Prof. Mengying Li has received the Faculty of Engineering Merit Award in Teaching: Outstanding Teacher 2026.
Mengying’s teaching philosophy is that students learn engineering best when they can observe a principle, question it, apply it to a real problem, and consider its wider implications for society. She brings together strong fundamentals, research-informed learning, and practical experience to prepare students to address energy and climate challenges.
Across 17 subjects at general education, undergraduate, and MSc levels, she has used classroom discussion, gamified quizzes, and hands-on demonstrations to connect equations with physical meaning. Examples include demonstrating the Bernoulli principle with ping-pong balls in airflow and using photovoltaic panels and light-sensitive sensors to explain solar tracking. Her semi-open-book assessments encourage students to organize key concepts and apply their understanding. In ME5202 Solar and Wind Engineering, she achieved an eSFQ student feedback score of 4.8 in two consecutive semesters.
Interactive classroom quizzes and demonstrations help students connect engineering principles with physical phenomena.
Learning also extends beyond the classroom. Visits to EcoPark, the EMSD Education Path, Zero Carbon Park, and PolyU’s anechoic chamber allow students to see engineering in practice. Through site surveys, system evaluations, and life-cycle assessments, students develop renewable energy proposals for settings such as the PolyU campus and commercial shipyards.
Field-based learning activities and messages of appreciation from students.
Mengying has developed four new subjects: Renewable Energy Technologies, co-developed with Prof. An; Solar and Wind Engineering; Energy and Climate Change; and Radiative Transfer: From Theory to Applications. The first two have been offered, while the latter two were approved for the 2026/27 academic year. As Deputy Programme Leader of the MSc in Sustainable Energy, she also helped develop the programme proposal and curriculum, drawing on consultation with students, alumni, and industry collaborators.
Her mentorship spans 12 final-year projects, two Undergraduate Research and Innovation Scheme projects, and 10 student assistantships, as well as more than 20 postgraduate students. Students under her supervision have earned the 2023/24 HKIE Best Final-Year Environmental Project Champion Award, the PolyU PhD Thesis Award 2025 – Merit Award (STEM Category), and the Hong Kong Young Scientist Award, alongside conference paper, presentation, and Three Minute Thesis awards. Undergraduate research has also led to conference presentations and a Q1 journal publication.
Student project outcomes and awards achieved under Mengying’s supervision.
As Research Student Liaison Officer, Mengying co-organizes the departmental research presentation contest and initiated the Outstanding Research Student Award, ME PhD Thesis Award, and Outstanding FYP Project Award to recognize student achievement. Across her teaching and supervision, she aims to help students build confidence, communicate evidence, and become independent engineers and researchers.
Visit the Department of Mechanical Engineering staff achievements page for departmental award news.
