The Macao SAR government today (7 October) presented the Macao Science and Technology Awards 2020. The University of Macao (UM) has won 11 awards, accounting for nearly 70 per percent of all the awards presented this year. UM’s postgraduate students have also performed very well, with 13 doctoral students and three master’s students receiving the Scientific and Technological R&D Award for Postgraduates.

Out of the 16 prizes, UM has received 11 prizes, including three second prizes and three third prizes in the Natural Science Award category; a first prize, a second prize, and two third prizes in the Technological Invention Award category; as well as a third prize in the Science and Technology Progress Award category.

Greta Mok, an associate professor in the Faculty of Science and Technology at UM, is the only female scholar from Macao to receive an award this year. In her speech, Prof Mok said that for those scientific researchers who have made Macao their homes, it is a tremendous honour to receive the Macao Science and Technology Awards, which represent the highest form of recognition and commendation for their work. She added that she and her fellow researchers would continue to work hard in order to meet the expectations of the SAR government and the country, give full play to their strengths, enhance collaboration with researchers and institutions in the Greater Bay Area, and strive to industrialise their inventions to benefit the public. Prof Mok further said that they would never forget why they chose a scientific career in the first place, and would continue to pursue excellence and nurture young scientists in order to contribute to the sustainable development of Macao.

UM’s research strategy can be summarised as ‘focusing on key areas’, ‘making use of advantages’, ‘creating peaks’, ‘highlighting characteristics’, and ‘strengthening cooperation’. In addition to giving priority to disciplines that reflects both Macao’s unique characteristics and global trends, the university also provides full support to the three state key laboratories (focused on quality research in traditional Chinese medicine, microelectronics, and internet of things applications for smart cities, respectively), three emerging research fields (precision medicine, advanced materials, and regional oceanology), as well as three interdisciplinary research fields (artificial intelligence and robotics, cognitive and brain sciences, and data sciences), in order to encourage interdisciplinary collaborations, especially the integration of humanities and social sciences with modern technology. The awards represent official recognition of the university’s research capacity and will motivate the university to continue to promote technological innovation, industry-academia collaboration, and technology transfer.

Below is a list of the awards received by UM and the key persons involved in the award-winning projects:

*Provided by Research Services and Knowledge Transfer Office