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December 2010 represents an important milestone in the history of research development at the University of Macau (UM) .
It was in this month that UM successfully passed the rigorous review of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China, after a long process of application and evaluation started and supported by the Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT), from the Macao SAR government, and obtained the approval for two state key laboratories, namely the State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI (AMS-VLSI SK Lab) and The State Key Laboratory for Quality Research in Chinese Medicine (QRCM SK Lab). The former will be the only state key laboratory in microelectronics in Macao. The latter, to be jointly established by UM and the Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), will be the first state key laboratory in the field of Chinese medicine. Obtaining the support of the central government is a strategic move on the part of UM in its attempt to innovate research, and the success in obtaining such support is the result of UM staff’s unremitting effort and commitment to realizing their full potential.
Becoming a state key laboratory will lead to a substantial improvement of the research innovation ability
The “state key laboratory” programme, which kicked off in 1984, is a key part of the national science and technology innovation system. It covers numerous disciplines and has a high entry bar. At the end of 2007, there were only 258 state key laboratories nationwide.
At present there is only one state key laboratory in China that specializes in microelectronics—the ASIC & System State Key Lab at Fudan University. State key laboratories specializing in medical study are also few, including the State Key Laboratory of Drug Research of the Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences; the State Key Lab of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University; the State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Nanjing University; and the State Key Laboratory of Phytochemistry and Plant Resources in West China, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Except for a few laboratories jointly established by the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and respective provinces, there have been no MOST-directly-approved state key laboratories with Chinese medicine as the main area of research. A state key laboratory in microelectronics is also the first of its kind in Guangdong province.
Rising to the world’s forefront of research in microelectronics
More than a decade ago, there was zero research in the field of microelectronics in Macao. After breaking through barriers encountered during the initial stage, UM gradually attained some achievements in this field. The birth of the UMChip in 1995 marks a starting point in UM’s microelectronics research, being the first published result in the field presented to an international conference. The minimum size of the UMChip, which adopted a technology called “CMOS”, was 1.2 micrometers. Through years of development, the minimum size of a chip designed by UM’s microelectronics research team is now 65 nanometers (1 micrometer = 1000 nanometers). In 2001 UM participated in the establishment of Chipidea, which was the only company in Macao that specialized in the design, research and development of integrated circuits. What was more encouraging was that the success in microelectronic research directly contributed to Chipidea being purchased last year by Synopsys, one of the world’s largest companies in the electronic design automation industry. That purchase made Chipidea the world’s No. 1 supplier of intellectual property on analogue integrated circuits and connectors. So far UM has repeatedly broken world records in terms of chip size and has proposed the hitherto most advanced wireless and data conversion solutions. It is fair to say that UM is now at the forefront of research in microelectronics at both the academic and industrial levels, in particular in China.
The goal: becoming a silicon chip research centre
The AMS-VLSI SK Lab will be jointly established by UM and the ASIC & System State Key Lab at Fudan University. By drawing on the strengths of the partner, UM aims to develop the AMS-VLSI SK Lab into the most important silicon chip research centre in China. The lab will carry out research in analogue and mixed-signal integrated circuits by utilizing the advanced nano-chip technology, and will at the same time train master’s students, doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers. The AMS-VLSI SK Lab is expected to contribute to a substantial improvement of Macao’s R&D capability by serving as a high-quality platform for the development of chip technology, human resources, software design and testing equipment.
The AMS-VLSI SK Lab research team was jubilant at the good news that the application was approved. “It only took UM a mere 15 years to rise from obscurity to the world’s forefront in the field of microelectronics, which proves that as long as one team works hard with well-defined goals, success can be made possible!” remarked Prof. Rui Martins with obvious excitement. The Portuguese-born Prof. Martins is UM’s Vice Rector (Research) and the leading expert that has led UM’s microelectronics team to achieve numerous breakthroughs. Like his team members, he sees the future as full of new challenges but also endless possibilities.
