The University of Macau (UM) today (22 August) held a lecture on innovation-driven development and basic research in mainland China, as part of the University Lecture Series. Yang Wei, a renowned expert in mechanics, was the keynote speaker. During the talk, Yang discussed the driving force behind innovation in mainland China, its characteristics, and the country’s recent development in basic research. The talk attracted many UM faculty members, students, as well as teachers and students from local secondary schools and members of the general public.

In his speech, UM Rector Yonghua Song said that innovative ideas are what today’s ‘smart’ society is pursuing and innovations can be applied in various professionals fields and our everyday life. According to Song, Yang is the ideal speaker for this lecture because he is not only an expert in solid mechanics, but also a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and head of the Department of Technology and Science. He was formerly the president of Zhejiang University and the National Natural Science Foundation of China and has long been involved in the studies of innovation-driven development and basic research.

During the talk, Yang said that the development of mainland China is shifting to a new model of innovation-driven economy, adding that the development is based on a long chain of industrial procedures, from basic research, technological breakthroughs, and product development, to market share consolidation. According to Yang, basic research in the new era exhibits four features: dynamic upgrade in all disciplines, steady improvement in research quality and integrity, the emergence of a new generation of professionals, and the increase in international collaborations. In addition, China seeks to achieve four breakthroughs: original scientific contributions, applied basic research that can enhance China’s national competitiveness, new scientific facilities that can attract scientists from around the world, and the development of world-class research teams. Yang also discussed the three weaknesses in basic research in mainland China and shed some light on China’s innovation-driven development from different perspectives.

Source: Rector’s Office

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