Management Committee

Professor Yang Gao FIET FRAeS, is a world-renowned space roboticist with over 20 years of R&D and space mission experience including European Space Agency (ESA)’s ExoMars, Proba-3 and lunar VMMO; UK's CLEAR, MoonLITE and Moonraker; and China's Chang'E-3/-8. She has led research projects for the European Space Agency, UK Space Agency, UK Research and Innovation, the European Union, Innovation & Technology Commission, and industrial companies. Her honours include the Mulan Award for Contributions to Science, Technology and Engineering (2019), Distinguished Global Leadership Award (2025) and White Page’s Global Women Power Leaders (2026), and research under her leadership has won IAF 3AF Edmond Brun Silver Medal (2013), COSPAR Outstanding Paper Award (2016), ESA SysNova Challenge First Prize (2018), IEEE-ICRA Space Workshop Wiley Poster Award First Prize (2020), and Sino-UK Entrepreneurship Competition First Prize (2022), among others.

On the global stage, Professor Gao holds or has held leadership positions, including Distinguished Lecturer in Space Robotics of IEEE Robotics and Automation Society (IEEE-RAS); Co-Chair of IEEE-RAS Space Robotics Technical Committee, Editor-in-Chief of Wiley's Journal of Field Robotics, and Mentor for the United Nations' "Space4Women" program towards Sustainable Development Goals.

Professor Gao joined The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) in mid-2025 as Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. At HKUST, she founded the Centre for AI and Robotics in Space Sustainability, dedicated to developing cutting-edge technologies for orbital debris removal, autonomous space systems, and in-situ extraterrestrial resource utilization to provide innovative solutions for crewed/uncrewed deep space missions. She is also Co-Director of HKUST’s Space Science & Technology Institute, as well as the Director of InnoHK Hong Kong Space Robotics & Energy Centre, leading Hong Kong Operation Robot project within Chang’E8.

Prior to joining HKUST, she spent over 20 years in the UK as Professor of Robotics and Director of the Robotics Centre at King's College London. Earlier, as Professor of Space Autonomous Systems at the University of Surrey, she founded and led the award-winning Space Technology and Autonomous Robotic systems Laboratory (STAR-LAB). Before moving to the UK from Singapore in 2004, she was the awardee of the prestigious Singapore Millennium Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship conducting research in intelligent robotics. Professor Gao earned her First-Class Honors Bachelor's degree (2000) and PhD (2003) from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore.

Professor Sun Qingping is the Chair Professor at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and an internationally renowned scholar in the fields of solid mechanics and advanced materials. His research focuses primarily on constitutive modeling, phase transformation mechanics, and the multiscale mechanical behavior of smart materials such as shape memory alloys and ferroelectric/ferroelastic materials.

With profound contributions to the thermodynamically consistent theoretical framework for phase-transforming materials, he has established foundational models that explain complex phenomena like shape memory effects, pseudoelasticity, and hysteresis. His work bridges microscopic material structures and macroscopic performance, providing essential theoretical tools for the design and application of next-generation intelligent materials.

Recognized as a global leader in his field, Professor Sun has received prestigious honors including the Y.C. Fung Award and serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the leading journal International Journal of Solids and Structures. His research has significantly influenced both the fundamental understanding of material behavior and the development of innovative technologies in aerospace, biomedical devices, and adaptive structures.

Prof. Wang Zhe is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), and also serves as the Associate Director of the GREAT Smart Cities Institute. He holds a PhD in Building Science from Tsinghua University. His research spans a unique multi-scale spectrum, bridging advanced material science with sustainable urban systems. At the micro scale, he focuses on developing next-generation high-performance, multifunctional engineering composites, including nano-enhanced and smart materials with self-sensing capabilities. At the macro scale, he extends this foundational work to the realm of smart cities, employing data science, IoT technologies, and system optimization to enhance urban energy efficiency, environmental performance, and overall resilience. His interdisciplinary work effectively connects the science of sustainable construction materials with the engineering of intelligent urban systems, providing critical insights and tools for building the future's sustainable and resilient cities.

Prof. Wu Bo is a Professor in the Department of Aeronautical and Aviation Engineering at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), where he also serves as the Associate Head (Research). As a key academic leader and research strategist for the department, his work is centered on cutting-edge aerospace engineering. His research expertise encompasses critical areas such as aircraft design, aerospace systems, advanced control technologies, and aviation operations and management. He is dedicated to bridging theoretical innovation with practical engineering applications to advance aerospace technology. By fostering interdisciplinary collaborations, Professor Wu addresses modern challenges in aviation intelligence, sustainability, and safety. Under his research leadership, his team contributes significantly to the development of scientific research and talent cultivation in the aerospace field at PolyU. Tianwei-3.

Prof. Zhang Weizhao received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tsinghua University in 2014 and obtained his Ph.D. degree from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Northwestern University in 2019. His research focuses on advanced manufacturing and numerical modeling especially for composite materials. During his research period, Weizhao has worked with academic and industrial partners including the Ford Motor and Dow Chemical Companies to develop computational material tools to systematically analyze the development of CFRP parts in large-volume applications. His material model has been implemented in the commercial software LS-DYNA by the Livermore Software Technology Corporation.