory Group. He's also been involved with the UN's Environmental Sustainable Transport Program, sharing his expertise in air quality management internationally.
 

Professor Fei CHEN
Professor of Environment & Sustainability
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology 

Fei Chen is currently a professor within the Division of Environment and Sustainability at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Prior to this role, he spent over 26 years at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and led projects to develop the community Noah and Noah-MP land/hydrology models, and the WRF-Urban and WRF-Crop coupled models. These modeling systems have been widely used at international operational weather prediction centers.  His research interests and expertise include understanding land-atmosphere interactions and their impacts on boundary layer structures and precipitation. He also investigates the feedback mechanisms between soil moisture, vegetation conditions, land-use and land-cover changes, urbanization, agriculture management, and regional hydroclimate. His research extends to urban heat islands and their adaptation strategies, and urban extreme weather and climate. He serves on the Co-Chair of the UN World Meteorological Organization’s World Weather Research Programme (WWRP) Urban Prediction Project and the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) My Climate Risk Scientific Steering Group. He chaired the American Meteorological Society (AMS) Award Nomination Committee and the Board on the Urban Environment. He was an Elected Board Member of the International Association for Urban Climate (IAUC) Board. He was elected to a Fellow of the AMS in 2013 and received the 2018 Helmut E. Landsberg Award from the AMS.

Mr. Marcus LEUNG-SHEA
Acting Director of Sustainability/Net-Zero Office
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology 

Marcus provides leadership for HKUST’s Net-Zero 2045 initiatives, focusing on decarbonisation strategies, adoption of green technologies, and exploring and implementing new-step change initiatives to make sustainability a practical reality on HKUST’s campus. His experience ranges across management consulting, corporate strategy, and entrepreneurship, with a focus on systems thinking and digital transformation. Marcus holds a B.A. in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University, a Master’s in Healthcare Administration from George Mason University, and an MBA from HKUST.