The Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) of the University of Macau (UM) recently held the first Symposium on Frontiers of Science and Technology. The event attracted more than 100 scholars and students from different fields to discuss issues related to cutting-edge technology and interdisciplinary applications. The symposium also exhibited many scientific research results of PhD students at UM.

According to Xu Chengzhong, dean of the FST, the faculty attaches great importance to technological innovation and interdisciplinary research. The symposium aims to create a comprehensive exchange platform for participants to explore opportunities for interdisciplinary cooperation. The event also hopes to inspire innovative thinking, analyse major challenges, and create impactful research results for Macao and the global society in response to the development of a knowledge-based society.

During the event, a number of scholars in the fields of computer and information science, civil and environmental engineering, electrical and computer engineering, and electromechanical engineering discussed their research results. These scholars included Prof Xu, the two recipients of this year’s Research Excellence Award, namely Zhou Wanhuan, professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Wong Fai, associate professor in the Department of Computer and Information Sciences; as well Zhong Junwen, assistant professor in the Department of Electromechanical Engineering; Cai Yunpeng and Chen Rongliang, representatives of the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences; Joel Reis, a postdoctoral fellow in the faculty; and He Shuyu and Zhan Hongfei, two PhD students in the faculty.

In addition, the research results of a number of UM PhD students were presented in the form of posters, covering a wide range of areas including autonomous driving, tunnel settlement prediction, machine translation and flexible robotics. Five students namely Chen Feifei, Chen Xiangyu, Liu Yingzhi, Zeng Junjie, and Zhao Jing received the Best Poster Awards. The FST also took this opportunity to discuss the joint doctoral program with the representatives of SIAT. Participants in the event included professors and students in the FST, the State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City, and the Institute of Collaborative Innovation.

The FST is committed to organising high-quality academic activities to foster a culture of interdisciplinary and keep scholars abreast of the issues of interest to the world’s leading scientists to keep them at the forefront of science and technology.