Two School of Engineering faculty members were honored in the Ministry of Education’s 2014 Higher Education Outstanding Scientific Research Output Awards (Science and Technology). These significant national awards recognize leading contributions to scientific discovery and technological innovation carried out in tertiary institutions across China.

 

Prof Huamin Qu, Computer Science and Engineering, received a Scientific and Technological Progress Award, Second Class, for the project “Modeling, Analysis and Clinical Applications of Medical Image Data” carried out together with academics from Zhejiang University of Technology, Zhejiang University, and software industry collaborator BSOFT Ltd. The project developed analytical and visualization techniques for computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging to help doctors provide rapid, accurate diagnosis and treatment. It included novel visualization methods and a user-friendly interface to assist medics in analyzing patients’ lesion sites and organs. The core techniques have been adopted into software systems developed by the industry partner and effectively used in more than 100 hospitals.

 

In addition, a team led by Prof Qu received the Best Innovation (Innovative Technology) Silver Award at the Hong Kong ICT Awards in 2015. The accolade recognized the team’s development of the first visual analytic system to provide in-depth and user-friendly analysis of e-learning behavior for Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). The system creates a useful way for instructors to find out more about how learners use MOOC videos so as to improve teaching quality and tailor design and implementation of course materials in line with participants’ needs.

 

Since its launch in 2014, the system has been well received by instructors and MOOC platforms, including leading companies Coursera and edX.

 

Prof Bing Zeng, Electronic and Computer Engineering, and his collaborators from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China received a Natural Science Award, Second Class. A School of Science faculty member received a similar award for a separate project.