Carrying out cutting-edge research projects on electronic systems
To achieve a goal, one has to try again and again to surmount new challenges. The AMS-VLSI SK Lab research team now systematically carryies out cutting-edge projects on various electronic systems, such as data conversion and signal processing, wireless telecommunication, cyber physical integrated systems, biomedical engineering, and electric and electronic controllers. The researchers, who have grown accustomed to working hard day and night, should meet greater responsibilities now that the application for establishing a state key laboratory has been approved. They hope that eventually relevant technological achievements and patents can have a tangible impact on the industry and help enhance China’s independent R&D ability in the field of chip design.
Combining Chinese and western technologies
Sometimes good things come in pairs. On xx October researchers of the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS) of UM were elated to learn that their application for establishing a state key laboratory was also approved.
On that day ICMS director Prof. Wang Yitao was very busy. He received congratulations from research partners from around the world via telephone calls and emails. He disclosed excitedly that the evaluation of the quality of Chinese medicines will be the QRCM SK Lab’s main area of research, and the innovation and internationalization of Chinese medicine will be its main objective. According to Prof. Wang, the subjects of study will include Chinese medicines with various functions, such as medicines that promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis; medicines that reduce internal body heat and remove toxic substances; and medicines that improve the body’s immunization system, and the focus will be placed on age-related diseases and degenerative diseases. The research will cover numerous fields such as chemistry, analysis, medicines, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, safety, clinic study, and information. “We will fully tap into Macao’s uniquely advantageous position as a place where eastern and western cultures and technologies meet, and we will combine Chinese medical science with cutting-edge modern technologies. We will strive to achieve breakthroughs to address the key problems in the process of modernization and internationalization of Chinese medicines,” noted Prof. Wang, full of hope for the future of Chinese medicine.
Advancing the modernization and internationalization of Chinese medicines
The academics and students of ICMS will work together to develop the laboratory into a world-class platform for Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao to cooperate as well as an international platform for scientific and technological cooperation in Chinese medicine, thereby contributing to the moderate economic diversification of Macao, advancing medical education and scientific and technological progress in Macao, furthering innovation in medical R&D and the development of the biomedical industry in the Pearl River Delta region, serving as a bridge of scientific and technological cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries in the field of traditional medicine, and accelerating the modernization and internationalization of Chinese medicines.
Of course the QRCM SK Lab is not alone in this pursuit. According to the central government’s policies, it will cooperate with the State Key Lab of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs, Peking University, in carrying out innovative research in Chinese medicine. In fact, the cooperation between UM and Peking University in the field of Chinese medicine dates back to 2002 when ICMS was just founded. The full cooperation between the two institutions in areas of education, science and technology was officially established through the signing of an agreement on cooperation in the medical field. Every year Peking University recommends four to eight outstanding students to UM for studying in its PhD and master’s programmes. Prof. Wang also serves as the director of the International Research Center for Medicinal Administration at Peking University, an institution co-established by the two universities.
Striving to become WHO’s centre for cooperation in traditional medicine
When Prof. Wang took up office as Director of ICMS nine years ago, he foresaw a future full of challenges. But he and his team members love challenges, and their determination to push forward the development of Chinese medicine is what has motivated them to overcome one challenge after another. “Establishment of a state key laboratory is not the finishing line for us, but rather a new starting point for a long march,” said Prof. Wang. This urbane, genial expert on Chinese medicine is a composed leader of ICMS. He is deeply aware that the achievements ICMS has attained do not happen overnight, but rather are the result of many years of effort. He said he believed that with the central government’s support, they were sure to make greater contributions to the future development of Chinese medicine.
The next step for ICMS is to strive to become the World Health Organization (WHO)’s centre for cooperation in traditional medicine and also to further consolidate its role as an international platform for scientific and technological cooperation in traditional medicine. For ICMS this is a crucial step to becoming an international platform in this field. When that goal is achieved, ICMS’s future will be even brighter.
The new campus brings more opportunities and breakthroughs
In less than three years, the construction of the new UM campus on Hengqin Island will be complete. There will be three open research bases on the new campus: one for Information and Electronics (that will include the Microelectronics Lab), one for Chinese Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and one for Energy and Environment. The increase of such facilities will surely create more favorable conditions for UM to conduct research and will also bring more opportunities and breakthroughs for UM and Macao.
