Lingnan University President S. Joe Qin Makes History as First Hong Kong Scholar in Process Automation Hall of Fam

Leading international industrial media outlet Control Global has announced that Prof S. Joe Qin, President and Wai Kee Kau Chair Professor of Data Science of Lingnan University, has been inducted into the 2026 Process Automation Hall of Fame in recognition of his long-term outstanding contributions and far-reaching impact in industrial data analytics, process control and automation, the only scholar from the Hong Kong SAR to receive this distinction. Inductees over the years have been key figures driving industrial technological innovation and theoretical breakthroughs, and the accolade is held in very high esteem by both the international academic and industrial communities.

Control Global commended Prof Qin’s academic career for its distinctive interdisciplinary nature, saying that with training spanning electrical engineering, control theory, and chemical engineering, he has demonstrated remarkable versatility across disciplines, and published extensively in process monitoring, system identification, chemometrics, and machine learning.

Prof Qin responded “Being inducted into the Hall of Fame is not the capstone of my academic journey, but rather a prompt for me to share my experiences more openly, including both the right and wrong paths I have taken, so that younger generations may benefit. This spirit of academic inheritance and selfless contribution is a value I hope to carry forward. My best advice to young engineers is to resist the pull of short-term rewards, recognise the full arc you are capable of, and always keep the bigger picture in sight.”

In a feature titled “Engineering a lifetime of reinvention”, Control Global describes Prof Qin’s interdisciplinary academic journey, noting his unusual background. The professor was born in Rizhao, Shandong province, and grew up during a period when formal schooling was limited, yet by the time he was 11 he had already taught himself to make wooden chairs to earn a living. When the higher education system reopened, Prof Qin seized the opportunity to gain admission to Tsinghua University at the age of 16 with the top scores in his cohort to study automatic control, laying the foundation for his engineering career.

Prof Qin recalls in the interview that while he was at Tsinghua University, he met the renowned scholar Prof Harmon Ray, who was visiting the campus and who advised him to pursue a PhD in chemical engineering at the University of Maryland - “life changing” advice. During his doctoral studies, he embarked on early research into how machines learn, examining neural networks’ strengths and limitations from a statistical perspective. After graduation, he became a principal engineer at Emerson Process Management, where he developed two commercial products successfully before returning to academia to teach and conduct research at The University of Texas at Austin and the University of Southern California.

Looking ahead, Prof Qin predicts that while industry has accumulated vast amounts of data over the past decades, its full value has yet to be realised due to previous limitations in computational power. Now although computing capabilities have advanced significantly in recent years, technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning remain underutilised in chemical engineering, and Prof Qin believes that applying advanced analytics to process monitoring, control, and optimisation will represent an unprecedented opportunity. He emphasises that the next generation of process engineers will need to be as fluent in data analytics and machine learning as they are in thermodynamics and fluid mechanics.

Prof S. Joe Qin, President of Lingnan University, has been inducted into the Process Automation Hall of Fame

Prof Qin also expresses concern about developments in engineering education, observing that, compared with 30 years ago, mathematical training in engineering programmes is weaker, and it has become more difficult to offer very rigorous courses. This is partly because most people want a programme where even the average student understands most of the concepts and graduates easily, although in the long run this may undermine the cultivation of advanced mathematical talent. Prof Qin suggests that universities create deliberately designed environments for mathematically gifted students to be challenged at an appropriate level, in order to preserve academic depth and international competitiveness.

Established in 2001, the Process Automation Hall of Fame recognises scholars and industry leaders for their outstanding contributions to process automation and control. The other inductees this year are Prof Manfred Morari of the University of Pennsylvania, an eminent international authority in modern systems engineering, and Prof Peter Morgan, longtime process engineer with Syncrude Canada and now an independent consultant.

For the full feature article, please visit: Engineering a lifetime of reinvention: 2026 Process Automation Hall of Fame's S. Joe Qin | Control Global

The Hong Kong SAR imports over 90 per cent of its food, and it can be very difficult when food safety incidents occur to trace the source across a complex supply chain. Prof Leng Mingming, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Chair Professor of Operations and Risk Management at Lingnan University, has published a new study proposing the introduction of a unified product tracing system across the food supply chain. The study confirms that such a system would improve overall traceability efficiency, and analysis shows that cooperative mechanisms across supply chain tiers help reduce the entry of problematic food into the market, improving both food safety and consumer confidence. The research findings have been published in the internationally respected flagship journal IISE Transactions of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers.

The Faculty of Business at Lingnan University.

The international research team, comprising Prof Leng and scholars from Hunan University, the University of Southern California, and McMaster University of Ontario, developed a three-tier food processing system covering upstream producers, midstream manufacturers or wholesalers, and downstream retailers, including supermarkets and catering groups, forming a “cross-tier” network. Using cooperative game theory, the team analysed independent decision-making versus coalition-based cooperation potential profit outcomes for stakeholders. Results show that when supply chain tiers act independently up to 90 per cent of total profits may be lost, but a unified cross-tier cooperative alliance between manufacturers and retailers can reduce losses to approximately 55 per cent.

The study also explains that the fewer “separate coalitions” there are within the supply chain, the more effectively manufacturers and retailers can share traceability responsibilities, leading to higher total profits. Adopting a unified product tracing system reduces fragmented decision-making, improves operational efficiency, lowers unnecessary costs, and promotes more equitable profit allocation. This strengthens incentives for cooperation across supply chain tiers, and helps alleviate concerns among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) over the high costs or limited resources that may discourage participation in a unified tracing system.

Prof Leng Mingming, Dean of the Faculty of Business and Chair Professor of Operations and Risk Management at Lingnan University, has published a new study proposing a unified product tracing system across the food supply chain. The system would improve traceability efficiency and food safety management, and the findings have been published in the flagship journal IISE Transactions of the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers.

Prof Leng noted “According to data from the Food Industry Association, about 64 per cent of consumers worldwide prefer brands that provide detailed product information and traceability records. A well-established product tracing system is better able to identify and intercept contaminated food or food that has deteriorated before it reaches retail markets, significantly reducing the risk of economic losses from product recalls.”

He added “Our study shows that cross-tier cooperation between manufacturers and retailers is key to improving overall supply chain efficiency. The Hong Kong SAR’s reliance on imported food underscores the importance of robust food traceability systems that enhance public confidence in food safety and support sustainable economic development. The use of innovative technologies such as blockchain and the artificial intelligence of things (AIoT) for food monitoring has become a global trend among major retailers and food companies. As an international trade hub, the Hong Kong SAR should encourage the adoption of these technologies for supply chain transparency and long-term sustainable development in the industry.”

The study also shows that many upstream farmers and manufacturers are SMEs with limited capital and technical resources, and it is difficult for them to shoulder the costs of implementing a tracing system independently. When penalties for distributing problematic foods are high, downstream retailers and manufacturers have a greater incentive to adopt a unified tracing system to intercept compromised food, thus appropriate regulatory measures can serve as an important lever to drive technology adoption in the industry.

Prof Leng has been named the recipient of the Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS)’s 2026 Dean of the Year Award. He was the sole winner selected from over 640 universities across 39 countries and regions. The award is presented annually to one outstanding dean who has demonstrated exceptional leadership in business education and consistent support for students.

Read the full study here: System-wide incentives to trace food processing: A cooperative-game analysis