Zuankai Wang

Professor Zuankai Wang serves as Associate Vice President (Research and Innovation) and Chair Professor of Nature-Inspired Engineering in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. A globally recognized expert in surface science, he resolved the 265-year-old Leidenfrost effect challenge, enabling breakthroughs in thermal management for electronics and nuclear systems.

His educational journey includes:

• B.S. in Engineering, Jilin University (2000)
• M.S., Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, CAS (2003)
• Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (2008)
• Postdoctoral training, Columbia University (2008-2009)

Wang's research pioneers nature-inspired engineering for energy-water systems, focusing on fluid-structure interactions and bioinspired surface design. His work bridges fundamental fluid mechanics with scalable manufacturing to create surfaces that manipulate mass/energy exchange. Key innovations include droplet-based energy harvesters and thermal diodes for sustainable cooling.

Recent publications (2025) reveal accelerating trends in atmospheric water harvesting and passive thermal management, leveraging bioinspired heterogeneity for unsaturated environments. His Nature/Science papers demonstrate how surface microarchitectures convert latent heat and kinetic energy into practical solutions for climate resilience.

Major awards include:

• BOCHK Science and Technology Innovation Prize (2022)
• Green Tech Award (2021)
• Xplorer Prize (2020)
• Croucher Senior Research Fellow (2022)
• RGC Senior Research Fellow (2022)
• Falling Walls Science Breakthrough 2023 (Engineering)
• Guinness World Records recognition
• Geneva Invention Exhibition Gold Medals

As academic leader, Wang has mentored award-winning PhD students (MRS Gold/Silver Awards, Hiwin Doctoral Prizes) while serving as Executive Editor-in-Chief of Droplet journal and editorial roles in 10+ publications. His research is funded by Croucher Foundation, RGC, and NSFC grants.

He directs the Wang Lab (wangzuankai.wixsite.com/wanglab), advancing the 'Surface of Things' framework for sustainable technology. As founding member of Hong Kong Young Academy of Sciences, he drives interdisciplinary collaboration in bionic engineering and climate solutions.