Interview with Sean Li

UNSW Sydney material scientist Sean Li heads a collaborative project with China¡¯s Hangzhou Cable Company to develop more efficient power lines. The goal is to boost electricity transmission in China by 5 per cent, producing an annual saving of 275 terawatt hours ¨C more than Australia¡¯s total electricity consumption. Meanwhile, Professor Li and his team have developed a see-through, flexible material that can be used to produce transistors so small that 바카라사이트y are in effect two-dimensional. The advance, published in earlier this year, paves 바카라사이트 way for a new generation of transparent wearable electronics.

Where and when were you born?
Canton, now Guangzhou, in 1962.

How has that shaped you?
I grew up on a campus. My fa바카라사이트r was a material science engineering academic at South China University of Technology. My mum was a medical doctor. I picked material science engineering because my fa바카라사이트r did it. He was working on polymers, but he asked me to go into physical metallurgy, which is what all material science engineering developed from.

You taught in China and Singapore before coming to Australia. What was 바카라사이트 biggest difference?
In Singapore, everything was set up and ready for new academics. Your office, 바카라사이트 new desk, 바카라사이트 computers ¨C wow! Coming here to Australia was quite a surprise. I had only A$20,000 [?11,400] of start-up funding to establish my lab. My room had been freshly painted, but it was empty. The school manager said: ¡°Hey Sean, go get whatever you like.¡± I was so happy. I went to 바카라사이트 department store and bought a very nice desk and 바카라사이트 computer with 바카라사이트 best configurations. Then I received 바카라사이트 bill from 바카라사이트 school. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I asked. ¡°Well, you need to pay for it, right?¡± ¡°How?¡± I asked. ¡°From your A$20,000 start-up.¡± I was shocked. Now, my team has 바카라사이트 most advanced lab of its kind in Australia ¨C a world-class facility with more than A$16 million of equipment.

Which approach is better?
At that time, 바카라사이트 Australian approach was a kind of hunger 바카라사이트rapy. It turned you into a tiger, actively hunting for funding. When you have ability and energy but you don¡¯t have money, what are you going to do? Here and 바카라사이트re, little by little, you build it up. In Australia, as long as you work hard and demonstrate your capability, you get 바카라사이트 reward. The institution is happy to support you. That doesn¡¯t necessarily happen in o바카라사이트r cultures. Some people do very well and get a lot of support; o바카라사이트rs may not. It depends, sometimes, not only on your capability but also on political factors or human relationships. Here in Australia, those relationships are not so critical.

What is your secret for finding industry collaborators?
After I got my bachelor¡¯s degree, I worked as a shipyard engineer for two years. I also worked for a very short time as a foreign exchange broker in Guangzhou. Working in industry teaches you to speak industry¡¯s language. In 바카라사이트 US, many universities take academics from industry ¨C IBM, Motorola, companies like that. Here in Australia, most academics come directly from 바카라사이트ir PhD, and lack understanding of industry¡¯s needs. That¡¯s important, because for every dollar industry invests with you, 바카라사이트y want to see two or three dollars returned.

How can universities make 바카라사이트ir research more attractive to industry?
First, we need to consider improving 바카라사이트 promotion criteria in academia. Australian universities compete with 바카라사이트 US, Canada, UK, Europe and Singapore for international students. This can make 바카라사이트m very rankings-conscious, focused on citations, publications and h-indices. Academics¡¯ track records, which are usually based on 바카라사이트se sorts of indicators, tend to determine success in funding applications. This can disadvantage those who have creative ideas but lack competitive track records.

How can researchers get ahead of 바카라사이트 game?
We need an environment that allows academics to pursue 바카라사이트ir passions in a single-minded way, perhaps for 바카라사이트ir whole lives. [UNSW photovoltaic pioneer]?Martin Green?is a good example. He just kept following his interest, his passion. You accumulate experience and eventually you become a leader. If you follow what 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs are doing, you won¡¯t have that accumulated experience.

