FST Academic Retreat 2019 at Shenzhen
科技學院教學人員深圳retreat收穫豐

The University of Macau (UM) Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) held a retreat for faculty members at Shenzhen from 4 to 6 August in this summer, prior to the start of the new academic year. The purposes of the retreat were to enhance communication, build team spirit and review the faculty strategic plan under the relaxing environment. Interaction with industries and institutes was also made. The retreat allowed faculty members to be inspired and to keep up with the UM development trend, so as to welcome the opportunities and challenges from the industries, universities, and research institutes.

Prof. Cheng-Zhong Xu, Dean of FST, and representatives of 6 departments had a meeting to set the faculty’s 5-year development plan and performance assessment criteria. The meeting was followed by an open discussion session, Prof. Yonghua SONG, Rector, and Prof. Wei GE, Vice Rector (Research), shared the most undated development of UM. Participants had a deep understanding of FST’s blueprint in aspects of admission, course and programme offering, teaching and research team development, teaching, research and services to UM and outside parties, so as to serve UM in line with its “RISE” and “4S” strategies efficiently and effectively.

During the visit to the Shenzhen Reform and Opening-Up Exhibition Hall, participants not only learnt more about Guangdong’s achievement of its reform and opening since 1978, but also got to know how Shenzhen turned into a special economic zone and became the Silicon Valley of China. Shenzhen, an innovation and technology hub, is a perfect example of the national reform district and a cradle of electronic information and Internet tycoons such as Huawei, ZTE and Tencent.

On the last day of the retreat, participants were on a visit to the Alphaba smart driving demonstration site of the Shenzhen Haylion Technologies Co Limited (Haylion). Haylion is the very first startup company that applies smart driving technology to public transportation in the world, with zero-accident as of present. A collaboration agreement was also signed between the State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City (University of Macau) and Haylion, to enhance research cooperation, streamline patent and key technology development and conduct pilot driving of Alphaba in selected cities of the Greater Bay Area.

Another visit to the Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology (SIAT), Chinese Academy of Sciences was also made. Participants received warm welcome from SIAT’s Vice Presidents Jiancheng LV and Wei FENG. During the meeting, the two sides further discussed the concrete implementation regarding the collaboration agreement for the Joint Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence and the joint PhD training programmes signed by UM and SIAT in May 2019. Participants also shared their research areas and outputs during the meeting and the lab visits.

The final stop was the Tencent’s twin-skyscrapers headquarters Seafront Towers. Tencent is the largest internet enterprise in China with the largest number of social software users. Participants were impressed by Tencent’s animation presentation layout, multi-disciplinary business and technology development projects such as welink. The delegation then had meeting led by the Tencent Cloud Vice President/ Tencent Education Vice President Manqing FU, to elaborate possible cooperation between UM and Tencent and discuss internship opportunity for UM students.

This retreat marks the first of its kind in FST’s 30-year history. Through the comprehensive arrangements of the retreat, participants considered it to be meaningful and fruitful. They not only got to know more development blueprint of UM and FST, but also acquired the pioneer spirit. Further, they built up network for research and incubation. All participants are motivated and full of energy to keep serving for the UM, FST and the society by holding the vision of “carrying on the past and forging into the future”.

暑假臨近結尾，新學年在即，科技學院帶領教學人員一行三十餘人於8月4至6日前往深圳，展開為期三天的retreat，讓大家稍稍放下繁忙的工作，緩解一下壓力，在輕鬆愉快的環境下溝通互動，加深學院凝聚力，更好地回顧過去、展望未來；在內部會議期間集思廣益，透過演示和討論、以及會議前後的參觀和體驗，教學人員啟發甚深，以更好地迎接新學年後產學研上的機遇和挑戰。

內部會議期間，科技學院院長和六大學系代表就未來五年發展規劃和教學人員評核細則作演示。會後安排討論環節，由澳大校長宋永華和副校長（研究）葛偉先後分享澳大最新發展，並提供開放互動機會收集眾人反饋，現場討論氣氛熱烈。參與者對學院的招生、學科課程、教研團隊建設、教學、研究、校內和校外服務等發展藍圖和規劃有更深入理解，以期更高效和更具針對性地配合澳大RISE和4S發展策略。

內部會議前一天，眾人參觀深圳改革開放展覽館，體驗廣東改革開放多年來的輝煌成就。深圳是經濟特區、高新技術研發和製造高地、和國家綜合配套改革試驗區，軟硬件規劃和配套都甚具前瞻性。其敢於突破的精神和高效的表現，成功推進知名電子信息和互聯網企業（如華為、中興通訊、騰訊）等迅速崛起。透過此行，充分感受深圳在跨領域合作和科研創新的熱誠和實力。

內部會議結束後翌日，宋校長、葛副校長和科技學院前往深圳市海梁科技有限公司，在這間全球首次在開放道路上進行智能駕駛公交試運行的初創企業，參觀其阿爾法巴智能駕駛示範基地並體驗上車試乘，阿爾法巴智能公交目前在各種交通和天氣狀況下保持安全無事故記錄。稍後，科技學院見證海梁科技與澳門大學智慧城市物聯網國家重點實驗室簽署有關智慧出行及無人駕駛巴士領域的戰略合作框架協議，雙方期望加強科研人才合作、優化專利關鍵技術，於粵港澳大灣區城市試行。

葛副校長和科技學院隨後拜訪中國科學院深圳先進技術研究院，先獲副院長呂建成及其領導班子宴請、後與紀委書記馮偉及相關領域中心主任開會。此行目的一為5月份簽署的人工智能與機器人聯合實驗室、博士生聯合培養協議進行對接，以落實聯合實驗室具體合作項目、招攬優秀的博士生入讀澳大；二為參觀其國際化一流水平的科研單位如勞特伯生物醫學成像研究中心、神經工程研究中心等，參觀期間與科研團隊交流，分享研究和專利成果背後的耕耘。

行程最後一站參觀騰訊位於深圳濱海大廈總部。作為國內規模最大和社交軟件使用人數最多的互聯網企業，騰訊的動畫演示佈局、跨領域業務和技術開發項目如微瓴系統等，無不令人印象深刻。其後，騰訊雲副總裁/騰訊教育副總裁付曼青與葛副校長和科技學院領導團隊開會，洽談和澳大將來的合作方向，以及有關澳大學生實習安排。

是次retreat適逢科技學院30週年首次舉辦，參加者認為相關會議、參觀和體驗饒有意義：加深了解澳大和學院學系的發展藍圖、學習到深圳「敢為人先」的創新精神和執行力、認識了跨領域的科研合作伙伴、找到更多孵化科研成果的機會。眾人帶著滿滿的得著和能量，同心同德，繼續為澳大、學院和社會作建設，實現「繼往開來，再創輝煌」的願景。