Prof. Li Li is a Professor in the Division of Integrative Systems and Design of The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Board of Director of The Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel Limited, Technical Expert in the discipline of “Textile & Clothing” under the New Industrialisation and Technology Training Programme (NITTP), and the Fellow of Royal Society of Arts. Prior to joining HKUST, Prof. Li was the Cally Kwong Mei Wan Professor in Chinese Culture and Creative Design in the School of Fashion and Textiles at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. During her time in PolyU, she was also the Founding Director of China Resources-PolyU Joint Research Institute for Carbon Neutral New Materials, Director of PolyU Technology and Consultancy Co. Limited, and Associate Director of PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research. In her early age, she gained valuable industry experience working in the creative sector of Shenzhen and Hong Kong for over 7 years.
Prof. Li’s research has expanded the potential of fibers, a distinctively soft material, beyond their traditional applications into a versatile and powerful interdisciplinary tool benefitting designers and researchers across various disciplines. The design engineering of fibers enables tactile qualities that can evoke emotions and story-telling, allowing for immersive and interactive experiences which can revolutionize the creative industry, drive commercial success, and unlock new opportunities for different sectors. Her adoption of design thinking has also provided opportunities to experiment and innovate in areas such as smart technology, material science, and sustainable design that have found practical value for the domains of design, healthcare, agriculture, archaeology, electronics and life style etc. Furthermore, her research has had successful industrialization and commercialization outcomes on an international scale.
