about

MSE

About MSE

As the first of its kinds in Hong Kong, the Department of Materials Science and Engineering aims to foster globally competitive research and offer professional education that equips students and postdoctoral researchers to contribute to the materials science and engineering (MSE) community and related sectors both locally and globally. Since its establishment in 2017 and under the leadership of several dedicated past Heads, the Department has expanded its faculty and has become one of the most prominent MSE departments in the world.

First of its kinds in HK
NO.1 in HongKong

Top 10 Globally

US NewsBest Global Universities in Materials Science in HK 2025-26 (#5 Globally)                                               

US NewsBest Global Universities in Nanoscience & Nanotechnology in HK 2025-26 (#7 Globally)                                                                        

for website US News ranking trend 2020-26_trans
Top 20 Globally

News

InnoHK news - Prof Alex Jen
City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) is actively supporting the Hong Kong SAR Government’s third InnoHK research cluster, “SEAM@InnoHK”, which aims to develop Hong Kong as a hub for global research collaboration. CityUHK proudly announced that two proposals it submitted jointly with leading international universities to establish research centres have been selected, highlighting CityUHK’s global leadership in sustainable development, advanced manufacturing and materials science.
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We are delighted to announce that CityUHK has achieved #1 in Hong Kong and a global ranking of #39 for Materials Sciences in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 — a significant leap from our previous position of #2 in Hong Kong and #52 globally in 2025. The QS subject rankings are evaluated based on five indicators: three data-based (Citations, H-index, and International Research Network) and two survey-based (Academic Reputation and Employer Reputation). This achievement reflects the dedication and excellence of our faculty members and research staff.
MSE Johnny HO_research_29 Dec
Congratulations to Professor Johnny Ho on his remarkable achievement in the “2025 Hong Kong Top Ten Innovation & Technology News” selection!
The recognized research story, titled “Birdlike Broadband Neuromorphic Visual Sensor Arrays for Fusion Imaging”, highlights a groundbreaking collaboration between Professor Ho’s team and Central South University. Together, they have developed a wearable bionic device that mimics the extraordinary visual capabilities of birds while operating with nearly zero power consumption. This innovation marks a significant breakthrough in the field of machine vision systems. According to Professor Ho, integrating large-area wearable visual bionic devices onto any surface can help advance artificial intelligence hardware into everyday life. Notably, Professor Ho’s research was the only project from CityUHK selected as one of the Top Ten stories in Hong Kong.

CityUHK wins 17 awards
City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) excelled at the 5th Asia Exhibition of Innovations & Inventories Hong Kong (AEII) by winning 17 awards, including 1 Gold Medal with Congratulations of the Jury Award, 6 Gold Medals, 7 Silver Medals, and 3 Bronze Medals, further affirming the University’s leading position in innovative research across Asia and globally. Professor Michael Yang Mengsu, Senior Vice-President (Innovation and Enterprise) of CityUHK, congratulated the winning CityUHK teams and expressed delight that HK Tech 300 start-ups were among the awardees. He believed that the University’s support for these start-ups is making a positive impact in translating research outcomes into real-world benefits for society and the global community.
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We are delighted to share that 10 MSE faculty members have been recognized as 2024 Highly Ranked Scholars (Lifetime), placing them in the top 0.05% of scholars (14,585 in total) across all fields worldwide, as announced by ScholarGPS. This year, 10 out of 25 CityUHK Highly Ranked Scholars are affiliated with materials science and engineering, as detailed in the table below: Rank
2025 Highly-cited Researchers_thumbnail
Congratulations to the following MSE faculty members on being named the 2025 Highly Cited Researchers as announced by Clarivate Analytics!
This prestigious recognition honors researchers whose publications rank in the top 1% by citations in their respective fields, reflecting their exceptional impact and influence in the global research community.
CityUHK researchers develop highly efficient and durable perovskite solar cells for outdoor environm
(From left) Dr Qu Geping, Professor Jen, Dr Jiang. Scientists from City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK) have recently achieved a major breakthrough in the field of photovoltaic technology, successfully developing highly efficient and durable perovskite solar cells (PSCs) suitable for outdoor environments. It is expected to contribute to the wider adoption of solar power and advance global carbon neutrality goals. The research team, led by Professor Alex Jen Kwan-yue, Lee Shau Kee Chair Professor of Materials Science at CityUHK, used molecular engineering techniques to develop an in-situ crosslinking strategy at the molecular level of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs), making the entire SAM robust and durable. Inverted PSCs made with this technique achieve state-of-the-art stability and efficiency. The research results have been published in Nature.

