Professor Tam Kam Weng in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Science and Technology (FST), University of Macau (UM), has been elected an International STEM Ambassador of the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE), the world’s largest organisation in electrical and electronic technology. Prof Tam is the only scholar from Macao to have received this honour this year. In this position, he will assist IEEE in researching and formulating policies for international STEM education as well as hosting STEM training activities and competitions.
With financial support from UM and the Macao Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT), Prof Tam has carried out innovative STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) educational research, activities, and services at national and international levels, as well as for high school students in Macao, since 2008. Revolving around the theme ‘advanced wireless technology’, he has organised STEM research activities, Chinese-Portuguese science popularisation and academic exchanges, as well as STEM training and competitions in China and abroad.
Among the many students receiving STEM training from Prof Tam, Lou Wan Ian, a student from Sacred Heart Canossian College (English Section), used cutting-edge STEM research results to analyse the relationship between the energy absorption of an antenna and passive RFID tags. In her study, she analysed the nonlinear energy absorption phenomenon of the RFID tags in vertical and horizontal positions, and proposed installing the system in canes used by visually impaired people to allow them to operate the system with simple gestures (horizontal or vertical). Funded by FDCT (file number: 0046/2019/PS), this research project was presented in the IEEE Mega-Challenge 2017: Smart Cities Competition and won the championship.
Prof Tam is dedicated to the study of wireless communication, which has earned him an international reputation in the fields of RFID technology and microwave sensors. Since 2014, he has held important positions in various organisations, such as fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology in the United Kingdom, chartered engineer of the UK, member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology’s review committee for chartered engineers, and vice president of the IEEE Council on RFID. He was also a recipient of a scholarship from the European Union for visiting professors and Ted Williams Award of the Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility. He has also received awards from the FDCT, namely the Natural Science Award, the Technological Invention Award, and the Science and Technology Progress Award. Prof Tam currently serves as a member of the Macao SAR government’s Technical Accreditation Committee and a consultant for radiation safety research for the government. He has published more than 200 papers and has obtained five patents, in China and abroad.
IEEE is the world’s most renowned and largest multinational academic organisation in the fields of electrical and electronic engineering, computer, communications, and automation engineering technology. It has approximately 420,000 members and 39 professional chapters in more than 160 countries and regions. It is not only the most important driving force for innovation in the field of information technology, but also an important platform for international youth STEM education.
The title ‘IEEE International Ambassador’ aims to recognise members who have made outstanding contributions to STEM education. Recipients of the title are selected each year based on the number and impact of STEM education activities and the number of STEM education awards. Past recipients of this title come from prestigious universities around the world, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Griffith University in Australia.
Source: Faculty of Science and Technology, Communications Office
