The J.M. KO AWARD

The J.M. Ko Award aims to promote and recognize excellence in Structural Engineering research by honoring young individuals at or under the age of 45 who have made outstanding contributions to the science and technology of Structural Engineering through original research of the highest level of excellence.

Ir Prof. Jan-Ming Ko

Background & Objective

Despite its long history, structural engineering continues to be a dynamic field with numerous innovations. These innovations arise from either novel insights into existing paradigms and systems, or from the fusion of structural engineering with emerging technologies such as new materials, sensors, data science and artificial intelligence, which enable the field to address new challenges and meet emerging needs (e.g., reduction of carbon emissions).

Against this above background, the J.M. Ko Award has been established to recognise exceptional young researchers around the world who have made outstanding contributions of high originality and lasting importance to the science and technology of structural engineering. The Award is named after Professor J.M. Ko (Jan-Ming Ko), the first Chair Professor of Structural Engineering at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and the founding Editor-in-Chief of the international journal “Advances in Structural Engineering” (ASE), in honour of his remarkable contributions as a scholar, teacher and mentor to young people in structural engineering.

Endowment Fund for the Award

Thanks to a generous donation from Mr. K.F. Yau, a PolyU alumnus and a former student of Prof. J.M. Ko, an endowment fund has been established to provide sustainable financial support for the J.M. Ko Award.

Selection Criteria & Process

An Awardee is expected to have substantially advanced structural engineering science and technology through outstanding and systematic research of high originality and lasting importance in a well-defined focus area. Emphasis is placed on the originality and impact of his/her work, including its impact on both the scientific foundation of structural engineering and structural engineering practice.

Nominations will be invited from researchers around the world.

A selection committee (The J.M. Ko Award Committee) composed of leading researchers in structural engineering worldwide has been formed to select the winners of the Award.

For each biennial round, two young researchers at or under the age of 45 on 1 January of the nomination year will be honoured by the Award.

The Award and J.M. Ko Distinguished Lecture

Each Awardee will receive a certificate, a medal and a cash reward of USD5,000. In addition, each Awardee will be invited and financially supported to visit The Hong Kong Polytechnic University together with his/her spouse for up to a week, and to deliver a J.M. Ko Distinguished Lecture in Hong Kong or a city in the Greater Bay Area.

Each awardee will also be invited to submit a paper based on the Distinguished Lecture for possible publication in the ASE journal. 

Organizing Committee

Chairman: Jin-Guang Teng
Members: Kaiming Bi, Tak-Ming Chan, Kwok-Fai Chung, Jian-Guo Dai, You Dong, Siu-Kai Lai, Si-Wei Liu, Yi-Qing Ni, Yong Xia*, Tao Yu*, Xiao-Lin Zhao, Song-Ye Zhu
Secretariat: Zhe-Qi Peng, Yu Xiang

*Executive Member

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