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Announcement

Public
Please note that the Fire Safety Information Kit has been posted on the FMO website under Safety and Health Information>Emergency Preparedness.
Fire Safety Information Kit
For more Safety and Health information, please click the following link.
Facilities Management Office - City University of Hong Kong
Fire Drill at Yeung Kin Man Academic Building (YEUNG) (8 January 2026)
Please note that a fire drill will be conducted at Yeung Kin Man Academic Building (YEUNG) on 8 January 2026 (Thursday).
All fire alarms in YEUNG will be activated at around 12:00 nn and will last until the fire drill is over.
The purposes of the fire drill are to:
1. Raise occupant awareness on the emergency evacuation procedures;
2. Ensure the integrity of the fire alarm system;
3. Ensure the efficient and safe exit of facilities in the case of an emergency.
Here are the summary:
1. The fire alarms will be activated at 12:00 noon until the fire drill is over. Participation is voluntary.
2. There is no single assembly point, participants can return to YEUNG via the proper entrance points after the fire drill is over.
3. Please bring along your CityUHK Smartcard.
4. Lock up office/personal valuables before leaving the office.
5. There will be a fire safety briefing at the garbage collection point near the Nam Shan Chuen Road Service Entrance at around 12:15 pm. All are welcome to join.

 
Please note that the Health and Safety Leaflet (HSL Gen020 Safe Use of Lithium-Ion Batteries 202512) has been posted on the FMO website under Safety and Health Information>Health and Safety Leaflets.
The Leaflets aim to provide easy-to-read, essential safety information so as to assist the CityUHK Community in promoting the highest achievable levels of workplace health and safety. Please help disseminate the Health and Safety Leaflets to your group members if deemed appropriate. 
For more Safety and Health information, please click the following link:
Facilities Management Office - City University of Hong Kong
 
