Professor Ron Hui Shu-yuen, Chair Professor of Electronic Engineering at City University of Hong Kong (CityU), has been honoured by three prestigious international institutions in recognition of his distinguished contributions to the advancement and application of engineering, science and technology.

Professor Hui will be the first recipient of the IEEE Rudolf Chope Research and Development Award presented by the IEEE Industrial Electronics Society. The award, set up in 2008, recognises his contributions to sustainable lighting technology and lighting research. The award specifically acknowledges outstanding research and development in quantum, industrial electronics and/or industrial electrical engineering. Based in the USA, the IEEE is the largest and most influential electrical & electronic engineering organization in the world.

Professor Hui has been selected to receive the IET Achievement Medal by the Institution of Engineering and Technology, which is the largest professional body for engineering and technology in the U.K. The IET Achievement Medals are awarded to scientists and engineers who have made major and distinguished contributions in the various sectors of engineering and technology. Prof. Hui will receive the Crompton Medal for Achievement in Power in November in London..

He has also been elected to the Fellowship of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences & Engineering, which is the national academy comprising elite scientists and engineers in Australia.

Professor Hui said these awards and honours were a pleasant surprise and that credit should go to members of his research team. “These honours reflect the hard work of the staff and students at our Research Centre for Power Electronics,” he said. “I am delighted that the quality of our work in environmental protection, energy saving, the reduction of electronic waste, wireless charging technologies and sustainable lighting technologies has received international attention and is recognized by international professional and research communities.”

One of Professor Hui’s many outstanding research projects is the development of a wireless charging platform. The recent launch of the world’s first wireless charging standard, which has adopted the innovations of his research team, has the potential to unify charging protocol globally, allowing users to charge their portable electronic products on one wireless charging pad.

“Consequently, we expect that many chargers and the associated electronic waste can be eliminated in the future,” Professor Hui said.

Another key area of his research is LED lighting. His research team has successfully developed an efficient LED driver with a long lifetime and a high degree of recyclability, a technical bottleneck encountered by existing LED lighting systems. “I am glad that our research achievements have contributed to the lighting revolution in the LED era,” Professor Hui added.

Professor Hui has published over 200 technical papers, including more than 140 refereed journal publications and book chapters. Over 45 of his patents have been adopted by industry. Many of his pioneering inventions have also been adopted as core technologies for the world’s first international wireless battery charging standard, launched in 2010.