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| (Left)Prof. Rui Martins receives diploma of corresponding member from the Portuguese Academy of Sciences |
The University of Macau’s (UM) Vice Rector (Research) Prof. Rui Martins recently received from the Portuguese Academy of Sciences the diploma of corresponding member, a prestigious honour conferred upon him by the academy in 2010, in recognition of his outstanding achievements and remarkable contributions in microelectronics research. The presentation ceremony was attended by Head of Mission of the Macau Representative Office in Lisbon Mr. Raimundo do Rosario. The diploma was presented by President of the Class of Sciences Prof. Arantes e Oliveira. After the ceremony, Prof. Martins delivered a speech entitled "Two Decades of Microelectronics in Macao – From a Desert to a State Key Lab of China”.
Prof. Martins’ academic career spanning thirty years began in 1980. After working at the Technical University of Lisbon for twelve years, he joined UM, where he first worked as the dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology for three years and later as the vice rector (research). He established a research team in microelectronics and has since educated several dozen outstanding undergraduate, master, and PhD students. Under his leadership, the team has achieved some internationally recognized research results. For instance, a project developed by his team was granted Macao’s first-ever patent in the field of high-tech microelectronics. In recognition of his achievements in the field, in 2008 he was elected fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), becoming the first scholar in Macao to receive this highest honour of IEEE. In 2010, he was unanimously elected corresponding member of the Portuguese Academy of Sciences, bringing his academic career to a new height.
The Portuguese Academy of Sciences was founded in 1779 by Queen Mary I and is currently known as the Academy of Sciences of Lisbon. When it was first founded, the academy consisted of three categories, namely natural sciences, exact sciences, and fine arts. Later, in 1851, it was reorganized into two categories: one is science, and the other is letters. Currently, there are thirty-five members, seventy corresponding members (national), and up to seventy foreign members, in each category. Members are chosen based on their merits in academic and scientific activities. The selection process is extremely strict, including submission of a proposal, evaluation of the candidate’s resume, voting via a plenary meeting, and submission of the voting results for approval by the president of the academy. Prof. Martins was the first scholar in Macao to be elected corresponding member of the academy, and he is also the only Portuguese member of the academy in Asia.
