On May 31, 2024, President Chair Prof. Joseph Hun-wei Lee led a Macau University of Science and Technology (M.U.S.T.) delegation to visit the Rensselaer Polytechnical Institute (RPI) in Troy, by the side of the Hudson River in upstate New York. RPI is a private research university with emphasis on science and engineering with an excellent reputation for innovative research and undergraduate engineering education. Established in 1824, it is the oldest technological university in the English-speaking world. Examples of numerous notable alumni from RPI include Ivar Giaever, a Nobel Prize winner in physics; Raymond Tomlinson, the inventor of email; and Curtis Priem, Co-founder and first CTO of Nvidia.
The visit was received with a warm reception from the Dean of Engineering Professor Shekar Garde and several department heads. After President Lee and Dean Shekar Garde briefly introduced M.U.S.T. and RPI, the faculty experts from both institutions shared their experiences in engineering education. Three elements significantly contribute to RPI’s renowned and successful engineering education: (i) It emphasizes hands-on experimental learning. Guided by the instructors, the excellent laboratories equipped with modern tools provide broad experiential learning opportunities for students. (ii) It facilitates interdisciplinary engineering education. Students from different schools and disciplines are encouraged to explore solutions for problems related to the grand engineering challenges. (iii) there are extensive links and partnership with industry and local community. Substantive synergistic effects are achieved for RPI, industry, and community colleges by utilizing each party’s unique advantages. The delegation was most impressed with the passion and commitment to education as illustrated by innovative experimental courses like “computational creativity” designed to inculcate critical thinking and effective application among students in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT.
Accompanied by Dean Shekar Garde and Head of Electrical Engineering Prof John Wen, President Lee and the delegation visited the Manufacturing Innovation Learning Lab, Hearst Digital Lab, Forge Student Maker Space (3D printing of engineering design), Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies (CBIS), the quantum computer at the Voorhis Computing Center, and the Experimental Media and Performing Arts Center (EMPAC). These labs and learning platforms further showcase RPI’s focus on innovative and collaborative education and research where students meet with industries to collaborate and create solutions. CBIS, for example, was set up to enable researchers to further innovation and discovery across multiple disciplines to tackle global health challenges, such as diabetes, regeneration, and circadian rhythm. EMPAC, both a performing arts center and research and production facility, provides an environment that supports the realization of complex artworks and research projects, another representation of cross-disciplinary research and education.
Overall, the visit to RPI provided valuable learning and insights to the M.U.S.T. delegation. RPI’s emphases on hands-on experimental learning, interdisciplinary engineering education, and pervasive collaboration with industry and local partners provide excellent references for M.U.S.T. to further develop higher education for next generation innovation engineers.
The delegation included Vice-President Chair Prof. Tam Kwong Hang, Prof. Li Xiao Dong, Assistant Dean of Faculty of Innovation Engineering; Chair Prof. Wu Naiqi, Head of Department of Engineering Science; Prof. Wang Wenmin, Program Director of School of Computer Science and Engineering; Professor Sookja Chung of Faculty of Medicine & Associate Program Director of Engineering Foundation Program; Assistant Prof. Cai Qihai of School of Business; Assistant Prof. Zhang Kai of Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, and Sheryl Lee, Faculty Secretary of Faculty of Innovation Engineering.
President Lee and M.U.S.T. delegation with Dean Garde and RPI Engineering professors
Dean Garde with President Lee next to statue of 1922 RPI graduate Erik Jonsson, founder of Texas Instruments Inc.
Prof. Li Xiao Dong giving a presentation on Engineering Education at M.U.S.T.
Professor Shayla Sawyer introducing Mercer XLab – an innovative platform for engineering education
Professor Rich Radke introducing an experimental course on “Computational Creativity”
Visit to the Manufacturing Innovation Learning Lab: (i) chief technical officer showing the automation and manufacturing teaching facility (top); (ii) Head of EESE Prof John Wen explaining an industry sponsored research project on welding robots (bottom).
Visit to the Forge Student Maker Space
Visit of the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies
Visit of the Quantum System One Computer, Voorhees Computing Center
President Lee with Dean Garde and the M.U.S.T. delegation in front of the EMPAC concert hall
