Prof. ZHANG Limin, Head and Chair Professor of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was awarded the inaugural National Engineer Award in Beijing today. 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 Engineer Award is the highest level of recognition for engineering professionals in the People’s Republic of China, underscoring their exceptional contributions and achievements in the field. The awards were presented to 81 individuals and 50 teams at the ceremony held at the Great Hall of the People today.

Over the years, Prof. Zhang has worked on a wide range of research areas, including foundations, slope safety, landslide risk management, and climate change adaptation. 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.

Currently, he is leading a project on “Digital Twin-empowered Landslide Emergency Risk Management”, which received HK$74 million funding under the Research Grants Council’s Theme-based Research Scheme 2023/24. 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.