Plenary lecture of the XIII SBPMat (Brazilian MRS) meeting, given on October 2nd 2014 by Robert P. H. Chang, professor at Northwestern University, and Founding President and General Secretary of the International Union of Materials Research Societies (IUMRS).

1. How can collaborative global
research & education benefit the
world?
R.P.H. Chang
Northwestern University
IUMRS

2. Outline
• “Future Earth” and Sustainability
• The role of MSE
• The GMN initiative
• What is i-MWM?
• How can you participate?
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3. Looming Problems
• The 21st century citizens of the world facing
unprecedented challenges
– Exponential population growth
– Rapid economic expansion of developing countries
– Uncontrolled burning of hydrocarbon energy
resources  run-away global warming climate
change
• Natural cycles in equilibrium being perturbed,
leading to disappearance of biological and plant
species essential to livelihood
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4. Top 10 global issues
facing the 21st century
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5. Per Capita Income & Energy Use
Around the World
● Japan
kW/capita GDP/capita
● France
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$45,000
$40,000
$35,000
$30,000
$25,000
$20,000
$15,000
$10,000
$5,000
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
S-Argentina
●
Brazil ● ● China
Canada ●
● World Average
● USA
● Saudi Arabia
● Spain
● Russia
World Goal
● UK
Source: Key World Energy Statistics from the international Energy Agency, 2006. Author:
Frank van Miorlo

6. Challenges common to big cities
R.P.H. Chang
Mexico City
6
Shanghai
San Paulo
• Rapid increase of high
population & building
densities
• Transportation issues
• High energy density
utilization
• Quality of life issues
– Environment
– Communication
– Safety
Mexico City
Beijing

7. City-based solutions
• Adopt and develop clean /
renewable energy resources
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– Solar
– Wind
– Geothermal
– Clean Coal, etc.

8. City-based solutions
R.P.H. Chang
Pearl River
Tower,
Guangzhou,
China, SOM
Spertus
Institute of
Jewish
Studies,
Chicago,
Krueck &
Sexton
8
• Develop ways to
conserve energy
usage while
maintaining a high
quality of life:
– Buildings
– Transport
– Manufacturing

9. • Materials science and engineering (MSE) has
been the generator of advanced technologies
over the centuries. It has:
– Helped economic development
– Improved the quality of life
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The importance of MSE

10. • MSE is anticipated to play a key role in
providing solutions to global problems in
energy, environment, health, and
security
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The importance of MSE

11. Rationale: Finding a solution together
• While the technology for a solution may be
there, implementation will require the
participation of all countries and citizens
• No one country or region can solve the highly
coupled problem alone
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12. The Global Materials Network (GMN) will unite
young materials researchers around the world and
promote their global collaborations in materials
research and education through a network platform
with nodes existing across the globe.
R.P.H. Chang
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GMN: Mission and Goal

13. While opportunities for face-to-face,
real space interactions will
be available through meetings
and workshops, the GMN
website will serve as a virtual
space to enable continuous
connections and ongoing
dialogues for materials scientists
and engineers to stimulate
communication and collaboration
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Implementation

14. Executive Council
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IUMRS
Board of Directors
GMN African MRS
MRS of Argentina
Australian MRS
Brazil MRS
Chinese MRS
European MRS
MRS of India
MRS of Japan
MRS of Korea
MRS of Mexico
MRS of Russia
MRS of Singapore
MRS of Taiwan
Commissions
Adhering Bodies
Regional Coordinators
Individual Members
Corporate Partners
NGOs
Gov. Affiliated Inst.

15. Council of Regional Coordinators
• R. Geetha Balakrishna (India)
• Vassilios D. Binas (Greece)
• Mingzhi Dai 戴明志 (China)
• Jiaxing Huang (US)
• Muhammad Huda (US)
• Oussama Moutanabbir (Canada)
• Sangeetha Palanivelu (India)
• Jessica Schiffman (US)
• Aloysius Soon (S. Korea)
• Markus Valtiner (Germany)
• Aron Walsh (UK)
• Evan Laurence Williams (Singapore)
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16. Examples of exciting activities
• Every 2 years, there will be an ICYRAM
meeting where researchers will get together
to share research and educational findings
and develop collaborations
• A Young Researcher Award and recognitions
will be given at ICYRAM meetings
• The GMN website will be for interactive
dialogue and collaborations. The website is
user-driven and managed.
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17. • The Global Materials Network will evolve to be a
dynamic website serving millions of users from
academic, industry, government, and non-profit
sectors
• The website and ICYRAM
meetings will become a
central destination for
innovators and visionaries
to create solutions for
global problems together
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GMN Expansion plan

