International Eurasian Academy of Sciences, IEAS

Academician

Chack-fan LEE

Profile:

Elected Academician of the International Eurasian Academy of Sciences in 1997, Professor Lee Chack-fan (Li Cho-fun) is a distinguished Chinese-Canadian geotechnical engineer whose career has focused on hydroelectric and nuclear power infrastructure, dam safety, and geological hazard mitigation. Born on 4 May 1945 in Xiaolan, Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, he received his B.Sc. (First Class Honours) in Civil Engineering from the University of Hong Kong in 1968, followed by an M.Sc. in Geotechnical Engineering from the same university in 1970 and a Ph.D. in Geotechnical Engineering from the University of Western Ontario, Canada, in 1972. He remained at the University of Western Ontario as a teaching assistant before joining Ontario Hydro, where he spent more than two decades and progressed to Chief Engineer and General Manager of the Engineering Division. His responsibilities included hydroelectric and nuclear power construction, dam safety assessment, seismic design of nuclear power stations, and nuclear waste management. Returning to the University of Hong Kong in 1994 as Chair Professor, he subsequently served as Head of the Department of Civil Engineering (1998–2000), Vice President (Research), Vice President (External Affairs), and Dean of the School of Professional and Continuing Education, retiring in 2015. He was elected a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and the Hong Kong Academy of Engineering Sciences in 2001, and a Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering in 2003. He currently serves as Emeritus Professor at the University of Hong Kong, Professor in the Department of Hydraulic Engineering at Tsinghua University, and, since 2023, Full-time Distinguished Professor at China Three Gorges University.

Back to list page →

Professor Lee’s research has focused on geotechnical engineering, rock mechanics, environmental geotechnology, and geological disaster prevention, with particular emphasis on the safety assessment and seismic design of large dams and nuclear power facilities. His engineering work in Canada, China, and other countries has included safety assessments of 68 hydropower dams, the development of seismic risk assessment methodologies for the Hong Kong region, and contributions to the geotechnical feasibility studies and design verification of major projects including the Three Gorges Dam, Ertan Hydropower Station, and Lijiaxia Hydropower Station. He has authored more than 300 engineering and scientific publications and 16 monographs, and has served as a scientific and technical consultant to the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the International Atomic Energy Agency. His honours include the K. Y. Lo Medal of the Engineering Institute of Canada (2001), the Fulbright Distinguished Scholar Award (2005), the Gold Medal of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (2009), the Silver Bauhinia Star (2005) and Gold Bauhinia Star (2013) of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, as well as honorary doctorates from the University of Western Ontario, the University of Plymouth, Edinburgh Napier University, the University of Macau, and the Open University of Hong Kong. Through his engineering practice, international consultancy, and academic leadership, Professor Lee has contributed to connecting advances in geotechnical science and engineering with the safety and resilience of energy infrastructure, geological hazard mitigation, and sustainable development.