The University of Macau (UM) held a Doctor honoris causa Lecture titled ‘A Long Journey with the Fascinating (Micro)electronics’, with Franco Maloberti, member of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), Division I Director (2022-2023) of IEEE, and honorary doctor of UM, as the speaker. During the talk, Prof Maloberti shared his experience in microelectronics research. He also met with UM’s management and researchers to discuss the development of cutting-edge research.
In his speech, Rui Martins, vice rector of UM and director of the Institute of Microelectronics (IME), shared his first encounter and interactions with Prof Maloberti during his PhD studies, and said that Prof Maloberti always maintains close interaction and communication with students in the State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI (SKL-AMSV). He also spoke highly of Prof Maloberti’s pragmatic and approachable demeanor, and looks forward to further collaborations with him in research and journal publications. Moreover, Martins highlighted that Prof Maloberti’s research career, which has spanned more than half a century with extraordinary achievements, is best described as the journey of an accomplished marathon runner.
During the talk, Prof Maloberti reviewed his 56-year research career in (micro) electronics, including his post-graduate experience, his first encounter with microelectronics, his first visit to China to attend a conference, his collaborations with the industry, and his representative inventions at different times. He also described his journey as a process of exploring slowly in a forest rather than driving on a highway. He stressed that curiosity is the foundation of creativity and innovation, and encouraged researchers to be passionate and resilient in their research endeavours, and focus on medium- and long-term goals. Meanwhile, he pointed out that while computer tools can improve the effectiveness and efficiency of information management, it is still crucial to maintain independent thinking. Finally, he encouraged the audience to enjoy the wonderful adventure of life to the fullest.
In addition, Prof Maloberti visited microelectronics-related research facilities at UM, attended the Fifth Academic Committee Meeting of SKL-AMSV, and IME’s Distinguished Lecture Series of Microelectronics. He exchanged views with UM’s management and researchers and learned about the latest developments of the university. He highly praised UM students for their innovative and proactive attitude.
Prof Maloberti is the author of more than 620 papers and 10 books, as well as the holder of 41 patents. In recognition of his significant contributions to the development of microelectronics at UM, the university conferred on him an honorary professorship in 2009. Prof Maloberti maintains a close partnership with UM. In 2010, he co-authored a paper on analogue-to-digital converters. The paper has been cited more than 600 times, making it the most cited paper in SKL-AMSV.