Please note that the captioned Health and Safety Alert has been posted on the FMO website under Safety and Health Information>Health and Safety Alert. The purpose of the Health and Safety Alerts is to draw attention to potential hazards arising from the workplace, including laboratories, offices, workshops and communal areas; and the relevant measures taken to prevent recurrence. For more safety and health information, please visit the FMO website.
LSU is now facing a serious deficit (around 30K) in operating the Liquid Nitrogen Dispensing Services; the Liquid Nitrogen payment summary shows that from 17/2 to 17/6, the costs were $169845.5 (a total of 17092 L), LSU received $133800 (a total of 13381 L), the balance was -$36045.5, the wastage rate was calculated as 133800 ÷ 169845.5 = 78.7%, the charge per Litre including wastage was $10/Litre ÷ 78.7% = $12.86, and the wastage charges per Litre were $2.86. There is an inevitable wastage due to dispensing Liquid Nitrogen which contributes to the deficit shown above (-HKD$36045.5), so due to the deficit, we would like to charge users a wastage charge from next month onwards proportional to the volume of liquid nitrogen purchased—there will be an extra HKD$2.86 per Litre of Liquid Nitrogen purchased between January and July 2022 (for example, if you have ordered 100L liquid nitrogen, you need to pay extra HKD$286), and the new Liquid Nitrogen purchasing charge will be increased to$12.86 with an effective date on 1st August.
The Radiation Control System (RCS) will be officially launched on 1 Jul 2022 in the CityU service portal. Project/course leaders (lab-based department) or their delegates can utilize this system to purchase and dispose of radioactive substances. The RCS controls the purchase and storage of sealed and unsealed sources of a radioactive substance (e.g. Phosphorus-32, Sulphur-35, Iodine-131, etc.) and irradiating apparatus (e.g. X-ray, microCT, etc.). To facilitate the users’ understanding of the workflow in the system, LSU has prepared THREE separate user guides: RCS Unsealed Source Instruction Manual RCS Sealed Source Instruction Manual RCS Irradiating Apparatus Instruction Manual Please be reminded that the RCS is linked with the Risk Assessment Control System (RARS). Users should complete the risk assessment of the projects/courses (approved on or after 1 Nov 2021) with radiation safety approval, then proceed with the purchase via the RCS.
Referring to the last announcement dated 1 Nov 2021, the Risk Assessment Report System (RARS) will be linked with the Chemical Control System (CCS) on 1 Jul 2022. This means that for any courses/projects that have not yet completed the risk assessment via RARS, the course/project leader(s) and their delegates cannot purchase any chemicals via CCS. This measure only applies to projects approved by the RO on or after 1 Nov 2021. For projects approved before 1 Nov 2021, course leaders and delegates can purchase chemicals via CCS as usual. There is a new required field in CCS: Project/Course code. The project number(s) will be automatically matched with the project leader’s account for selection in CCS.
To enhance the awareness on safe custody of chemicals in laboratories, the Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit (ICTU) has produced a pamphlet "Safe Custody of Chemicals in Laboratories" for the staff of laboratories' reference. Please find the pamphlet copies here:Chinese versions and English versions, for your dissemination to lab users in your unit.
Public
To All Chemical Purchasing Delegates and DSOs: In response to the situation of the COVID-19 infection, LSU will implement the following special working arrangements starting from 7 March, 2022 until further notice.Liquid Nitrogen dispensing services: Service only on Tuesday and Thursday (10:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.) Chemical pick up: Service only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday (9:00 a.m. – 17:00 p.m.) Should you need any urgent use of chemical/liquid Nitrogen or urgent dispose of waste, please contact Mr. Terry Leung (x7237) or Mr. Jimmy Mak (x6705) for special arrangement.
Starting from 4 Feb 2022, order requests for dispensing liquid nitrogen service should be made in the Chemical Control system (CCS), details as follows:Users place orders via Chemical Control System on or before 09:30 a.m. on the collection date.Order Confirmation (Dispensing Liquid Nitrogen Service) email will be sent to chemical purchasing delegates. Please bring along the order confirmation email to collect the liquid nitrogen at 10:30 a.m. on the date of ordering.Please note that the charging forms for liquid nitrogen and chemicals ordered from Mini store will be automatically sent to the chemical purchasing delegates and relevant Principal Investigators monthly. Please sign and return them to Chemical Control Team (CCT) at G1415.
LSU announced the launch of FIVE safety policies and guidelines as listed below, with effective from 14 Jan 2022: Policy on eyesight testing for users of class 3B and 4 lasers; Chemical Safety Guidelines; Laser Safety Guidelines; Radiation Safety Guidelines; and General Laboratory Safety Guidelines. The above policies and guidelines have been approved by the University Laboratory Safety Committee and Safety and Health Committee. These relevant documents are also available on the LSU website.
Please note that the University’s “Safety Policy” and “University Policy on 2-tier Safety Check” have been revised and posted on FMO website under Safety and Health Information. Safety Policy of CityUUniversity Policy on 2-tier Safety Check For more safety and health information, please visit the FMO website.
With reference to the University Policy on 2-tier Safety Check, Departmental Safety Officers / Representatives are required to carry out safety checks for their Departments / Offices / Centres on a half-yearly basis. Reports should be submitted to Head of Department / Office / Centre for improvement actions, and also to the Senior Safety and Administration Manager of FMO. Safety Checklist for Administration / Office AreasSafety Checklist for Laboratory / Workshop Please feel free to call Ms. Katie NG of FMO at ext. 6229 if you have any questions.
The Mercury Control Ordinance (Cap. 640) will come into effect on 1 December 2021. The full text of the Ordinance can be downloaded from the following link.
Please note that the Fire Safety Information Kit has been posted on the FMO website under Safety and Health Information>Emergency Preparedness.
Fire Safety Information Kit
For more Safety and Health information, please click the following link.
Facilities Management Office - City University of Hong Kong
Fire Drill at Yeung Kin Man Academic Building (YEUNG) (8 January 2026)
Please note that a fire drill will be conducted at Yeung Kin Man Academic Building (YEUNG) on 8 January 2026 (Thursday).
All fire alarms in YEUNG will be activated at around 12:00 nn and will last until the fire drill is over.
The purposes of the fire drill are to:
1. Raise occupant awareness on the emergency evacuation procedures;
2. Ensure the integrity of the fire alarm system;
3. Ensure the efficient and safe exit of facilities in the case of an emergency.
Here are the summary:
1. The fire alarms will be activated at 12:00 noon until the fire drill is over. Participation is voluntary.
2. There is no single assembly point, participants can return to YEUNG via the proper entrance points after the fire drill is over.
3. Please bring along your CityUHK Smartcard.
4. Lock up office/personal valuables before leaving the office.
5. There will be a fire safety briefing at the garbage collection point near the Nam Shan Chuen Road Service Entrance at around 12:15 pm. All are welcome to join.

