The University of Macau (UM) held a UM Doctor honoris causa Lecture today (28 November). Ze Zhang, recipient of the Doctor of Science honoris causa from UM and a leading scholar in crystal structure in materials science, delivered a talk titled ‘In-Situ Microstructure Study on Property Variation of Advanced Materials under Simulated Service Condition’, where he shared his research findings on the unique microstructures of quasicrystals and other functional nanomaterials, as well as their potential applications.

In his introduction of Prof Zhang, UM Vice Rector Ge Wei highlighted Prof Zhang’s achievements as an outstanding microphysicist and a pioneer in quasicrystal research. Ge emphasised that Prof Zhang’s pioneering work has significantly advanced the development of materials science and greatly influenced the understanding of nanostructure behaviour and its practical applications.

During the lecture, Prof Zhang discussed key technological challenges in the research and development of advanced materials and functional devices, noting that accurate characterisation of microstructures and their evolution is essential. He stressed the need for researchers to go beyond established frameworks and propose new methods and theories to address unresolved problems. He also presented forward‑looking insights into structural evolution, emerging properties, and prospective applications of low‑dimensional nanomaterials subjected to external fields, including in-situ mechanical loading.

Lam Kam Seng Peter, chair of the University Council of UM, attended the lecture and presented a souvenir to Prof Zhang. The event concluded with a Q&A and discussion session moderated by Sun Handong, associate director of the Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering at UM, during which Prof Zhang actively engaged in discussions with participants.