NTU starts Asia's first solar fuels laboratory(1)

NTU opens Asia's first solar fuels laboratory to develop new energy sources

Asia's first solar fuels laboratory at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), set up in February 2011, aims to create efficient and sustainable sources of solar fuel by developing a device that can extract large amounts of hydrogen from water using sunlight.

When perfected, this "artificial leaf" technology can reduce dependence on crude oil and help to ease problems caused by global warming and climate change. 

To develop solar-driven technology that is commercially viable, the researchers need to find suitable combinations of chemical catalysts that can speed up the artificial photosynthesis process using minimal energy. That will enable the large-scale production of fuel to be carried out in a cost-effective and efficient manner.

PolyU awarded Erasmus Mundus Mobility Grant

PolyU awarded South East Asia’s first Erasmus Mundus Mobility Grant

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) was awarded South East Asia's first Erasmus Mundus (EM) Mobility Grant of nearly €1.4 million (US$1.9 million) by the European Commission in December 2010. The grant will support a large-scale scholarly exchange involving faculty and postgraduate students of nine universities in Europe and South East Asia. The EM Mobility Grant is the joint effort of a consortium consisting of nine higher education institutions across Europe and South East Asian countries, with PolyU's Faculty of Humanities as the initiating institution and coordinator in South East Asia, and Université de Provence as the overall and Europe coordinator.

The grant will be allocated to successful applicants of the nine consortium partners in a project called "MULTI – Multilingualism and Multiculturalism: Linguistic Approaches to Transition and Identity". This project, lasting three years, aims to address the linguistic, cultural and technological aspects of multilingualism, and to understand the impact of multilingualism in both European Union and South East Asian societies.

PolyU is expected to send a total of 13 postgraduate students and staff for an exchange programme lasting one to 12 months. The grant will cover their travel costs, monthly allowances and tuition fees for study at partner universities in Europe and South East Asia. The nine universities in the consortium are Université de Provence (France), Hong Kong Polytechnic University (Hong Kong), City University London (UK), Università di Pisa (Italy), Universität des Saarlandes (Germany), Freie Universität Berlin (Germany), National Taiwan University (Taiwan), Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) and University of Macau (Macau).

EM is a flagship European Commission programme promoting international education. Its objective is to enhance quality in higher education through scholarships and academic cooperation between Europe and the rest of the world.