 
Please note that the Health and Safety Leaflet (HSL Gen020 Safe Use of Lithium-Ion Batteries 202512) has been posted on the FMO website under Safety and Health Information>Health and Safety Leaflets.
The Leaflets aim to provide easy-to-read, essential safety information so as to assist the CityUHK Community in promoting the highest achievable levels of workplace health and safety. Please help disseminate the Health and Safety Leaflets to your group members if deemed appropriate. 
For more Safety and Health information, please click the following link:
Facilities Management Office - City University of Hong Kong
 
Please note that the captioned Health and Safety Alert has been posted on the FMO website under Safety and Health Information>Health and Safety Alert. The purpose of the Health and Safety Alerts is to draw attention to potential hazards arising from the workplace, including laboratories, offices, workshops and communal areas; and the relevant measures taken to prevent recurrence. For more safety and health information, please visit the FMO website.
LSU is now facing a serious deficit (around 30K) in operating the Liquid Nitrogen Dispensing Services; the Liquid Nitrogen payment summary shows that from 17/2 to 17/6, the costs were $169845.5 (a total of 17092 L), LSU received $133800 (a total of 13381 L), the balance was -$36045.5, the wastage rate was calculated as 133800 ÷ 169845.5 = 78.7%, the charge per Litre including wastage was $10/Litre ÷ 78.7% = $12.86, and the wastage charges per Litre were $2.86. There is an inevitable wastage due to dispensing Liquid Nitrogen which contributes to the deficit shown above (-HKD$36045.5), so due to the deficit, we would like to charge users a wastage charge from next month onwards proportional to the volume of liquid nitrogen purchased—there will be an extra HKD$2.86 per Litre of Liquid Nitrogen purchased between January and July 2022 (for example, if you have ordered 100L liquid nitrogen, you need to pay extra HKD$286), and the new Liquid Nitrogen purchasing charge will be increased to$12.86 with an effective date on 1st August.
The Radiation Control System (RCS) will be officially launched on 1 Jul 2022 in the CityU service portal. Project/course leaders (lab-based department) or their delegates can utilize this system to purchase and dispose of radioactive substances. The RCS controls the purchase and storage of sealed and unsealed sources of a radioactive substance (e.g. Phosphorus-32, Sulphur-35, Iodine-131, etc.) and irradiating apparatus (e.g. X-ray, microCT, etc.). To facilitate the users’ understanding of the workflow in the system, LSU has prepared THREE separate user guides: RCS Unsealed Source Instruction Manual RCS Sealed Source Instruction Manual RCS Irradiating Apparatus Instruction Manual Please be reminded that the RCS is linked with the Risk Assessment Control System (RARS). Users should complete the risk assessment of the projects/courses (approved on or after 1 Nov 2021) with radiation safety approval, then proceed with the purchase via the RCS.
Referring to the last announcement dated 1 Nov 2021, the Risk Assessment Report System (RARS) will be linked with the Chemical Control System (CCS) on 1 Jul 2022. This means that for any courses/projects that have not yet completed the risk assessment via RARS, the course/project leader(s) and their delegates cannot purchase any chemicals via CCS. This measure only applies to projects approved by the RO on or after 1 Nov 2021. For projects approved before 1 Nov 2021, course leaders and delegates can purchase chemicals via CCS as usual. There is a new required field in CCS: Project/Course code. The project number(s) will be automatically matched with the project leader’s account for selection in CCS.
To enhance the awareness on safe custody of chemicals in laboratories, the Inter-departmental Counter Terrorism Unit (ICTU) has produced a pamphlet "Safe Custody of Chemicals in Laboratories" for the staff of laboratories' reference. Please find the pamphlet copies here:Chinese versions and English versions, for your dissemination to lab users in your unit.
To All Chemical Purchasing Delegates and DSOs: In response to the situation of the COVID-19 infection, LSU will implement the following special working arrangements starting from 7 March, 2022 until further notice.Liquid Nitrogen dispensing services: Service only on Tuesday and Thursday (10:30 a.m. – 11:15 a.m.) Chemical pick up: Service only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday (9:00 a.m. – 17:00 p.m.) Should you need any urgent use of chemical/liquid Nitrogen or urgent dispose of waste, please contact Mr. Terry Leung (x7237) or Mr. Jimmy Mak (x6705) for special arrangement.
Starting from 4 Feb 2022, order requests for dispensing liquid nitrogen service should be made in the Chemical Control system (CCS), details as follows:Users place orders via Chemical Control System on or before 09:30 a.m. on the collection date.Order Confirmation (Dispensing Liquid Nitrogen Service) email will be sent to chemical purchasing delegates. Please bring along the order confirmation email to collect the liquid nitrogen at 10:30 a.m. on the date of ordering.Please note that the charging forms for liquid nitrogen and chemicals ordered from Mini store will be automatically sent to the chemical purchasing delegates and relevant Principal Investigators monthly. Please sign and return them to Chemical Control Team (CCT) at G1415.