18. Initial launch
ICYRAM Lecture: “Mentorship for Young
Scientists: Developing Scientific
Survival Skills” – Federico Rosei,
Universite du Quebec, Canada
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Conference Registration
ICYRAM Leader Addressing
Focus Group
18
Dinner Buffet
IUMRS-ICYRAM 2012 in Singapore
served as the inaugural launch of
the Global Materials Network

19. Upcoming Upcoming event: event: ICYRAM 2014
2014
• The 2nd International Conference for Young
Researchers on Advanced Materials will be held
at the Hainan International Convention &
Exhibition Center in Haikou, China, October 24-
27, 2014.
• About 800-1,000
attendees expected
• http://www.icyram2014.org
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20. • Organized by C-MRS and IUMRS
• Technical program will emphasize 8 themes:
– Energy and Environment Materials
– Electronic Materials
– Nanomaterials and Devices
– Advanced Ceramic Materials
– Advanced Metallic Materials
– Biomaterials
– Materials Characterization and Evaluation
– Materials Modeling and Simulation
• Ample discussions and preparations for
collaborations will take place
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ICYRAM 2014

21. Regional nodes will support workshops,
schools, and new initiatives
Initiatives such as…
•Workshops to share knowledge
•Discussions to open dialogue
•And collaborations to empower
one another and join efforts
…will be held at
•Global
•Regional
•And community scales
…to benefit all citizens, from middle and high
school children to professors and professionals!
R.P.H. Chang

22. Preparing future science and
engineering literate citizens
• Technology alone will not solve the
world problems. All citizens around the
globe need to participate to make a
change by:
– Changing living habits and attitudes
towards global cooperation
– Adopting new technologies
• This requires education
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23. STEM Education should start early
• Start from middle school, like music, arts, and
sports!
• Materials World Modules program is based on
scientific inquiry and engineering design
• www.materialsworldmodules.org
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24. MWM’s Strategy
Prof. R.P.H. Chang, Northwestern 24
University

25. MWM’s Model: Inquiry and
Design
 Students
complete a series
of hands-on,
inquiry-based
activities
 Each module
culminates in
design
challenges
 Students
simulate the work
of scientists
(through activities
that foster
inquiry) and
engineers

26. Engaging Students in Real-World
Design
Prof. R.P.H. Chang, Northwestern 26
University

27. MWM’s Proven Success
Prof. R.P.H. Chang, Northwestern 27
University

28. MMaatteerriiaallss WWoorrlldd MMoodduulleess
Using Interactive Materials
World Modules to Teach
Nanotechnology
Nano
Prof. R.P.H. Chang, Northwestern 28
University

29. What is i-MWM?
Teach fundamental nanoscience and nanotechnology concepts
across grades 6-16
2. Deliver content on mobile devices
for use inside and outside the
Mobile Real Space
Access
3. Provide instant feedback to teachers and students.
classroom
1. Use Interactive multimedia to
help students visualize the
nanoscale and grasp complex
concepts.
i-MWM

30. How does Nano strengthen
STEM learning?
1nm
100 nm
Atomic Scale
Nano
Scale
Microscopic Scale
Sub-
Atomic
Scale
Macro
Scale
Health
Communications
Transportation
Energy/
Environment
Infrastructure
Biology
Chemistry
Physics
Engineering
Mathematics
CROSSCUTTING: Nano concepts cut
across disciplines to integrate,
reinforce and deepen STEM learning.
“WOW” FACTOR: Unique
properties and phenomena at the
nanoscale take everyday
technologies to exciting new levels!
Nano topics captivate and motivate.

