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HKUST 2011-2012 Annual Report
Sea and also provided a new forcing theory for the
ocean circulation off Guangdong. The spatial-temporal
characteristics of the eddy were previously unknown but
could have significant impact on the regional climate. The
characteristics and controlling mechanisms of the seasonal
and diurnal variation of CO
2
in the South China Sea —
crucial to understanding the carbon cycle — are clarified.
Fueling the next generation
Finding efficient, clean, energy-conversion technologies
that operate without the use of fossil fuels is one of the
grand challenges of this century. Prof Tianshou Zhao
(Mechanical Engineering) is working on a project with
RGC Collaborative Research Fund to understand the
coupling of mass-transport and electrochemical reactions
in nanostructured fuel cell electrodes. Prof Zhao and
his research team are pioneering development of direct
alcohol fuel cells (DAFCs) which can convert the chemical
energy of liquid methanol or ethanol directly into
electricity. His group holds the world record for power
density of direct ethanol fuel cells.
Human face of conservation
Environmental activists often represent nature in a human-
like manner. Does this practice have any conservation
implications? Yes, according to a study on the effects of
anthropomorphism on conservation behavior, conducted
by Prof Kim-Pong Tam (Social Science) and his team. His
research revealed that individuals who consider Nature to
be human-like, compared to those who do not, are more
protective towards the environment. This finding has
important implications for environmental promotion.
New horizons for ocean container
transport logistics
Logistics is a pillar industry of Hong Kong. Prof Chung-
Yee Lee (Industrial Engineering and Logistics Management)
is undertaking a major Theme-based Research Scheme
project focused on the transformation of Hong Kong’s
ocean container transport logistics network. It explores
how Hong Kong can upgrade its global ocean logistics
and leverage the huge productivity of the Pearl River
Delta region to develop new services. Bringing together
researchers from Asia and Europe, the team will also
develop decision support systems for Hong Kong’s ocean
container supply chain network.
