Digital technology is constantly evolving, affecting every economic sector and industry. What changes has digital technology brought to the educational model of universities? In this interview, five honorary doctors of the University of Macau (UM) share their perspectives on this question. These five honorary doctors are: Prof Ching-Ping Wong, known as the Father of Modern Semiconductor Packaging; Prof Cai Fang, listed among the ‘100 economists who influenced the economic development of China in the past 60 years’; Prof William Shiyuan Wang, a world-renowned linguist; Prof Leong Kam Weng, a pioneer in nano-therapeutics research; and Prof Franco Maloberti, a leading scholar in microelectronics research. They discuss how universities can promote teaching and research innovation in the digital era, and share their insights and visions for the future development of higher education.
Question: ‘Innovation-driven development’ has frequently appeared in the development policy documents of the Chinese government. What does ‘innovation’ mean to universities?
Prof Wong: ‘Innovation’ emphasises practical, commercially valuable research, while ‘creativity’ is more concerned with pure research. Typically, scholars who aim for a Nobel Prize prioritise ‘creativity’ and pursue intellectual breakthroughs in pure research, so they put less focus on ‘innovation’. On the other hand, since pure research underpins much applied research, many research teams engage in ‘innovation’ and develop commercial products based on the findings of pure research. I have noticed that in recent years, the Chinese central government has increasingly acknowledged the importance of innovation in universities. As a result, it has allocated more resources to enhance academia-industry collaboration to boost productivity through innovations.
Prof Cai: In China, as the demographic dividend diminishes, technological innovation has emerged as a new growth driver, which is poised to shape China’s economic development until 2035, where ‘innovation-driven development’ plays a crucial role. China’s economic development, including the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and Macao’s economic restructuring, is inseparable from ‘innovation-driven development’. So, what does ‘innovation-driven development’ mean? It means generating potential wealth and employment opportunities through the development of intellectual property rights. Therefore, it is important for universities to cultivate a significant pool of innovative talent. By doing so, they can ensure that students are equipped with the skills to harness innovative technologies and transform research results into commercial products.
Question: Artificial intelligence (AI) is a driving force behind scientific and technological innovation. How does it impact the development of academic disciplines?
Prof Wang: AI picks up language very quickly and begins to produce articles as though they were produced by a human, a development that fascinates linguists. According to the theory of mind, humans have the capacity to understand others by ascribing mental states, such as emotions, expectations, thoughts, and beliefs, and use these states to predict and explain others’ actions. This is a fundamental aspect of effective communication. In contrast, AI is fed the entirety of the Internet to reproduce language. Does it mean that AI operates on a theory of mind? I believe that by understanding the process behind AI creation, we can significantly broaden the research scope of linguistics and achieve a new horizon of information and knowledge.
Prof Leong: Biomedical sciences have been greatly influenced by AI. In particular, AI has enhanced our productivity and the ability to analyse data that are imperceptible to the human eye. For example, in biomedical sciences, you need to deal with massive amounts of data when conducting single-cell analyses such as single-cell RNA sequencing. In this case, machine learning algorithms can help you analyse such data.
Prof Cai: Most traditional economic forecasts in social sciences research lack accuracy, primarily for two reasons. First, researchers often base predictions on historical data. Second, data collected through sampling methods do not represent the whole picture, and it is also difficult for researchers to obtain comprehensive datasets. However, the future application of cloud computing and real-time big data analysis will enhance the relevance of research outcomes by reflecting more comprehensive data sets, thereby improving the representativeness of the research. This will be a trend in future research methodologies. Consequently, it is essential to train students to proficiently use AI technologies rather than be outpaced by them.’
Question: As emerging interdisciplinary fields thrive, traditional disciplinary boundaries are blurring. Do you view this development as positive?
Prof Wang: Each discipline has its own inherent thinking patterns and limitations. Without thinking outside the box, it is difficult to innovate. For example, a person’s gradual loss of language ability could result from neurological disorders or simply ageing. To understand the cause, I need a deeper understanding of the brain, so I consult neuroscience experts at the hospital and study the anatomy of neurons to understand how various brain regions affect language ability. The key lies in identifying problems and finding solutions, rather than confining yourself to a specific field. In today’s world, boundaries between disciplines are like lines in the sand. When the next wave of new knowledge arrives, these lines will be erased.
Prof Leong: I initially trained in chemical engineering at university. During my doctoral studies, my interest shifted to drug delivery, so I started to engage in interdisciplinary research spanning chemistry, biology, and medicine. When it comes to developing technologies to treat human diseases, collaboration with scientists from various disciplines is essential. I consider myself a multidisciplinarian—I am passionate about leveraging knowledge from different fields to advance medical development. Therefore, in the era of digital technology, it is crucial for students to receive interdisciplinary training and learn to collaborate with teams from different disciplines.
