Outstanding faculty receive Thetos Young Scholar Awards

With the generous support from Thetos Foundation Hong Kong, the “Thetos Young Scholar Award Scheme” has been established at CityUHK since 2023 to encourage early-stage scholars to strive for academic and research excellence.

This year, the awards are presented to Professor Derrick Ho Hung Chak, Assistant Professor of the Department of Public and International Affairs, and Professor Wang Jian, Assistant Professor of School of Energy and Environment.

Professor Derrick Ho Hung Chak has been listed among the World’s Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University from 2023 to 2025. His research focuses on urban and health management, with ongoing efforts to mitigate urban risks and vulnerabilities to heat waves in public management, emergency response, and health administration. Professor Ho has collaborated closely with local sectors. For example, he has supported the Hong Kong Jockey Club’s “Beat the Heat” project in developing community-based interventions for climate mitigation among older adults. He has also assisted the Sham Shui Po District Office by providing digital and geospatial data to identify heat-related risks among low-income individuals. Professor Ho serves as a Global Assessor for the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, contributing to the advancement of international collaboration. His research has enabled him to receive the RGC Healthy Longevity Catalyst Award in 2025 and to develop smart tools and devices for location-based heat warnings and health management.

Professor Wang Jian is a pioneer in the study of dynamic electrochemical energy processes for sustainable technologies. Since joining the University in late 2021, he has built a vibrant research group of 17 PhD students and 6 postdoctoral fellows, securing over HK$21 million in competitive funding as Principal Investigator, including RGC-YCRF and ITF-platform projects. Professor Wang has published over 60 papers at CityUHK in prestigious journals such as Nature Catalysis, Nature Communications, and Energy & Environmental Science, achieving an h-index of 46. He has been listed among the World’s Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University from 2023 to 2025. He led the development of Hong Kong’s first next-generation kW-scale anion exchange membrane water electrolyser, meeting the US DOE’s 2031 targets. Moreover, Professor Wang and his team have filed five US patents, won a Gold Medal at the 51st Geneva International Exhibition, and received seed fund to commercialise their technologies. His other honours include the ICANX Young Scientist Award 2025 and ACS Energy Lectureship Award 2026.

Please click here to view the full list of recipients who have received the Thetos Young Scholar Awards.