澳大新語 • 2022 UMAGAZINE 25 11 封面專題 • COVER STORY data, artificial intelligence, internet of things, and biomedical sciences, all of which are areas where UM has already made achievements and nurtured a considerable number of professionals. ‘Taking advantage of the research strengths of the university’s three state key labs and institutes in key disciplines, we are actively collaborating with enterprises and government departments in Macao and other parts of the GBA,’ says Prof Song. ‘We have created an ecosystem that is capable of developing original technology, achieving technological breakthroughs, and integrating new research results into industries in the region.’ Paving the Way for the Commercialisation of Research Results In line with the major plans of the central government and the Macao SAR government on industry-academia collaboration, UM has proposed in its Five-Year Development Plan (Academic Years 2021/2022-2025/2026) to develop a ‘5-in-1’ system for research results transfer. UM will expand its three state key labs and build five high-level platforms for industry-academia collaboration, incorporating innovation, service, management, cultivation, and implementation respectively, to promote technological innovation and transfer of research results. According to Prof Song, the five platforms are interlinked and will form a synergy to enhance the depth and breadth of industry-academia collaboration at UM. In terms of the transfer of research results, the university has taken a series of measures, including establishing the Frontier Science Center for Precision Oncology as approved by the Ministry of Education, a demonstration base for industry-academia collaboration in Hengqin, an R&D centre for Chinese medicine, and the Macau Institute for Translational Medicine and Innovation. UM also launched a series of collaborative projects in five joint labs with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, participated in and undertook key R&D projects at the local, provincial, and national levels, and continues to invest in start-up companies established by UM faculty members or research teams. In addition, UM’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which has received approval to serve as a national co-working space, has incubated more than 30 science and innovation enterprises jointly established by students and professors. It is actively encouraging more Macao youth to launch innovation and entrepreneurship activities in the GBA. Nurturing Talent for New Industries in Macao and Hengqin Across the GBA, especially in the western part of the region, UM has distinct advantages over its counterparts in terms of faculty, quality of teaching, and research capacity. In recent years, the university has launched new programmes in areas such as microelectronics, data science, and financial technology. It is preparing to offer a new undergraduate programme in pharmaceutical sciences and technology, as well as postgraduate programmes in various fields, such as global public health, internet of things, robotics and unmanned systems, coastal and environmental engineering, cognitive neurosciences, advanced materials, and fine arts, in order to develop a comprehensive array of talent to respond to the demand of new industries in Macao and Hengqin. With the tremendous support of the central government and the Macao SAR government, the university has rapidly developed in all aspects. According to Prof Song, as the only university on Hengqin Island, UM has the responsibility for nurturing professionals and producing results via industry-academia collaboration. ‘The university is not only a beneficiary of government policies, but also a contributor to social and economic development,’ says Prof Song. ‘Through research, UM aims to leverage the advantages of Macao and the university to respond to the needs of China and the city, respectively. By continuously expanding and deepening our collaboration with stakeholders in mainland China, we can give full play to the strengths of Macao and the mainland to achieve collaborative innovation and development, and to integrate Macao into the overall development of innovation and technology in the country. At a time when Macao’s economic structure is in dire need of transformation, UM will continue to complement the policies of the central government and the SAR government to accelerate technology transfer in order to serve the needs of the country and Macao,’ he adds.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTQ1NDU2Ng==