THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY
With over 85 years of rich heritage, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has evolved alongside society and made pivotal contributions to the development of Hong Kong, the Nation and the world. The University pursues world-class excellence in education, research and knowledge transfer to nurture socially responsible leaders and professionals, as well as to drive impactful research and innovation. PolyU will strive to continually excel as an innovative world-class university that makes a positive impact on society, living up to the University’s motto: “To learn and to apply, for the benefit of mankind”.
Ranked among the top 100 universities globally by well-known ranking organisations such as Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), Times Higher Education (THE) and U.S. News & World Report, PolyU offers a wide range of world-class educational and research programmes in seven faculties and three independent schools. PolyU has furthermore achieved commendable results in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025 – it is ranked in the global top 30 for seven subjects, is first in Hong Kong for three subjects, and is in the global top 100 for 26 subjects. For further details about the University, please visit PolyU’s website at https://www.polyu.edu.hk/.
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
Chair Professor / Professor / Associate Professor / Assistant Professor in Civil Engineering under Strategic Hiring Scheme (Ref. 250911007)
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at PolyU enjoys a high international reputation in conducting world-class research for societal benefits and has well established partnerships with the industry and government agencies in Hong Kong and beyond. It was ranked the 2nd best worldwide in Civil Engineering in the U.S. News Best Global Universities Rankings 2025, the 17th in Civil and Structural Engineering and the 27th in Environmental Science in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025. The Department offers academic programmes at various levels, including PhD, MSC, BEng and BSc.
The Department currently has about 80 faculty members (more than 40 regular faculty members at Assistant Professor and above levels) and around 40 technical and administrative personnel, and is committed to international standards of excellence in teaching and research. Please visit the website at https://www.polyu.edu.hk/cee/ for more information about the Department.
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region is an international city located strategically at the heart of Asia and is the gateway to the Chinese Mainland, with excellent transport links to major international cities.
The Department is seeking highly motivated and suitably qualified individuals with research expertise in infrastructure and urban resilience under climate change, AI and data science in civil and structural engineering, robotics technologies in civil engineering, intelligent and autonomous construction, emerging and materials and technologies in structural engineering, or other related civil engineering disciplines.
To boost the leadership and impact of PolyU’s research work in areas of significant societal needs and strategic importance, the Strategic Hiring Scheme is introduced to recruit faculty members at all levels and outstanding scholars are invited to join the University under the Strategic Hiring Scheme. Appointees recruited under the Strategic Hiring Scheme should have conducted / led world-leading research that is commensurate with the stage of their academic career.
Duties
The appointees will be required to:
(a) teach relevant subjects in Structural Engineering, such as Design of Concrete Structures, Design of Steel Structures, Advanced Structural Design, Tall Building Structures and Construction Technology at undergraduate and postgraduate levels in related disciplines;
(b) develop and lead a world-leading research programme in an emerging area of structural engineering, which will attract strong external funding support and lead to impactful outcomes for dissemination in leading international journals and awards of research grants;
(c) undertake research, programme / curriculum development and administration;
(d) supervise student projects and theses;
(e) engage in industrial and scholarly research / consultancy activities;
(f) undertake academic and departmental administrative duties, including programme leadership, curriculum development, programme validation, accreditation, etc.; and
(g) perform any other duties as assigned by the Head of Unit or his delegates.
Qualifications
Applicants should have:
(a) a PhD degree in Structural Engineering, Civil Engineering or a related discipline;
(b) a strong commitment to world-class excellence in teaching, research and academic advising;
(c) strong records of research, publications and scholarship;
(d) the ability to be an effective teacher, including good classroom teaching skills and good interpersonal skills;
(e) good networking ability and excellent potential to become a world-leading scholar;
(f) excellent communication skills and the ability to use English as the medium of instruction; and
(g) research interest in, but not limited to, one or more of the following areas:
- Infrastructure and Urban Resilience under Climate Change;
- AI and Data Science in Civil and Structural engineering;
- Robotics Technologies in Civil Engineering;
- Intelligent and Autonomous Construction; and
- Emerging and Materials and Technologies in Structural Engineering.
Applicants for appointment at Chair Professor level should have an outstanding record of global leadership and research achievement in the community, in addition to substantial years of relevant post-qualification experience.
Applicants for appointment at Professor or Associate Professor level should have a substantial number of years of experience and an excellent record of relevant academic and/or research achievement in the specified field. Applicants with less experience will be considered for appointment at the level of Assistant Professor.
Conditions of Service
A highly competitive remuneration package will be offered. Appointees under the Strategic Hiring Scheme will be offered a start-up grant of not less than HK$3 million to support research activities (including the admission of PhD students, purchasing of equipment, and hiring of research staff) in the initial three years. Initial appointment for Assistant Professor will be on a fixed-term gratuity-bearing contract. Re-engagement thereafter is subject to mutual agreement. An appropriate term will be provided for appointment at Associate Professor / Professor / Chair Professor levels. For general information on terms and conditions for appointment of academic staff in the University, please visit the website at https://www.polyu.edu.hk/hro/docdrive/careers/doc/Prof.pdf.
Application
Please submit an application through PolyU’s career website (https://jobs.polyu.edu.hk/academic). Consideration of applications will commence on 25 September 2025 until the positions are filled. The University’s Personal Information Collection Statement for recruitment can be found at https://www.polyu.edu.hk/hro/careers/pics_for_recruitment/.
PolyU is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to fostering an environment that embraces diversity and demonstrates inclusion of people from all backgrounds, cultures, identities and experiences where all members of the University are treated with fairness, dignity and respect. To learn more about the University’s “Statement on Equal Opportunities, Diversity, and Inclusion”, please visit our website at https://www.polyu.edu.hk/hro/equal_opportunities_diversity_and_inclusion/.
