Wang Sea-fue, Taipei Tech President and Chair Professor of the Department of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering, receives the 2022 National Award for Distinguished Contribution to Industry-Academic Cooperation presented by the Ministry of Education on March 21st. 

Wang has been devoted to the research and development of electronic ceramic and solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) for a long period, and has led many graduate students to participate in this research field. His hard work results in more than 300 SCI journals and 78 domestic and international patents. He also served as the head of the EMO Materials and Nanotechnology Center, a research institute based in Taipei Tech that collaborates with hundreds of industry partners yearly.

Wang has found his research interest when he studied at National Taipei Institute of Technology (the predecessor of Taipei Tech). After he graduated from the Mining and Metallurgical Engineering Department (the department later renamed Department of Materials and Mineral Resources Engineering), he embarked on his journey to study at the United States. He obtained his master degree from South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, and his doctorate degree from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering of Pennsylvania State University (Penn State). 

Penn State is renowned for its close tie with the industry sector. When studied at Penn State, Wang knew that his research subject should be based on its industrial value. Right after graduation, he started working as a senior research and development engineer at Vishay Intertechnoloy, one of the largest manufacturers of passive electronic components in the States.  

Looking back, Wang noted that the six years that he spent on his doctoral program is not an easy period for him. He had decided to switch his research subject from metal to ceramic, and had redone his whole dissertation after three years of research because the data was not what he anticipated. “It was a difficult time full of obstacles, but I had learned so much along the way. Perseverance is the essential quality that get me through the process” said Wang.   

As an educator, Wang has cultivated nearly 200 graduate students so far, and he attaches great importance to students’ independent thinking. “I always encourage my students to try the task that is a bit beyond their abilities, because that is how they make great progress” said Wang.