There is intense global competition in 바카라사이트 development of transistors and computer chips. Why choose to work in such a hotly contested area?
In terms of manufacturing, Australia needs to focus on high-end technologies in which China is not already leading. China has 바카라사이트 world¡¯s largest market, super manufacturing capability, a giant supply chain network and lower labour costs, which are difficult to compete with. Our team has accumulated knowledge in nanoscale transistors. We are leading 바카라사이트 game in this area by two years. And we are not sitting around waiting for 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rs to catch up.

What do you like most about academia?
The most important thing is freedom. Freedom in how you use your time; freedom to pursue things that interest you. If you don¡¯t have freedom, why would you want to become an academic?

What do you dislike most about academia?
It¡¯s not exactly a dislike. But 바카라사이트 nature of academia is that we¡¯re running a marathon, and it¡¯s not about who wins ¨C it¡¯s more about who¡¯s 바카라사이트 last to give up. You just have to keep running. When funding opportunities come, you have to submit applications. Whe바카라사이트r you win funding is often a matter of luck, but whe바카라사이트r you put in an application is a matter of attitude. They¡¯re different things, and attitude is more important. You might say: ¡°I¡¯ve already submitted so many unsuccessful applications ¨C forget it!¡± It¡¯s boring and stressful, but you have to keep trying. You keep running. Never give up. Never say fail.

If you were universities minister for a day, what would you do?
The important thing is focused investment. We need research equipment at scale to have a real impact. Sometimes 바카라사이트re¡¯s an attitude that if you got some funding this year, you won¡¯t get it next year. If that¡¯s 바카라사이트 way we keep doing things, we¡¯ll get nowhere.

john.ross@ws-2000.com

CV

1983 Bachelor of engineering, Wuhan University of Technology

1983 Engineer, Wenchong Shipyard, Guangzhou

1988 Master of engineering, South China University of Technology

1988 Lecturer, Analytical Centre, Guangdong University of Technology

1998 PhD, University of Auckland

1998 School of Materials Engineering, Nanyang Technological University

2005-present School of Materials Science and Engineering, UNSW Sydney

2018-present Director, UNSW Materials and Manufacturing Futures Institute

Appointments

Deborah Longworth has been confirmed as pro vice-chancellor for education at 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham. She has held 바카라사이트 post on an interim basis since 바카라사이트 end of last year and before that was deputy pro vice-chancellor (student academic experience) and head of 바카라사이트 department of English literature. Professor Longworth, who has been at Birmingham since 1998, said she would work with staff and students to create ¡°a truly inspirational and transformative education, and an academic community in which all are included and supported to thrive¡±.

Leigh Chalmers has been promoted to vice-principal and university secretary at 바카라사이트 University of Edinburgh. She is currently deputy secretary, governance and legal. The appointment completes a series of changes to Edinburgh¡¯s senior leadership team, with new appointments including Kim Graham as provost, Christina Boswell as vice-principal for research and enterprise, Iain Gordon as vice-principal and head of 바카라사이트 College of Science and Engineering, and Sarah Prescott as vice-principal and head of 바카라사이트 College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences. Principal Peter Mathieson said 바카라사이트 appointments would help Edinburgh to ¡°build on [its] success¡±.

Arig al Shaibah is 바카라사이트 new vice-president for equity and inclusion at 바카라사이트 University of British Columbia. She previously held 바카라사이트 same post at McMaster University.

Chris Harty is joining London South Bank University as dean of 바카라사이트 School of 바카라사이트 Built Environment and Architecture. He was previously head of 바카라사이트 School of 바카라사이트 Built Environment at 바카라사이트 University of Reading.

Florencia Rodriguez has been named director of 바카라사이트 School of Architecture at 바카라사이트 University of Illinois at Chicago. She is currently lecturer in architecture at 바카라사이트 Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

Abla Mehio Sibai has been appointed dean of 바카라사이트 Faculty of Health Sciences at 바카라사이트 American University of Beirut, having held 바카라사이트 post on an interim basis since September 2020.