Question: In research innovation, should universities prioritise market demand or the interests of their research teams?
Prof Maloberti: University research teams should maintain close connections with industry partners to avoid unnecessary pitfalls. This is especially important in the microelectronics field, where companies often need something that is immediately useful, rather than just viable in the near future. I once dedicated a great deal of effort to a project I believed was excellent, only to discover that the partner company did not need such a product. This experience taught me a valuable lesson: regular communication with industry partners is essential throughout research and development.
Prof Wong: If a research team has not yet identified the potential market value of their work, they can continue to develop their project based on their original ideas. This is because most researchers are good at developing innovative ideas but often fail to recognise the commercial value of their research results. In such cases, the role of the university’s academia-industry collaboration or intellectual property (IP) department becomes crucial. They can offer support to research teams on how to form partnerships with businesses. Leading international universities encourage professors to apply for patents. They direct professors to the IP department, which helps them find business partners and introduces their projects to businesses.
Question: How should universities innovate teaching and research to cultivate the next generation of talent?
Prof Leong: I would suggest that universities put more emphasis on digital technology and incorporate digital skills into their undergraduate curricula. UM’s visiting fellowships are a very good initiative for student development. As a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences at UM, I have delivered lectures and provided research guidance for students, and facilitated academic exchanges for many UM researchers in my lab in the US. All these efforts are very beneficial to student development.
Prof Maloberti: By effectively fulfilling our roles as educators, we can empower young people to realise their dreams. Over the years, I have met many ambitious Chinese students eager to build a brilliant future through innovative research. Since 1997, I have collaborated with UM’s chip R&D team. A state key laboratory in microelectronics was later established at the university, which has facilitated my interactions and communications with UM faculty and students, further driving advancements in chip technology. In nurturing students, my role is to help them avoid pitfalls in their research journey. This process is like making a good cake: To succeed, you need good ingredients and a good oven; but maybe you also need some baking powder, and that’s me.
About the UM honorary doctors:
Prof Ching-Ping Wong
Prof Ching-Ping Wong is a member of the US National Academy of Engineering and a pioneer in science and engineering. His groundbreaking plastic packaging technology in integrated circuit packaging has fundamentally transformed the semiconductor packaging landscape. This innovation enabled the American telecommunications company AT&T to replace traditional ceramic packaging, saving tens of millions of US dollars. Prof Wong’s technology has also empowered companies to manufacture electronic devices people use in daily life with improved performance and reduced costs.
Prof Cai Fang
Prof Cai Fang specialises in population and labour economics research. He is currently a chief expert of the China Top Think Tank and a member of the Academic Committee at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. Prof Cai is recognised as the first scholar to identify China’s Lewisian Turning Point and to alert people to the disappearance of the ‘demographic dividend’. He was also the first scholar to advocate prioritising employment in China’s economic development strategies. Prof Cai has long been dedicated his career to studying and addressing the challenges of poverty alleviation in China.
Prof William Shiyuan Wang
Prof William Shiyuan Wang is regarded as a leading figure in the development of language theory, language engineering, evolutionary linguistics, computational linguistics, experimental phonetics, and cognition and neurolinguistics. His ‘lexical diffusion theory’ has become a classic theoretical model with a worldwide impact on historical linguistics. In addition, Prof Wang founded Journal of Chinese Linguistics at the University of California, Berkeley in 1973, the most influential academic journal in the field of Chinese linguistics. This journal is now co-edited by UM and Beijing Language and Culture University.
Prof Leong Kam Weng
Prof Leong Kam Weng is a member of the US National Academy of Engineering and a leading scholar in biomaterials. He developed the innovative controlled-release therapy ‘Gliadel’, which significantly extends the life expectancy of cancer patients after surgery. Over the past 30 years, Prof Leong has actively collaborated with academic communities in China to promote innovation in medical science and technology. In addition, he served as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar at the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences of UM, during which he made multiple visits to the university to deliver lectures and mentor research.
Prof Franco Maloberti
Prof Franco Maloberti is a leading scholar in data conversion and signal processing. He has led numerous major research projects for various government departments in Europe and for companies around the world. His textbook, Data Converters, which has been translated into Polish and Chinese, is widely used by both students and practitioners, exerting significant academic influence worldwide. In addition, Prof Maloberti has played a crucial role in establishing UM and Macao as leaders in the global electronics technology landscape.
Text / Kelvin U, Senior UM Reporter Wang Chuyue
Photo / Jack Ho, Editorial Board
English Translation / Bess Che
Source: UMagazine ISSUE 30
