Breaking new ground in sustainability research, Professor Liew Kim-meow, Yeung Kin Man Chair Professor of Sustainable Engineering at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), has become the first Asian recipient of the Carl-Zeiss-Humboldt Research Award.

A renowned expert in computational mechanics, and sustainable materials and engineering, Professor Liew has significantly advanced the fundamental understanding of the deformation, fracture and fatigue behaviours of solids, which is crucial for the development of new materials.

His research emphasises sustainable engineering, including the development of green concrete that incorporates recycled and waste materials and employs environmentally friendly production processes. His team is also exploring the potential of using recycled decommissioned wind turbines for construction materials.

“I am grateful to work at CityUHK with many talented colleagues and for the funding I have received. This prestigious award will provide me with more opportunities to collaborate with international engineering experts,” said Professor Liew.

He plans to collaborate with researchers from the Institute for Structural Mechanics at Bauhaus University Weimar in Germany on new types of self-healing materials and structures for use in transport infrastructure.

Professor Liew has published over 800 articles in top-tier international journals. His publications have been cited over 55,000 times and he boasts an h-index of 117.

He is recognised by several renowned organisations, including Clarivate Analytics as a Highly Cited Researcher and Stanford University as one of the top 2% of the most cited scientists in the world.

He is an elected Foreign Member of Academia Europaea and a Fellow of the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences. Additionally, he is a Fellow of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in the UK, and the Institution of Engineers in Singapore. He is also the founding Director of the Centre for Nature-Inspired Engineering at CityUHK.

Since its inception in 2022, the annual Carl-Zeiss-Humboldt Research Award has honoured STEM researchers who impact their field beyond their immediate research area and who contribute to promoting diversity in STEM. Each award is worth €100,000.