31. Why mobile devices?
1. BROADER ACCESS: Teens from low-income households,
particularly African-Americans and Hispanics, are much
more likely than other teens to go online using a cell phone*
2. IMPROVED LEARNING AND ENGAGEMENT:
Mobile device assisted learning programs improve
students‘ learning across subjects**
Students take more responsibility for their own
learning and are more interested, motivated, and
engaged.**
1. MORE EFFICIENT STUDY: Access from inside and outside
classroom will help students make better use of classroom
and personal study time.
* Pew Internet and American Life Project, 2010 **Cheung and Hew, 2009; Chen et al., 2008

32. Core nano
concepts taught
across grades 6-16
Which Core Nano-
Concepts?
Core
Concept
Grades 6-8 Grades 9-12
Size-
Dependent
Properties
The physical form of a solid
influences the degree to which
it interacts with its environment.
The more spread out the solid
is, the more readily it interacts.
The chemical and physical properties
of matter can change with scale. As
the size of a material approaches the
nanoscale, it often exhibits unexpected
properties that lead to new
functionality.
Measuremen
t & Tools
Tools and instruments
determine what is accessible to
measure, detect, and
manipulate with precision and
accuracy.
New instruments help drive scientific
progress. For example, the AFM
enables investigation of nanoscale
matter with unprecedented precision.
Size & Scale Helps describe and categorize
properties of matter and natural
phenomena from extremely
large to extremely small.
The size of objects and phenomena in
the nanoscale can be represented with
powers of 10 and scaling.
Surface to
The ratio of boundary to interior
The surface area to volume ratio

33. Interactive
multimedia
learning
technology
i-MWM uses interactive multimedia
learning tools to enhance cognition,
self-efficacy, and digital information
processing
INTERACTIVE GAME:
“Sammy’s Great
Scale Adventure”
helps students grasp
size and scale
INTERACTIVE
SIMULATION helps
students SURFACE
AREA-VOLUME
RATIO

34. Personalized
Learning
i-MWM personalizes the learning
experience to engage and support
individual learners
1. Personalized content delivery (type and level)
2. Personalized Access – time and place
3. Personalized Assessments (rapid feedback)
This approach will allow students to:
• Learn at own pace, with targeted support from teachers
• Use tools suited to personal learning style (e.g. visual,
auditory, reading, interactive game (reflex-based), modeling
a function, etc.
• Take responsibility for own learning (self-direction)
• Works for teachers too!

35. The i-MWM curriculum will use the
theme of “Energy”
Societal
Relevance
• Unify the topics being taught
• Provide compelling relevance (i.e., global
sustainability, career linkages, etc.)
• Motivate individual and group learning
• Provide a variety of application contexts

36. Vision for Scale-up
Phases I, II, III
Integrated implementation of
activities in real & cyberspace
Real Space Activities in class:
- Discussion
- Lab Activities
- Design Projects
Cyberspace Activities using i-MWM:
- Assignments
- Exploration via animations,
simulations, & games
- Logging hypotheses & results in
“Classroom Portal”
- Assessment tests
Scaling up IN-STEM
Multi-media platform enhances
understanding: 3D visualization, time-dependent
phenomena, mathematical
manipulations
Expansion Progress
External Assessment
& Evaluation
Results for
analysis
Cyber Community
for STEM Edu. &
Workforce
Development
- Students, Teachers,
Parents, Universities, &
Industry Stakeholders
Dissemination of
Information
- Journal articles, community
resources, policy documents
Key development strategies
• Partner with teachers and schools for implementation-based
product design
• Iterative design and development based on built-in and
external assessments (i.e. standardized STEM tests)
• Share assessment data with STEM research community

37. STEM Education in college
• Nanotechnology Center for Learning
and Teaching (NCLT):
– Publishes integrated STEM instructional modules with nano-based
applications;
– Offers professional training;
– Develops a network of multi-sector nano education communities
– Go to: www.community.nsee.us
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38. STEM Education post-college
• Global School for Advanced Study (GSAS)
– Fosters innovation and equips young researchers to address the most
pressing research questions of our time
– Dual mission: 1. Address global challenges such as energy,
environment, health, and security, and 2. Build global leadership
– Go to: www.gsasprogram.org
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39. Conclusion
• Global collaboration is essential for a
rapidly change world
• MSE continues to be the driver to solve
global problems facing all citizens
• Solution for a sustainable world requires a
convergent effort from all sectors of the
society: government, companies,
communities, families, and individuals.
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