Kit Po Wong
WONG, Kit Po MSc PhD DEng FHKIE FIEEE FIEE FIEAust (1946 – 2022)
Kit Po Wong was born on October 7, 1946, in Hong Kong. Growing up in a martial arts family, he learned Chow-Gar martial arts from the age of six alongside his father, Wong Bing Cheung, together under Grandmaster Chow Biu. He later learnt the Tai Chi Chuan boxing style at the South China Athletic Association under Grandmaster Wong Seng Yen. After the Second World War and Japanese occupation, Hong Kong was in a period of recovery and rebuilding, with limited formal education opportunities. Martial arts education laid a traditional foundation for physical education, morals, patience, self-discipline and application of culture and philosophy, qualities that would later emerge in his life.
Despite the limited and highly selective nature of public middle school entry, Kit Po was admitted to The Victoria Technical School in 1959. After graduating in 1964, he pursued Electrical Engineering at the Hong Kong Technical College (now the Hong Kong Polytechnic University), graduating with a Higher Diploma in 1967. This achievement led to an apprenticeship at the Taikoo Dockyards, an honour reserved for top graduates.
In 1969, he became Chartered with the Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEE) and received a Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Scholarship, allowing him to pursue postgraduate studies at the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST). He obtained a Master of Science in 1972 and a Doctor of Philosophy in 1974, under the supervision of Senior Lecturer Derek Humpage.
Kit Po married Wan-Wai Chan, a school teacher, in 1975. In February 1976, they relocated to Perth, where Professor Humpage had invited Kit Po to join the University of Western Australia (UWA) as a tutor and scientific officer. Despite the geographic isolation and lack of kin, Perth offered open space, clean air, a Mediterranean climate, and a high standard of living. The couple started a family, becoming proud parents to two daughters and a son.
Kit Po was appointed Senior Lecturer in 1979, and his academic career flourished. He researched numerous practical problems in the power industry and received the Sir John Marsden Medal thrice (1981, 1982, 1987) from the Institution of Engineers Australia for best paper in the Journal of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Australia.
Over his career, Kit Po authored and supervised over 308 publications, garnering over 16,400 citations. He pioneered the use of artificial intelligence in power engineering and shared his research globally, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. He founded the WA Chapter of the IEEE Power Engineering Society in 1996, serving as its inaugural Chair and again in 1999 and 2000. His volunteer work was recognized with the 1999 Outstanding Engineer Award and the 2000 IEEE Third Millennium Medal. He played a key role in bringing the IEEE International Conference on Power System Technology (PowerCon 2000) to Perth for the first time.
In 2001, Kit Po was awarded a Doctor of Engineering (D.Eng) from his alma mater at UMIST. In 2002, Hong Kong Polytechnic University invited him to be the Head of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Chair Professor (2007-2011), fulfilling a lifelong dream of returning to his original place of higher learning.
Kit Po rejoined UWA in late 2011 as Professor of the School of Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering. His team received the Best Paper Award for the IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics in 2015 for "Coordinated Control of Grid-Connected Photovoltaic Reactive Power and Battery Energy Storage Systems to Improve the Voltage Profile of a Residential Distribution Feeder."
In addition to his academic achievements, Kit Po was a grandmaster of Tai Chi and Chow-Gar Kung Fu. He founded Wong's Academy of Chinese Martial Arts in 1983 and began teaching at UWA and the Chung Wah Association before teaching at other various venues. He was also an avid Chinese calligrapher and was accomplished in writing ancient and Chinese Classical characters with the brush. His academy trained many students, including his university colleagues and performed at cultural events and functions, including at UWA, YMCA, PCYC and schools.
He was an active member in the local Perth Chinese community, promoting cultural exchange to break down borders, prejudice, and foster understanding. In 2000, he was awarded the WA Citizenship Award by the then WA Premier, Richard Court, for his outstanding cultural contribution to Western Australia. In this regard, Kit Po was a pioneering first-generation Australian and role model, inspiring many through his achievements and dedication.
Professor Kit Po Wong passed away in July 2018 and is missed by his wife, son and two daughters, colleagues, students and disciples.
References:
EEAAPolyU
A.E. Sweeting, P. Morris, "Educational reform in post-war Hong Kong: Planning and crisis intervention," International Journal of Educational Development, Volume 13, Issue 3, 1993, Pages 201-216, ISSN 0738-0593
Victoria Government Secondary School
"PowerCon 2000 International Conference on Power System Technology [front matter]," PowerCon 2000. 2000 International Conference on Power System Technology. Proceedings (Cat. No.00EX409), Perth, WA, Australia, 2000, pp. i-xiv, doi: 10.1109/ICPST.2000.898128.
Kit Po WONG | University of Western Australia, Perth | UWA | Research profile
EECE Professor Kit Po Wong and his team are the recipients of the 2015 Best Paper Award for the IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics
Wong’s Academy of Martial Arts
Compiled by Simon Chiu MIEAust CPEng NER APEC Engineer IntPE(Aus) and the Wong family
