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Education and Training for Nanotechnology
Number of visits since January 2003: 
The Foresight study by the APEC CTF
entitled “Nanotechnology: The Technology for the 21st Century”
identified the issue of education and training as a significant one
for the development and commercialisation of nanotechnology. This issue
has also been highlighted in the rationale for the National Nanotechnology
Initiative in the USA and reinforced in a series of National Science
Foundation/EU meetings over the past two years. It was stressed again
in the workshop on “Nanotechnology in the ASEAN Region”
held in Bangkok on 19/20 September, 2002.
The accompanying overview paper by
Professor Greg Tegart was prepared for the First Australian National
Nanotechnology Conference in Sydney on 25-27 September 2002 and is reproduced
with acknowledgement to the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences
and Engineering. An extremely useful collection of papers on establishment
of degree programs and courses in nanotechnology is given in a special
issue of the International Journal of Engineering Education Vol 18,
No 5 (2002).
The APEC Center for Technology Foresight
has decided to stimulate the exchange of information on education and
training for nanotechnology in APEC by setting up this website. Sample
pages for Australia and USA indicate the current state of activities
in these economies. It is hoped that educators and researchers in the
other APEC economies will provide similar information.
The success of this website will depend
on your contributions!!
Please feel free to contact us at apectf@nstda.or.th
NANOTECHNOLOGY: THE CHALLENGE FOR THE
EDUCATORS
by Professor Greg Tegart
Executive Advisor, APEC Center for Technology Foresight, Bangkok
Visiting Professor, Centre for Strategic Economic Studies, Victoria
University of Technology
1. Background
We are now at a threshold of revolution
in the ways in which materials and products are created. This has resulted
from the convergence of the traditional fields of chemistry, physics,
engineering and biology to form the new field of nanotechnology. Nanotechnology
is concerned with the fabrication and use of devices so small that the
convenient unit of measurement is the nanometer (a billionth of a meter).
We can define nanotechnology as “direct control of materials and
devices on a molecular and atomic scale”. Nanotechnology thus covers
a wide range including fabrication of functional nanostructures with engineered
properties, synthesis and processing of nanoparticles, supramolecular
chemistry, self-assembly and replication techniques, sintering of nanostructured
metallic alloys, use of quantum effects, creation of chemical and biological
templates and sensors, surface modification and films.
The potential of nanotechnology is so
great that virtually all industrialised countries have in development
or have established a national strategy for nanotechnology. The focus
varies from a general science-based strategy (for example the United States
and France) to industry-relevance driven strategy (for example the European
Community, Korea and Taiwan), from broad spectrum of areas (as in the
United States, Japan and Germany) to specific strengths. The levels of
government investments in nanotechnology R&D are now approaching US
$ 2 billion. The indicators are that funding is set to increase in the
coming years.
A looming problem is the education and
training of a new generation of researchers and skilled workers with the
interdisciplinary perspectives necessary for rapid progress in nanotechnology.
As noted later, sophisticated instrumentation is needed for much of nanotechnology.
Assuming the current level of instrument purchasing in world markets,
and that the demand for trained people will be proportional to these market
sizes, a recent estimate of the people needed for nanotechnology in 2010-2015
is 0.8-0.9 million in the United States, 0.5-0.6 million in Japan, 0.3-0.4
million in Europe, 0.1-0.2 million in the Asia-Pacific region without
Japan and about 0.1 million in other regions.
2.The Discipline Background to Nanotechnology
Researchers and technologists are approaching nanotechnology
from different directions:
- In physics, the field of microelectronics is moving
towards smaller feature sizes and is already at submicron widths.
- In chemistry, improved knowledge of complex systems
has led to new catalyst, membrane sensor and coating technologies which
rely on ability to tailor structures at atomic and molecular levels.
- In biology, living systems have sub-units with sizes
between micron and nanometer scales and can be combined with non-living
nanostructured materials.
Background disciplines thus influence
their view of nanotechnology as a topic. A crude division of areas contributing
to nanotechnology is given in Table 1.
There is considerable debate in the
scientific community about the boundaries of the new fields emerging from
this convergence such as nanomaterials, nanophotonics, nanoelectronics
and nanobiotechnology. This interdisciplinary nature of nanotechnology
poses problems for researchers and institutions used to traditional disciplines
with defined boundaries. Changing traditional mindsets is a major challenge
and a particular need is to develop nanotechnology experts with interdisciplinary
skills.
Since nanotechnology is based on inputs
from different disciplines, a wide range of facilities and techniques
is used in the development of materials and devices at the nanometer level.
Examples of these are: ultra precision machinery; lithography using electrons,
UV radiation or X-rays; microelectromechanical systems using micromachinery
and substrate bonding; scanning probe microscopes; computer modelling;
cluster science or mesoscience based on aggregation of atoms or molecules;
nanostructured materials in one dimension (thin film), two dimensions
(fibres) and three dimensions (powders). All of these require sophisticated
and expensive facilities which are dispersed in different laboratories
in academia, government research establishments and industry. This has
significant implications for countries in terms of organisation of their
R&D resources to create national competence in nanotechnology and
in funding and provision of trained personnel to operate specialised equipment.
3.Designing an Education
System for Nanotechnology
The range of inputs and equipment needed
for development of nanotechnology challenges the traditional separation
of academic disciplines into physics, chemistry, biology and engineering.
There is a need to increase multi-disciplinarity which implies significant
changes in academic institutions. The challenge is then to achieve breadth
and depth to produce graduates capable of creating new concepts in nanotechnology.
The goals of courses in nanotechnology should be:
- Provide understanding, characterisation and measurements
of nanostructure properties.
- Provide ability for synthesis, processing and manufacturing
of nanocomponents and nanosystems.
- Provide ability for design, analysis and simulation
of nanostructures and nanodevices.
- Prepare students to conduct research and development
of economically feasible and innovative applications of nanodevices
in all spheres of daily life.
A thorough grounding in basic physics,
chemistry, biology and mathematics is essential but, since nanostructures
can be developed through various routes eg. biology (building proteins),
chemistry (creating supramolecules) or materials science (moving atoms
with a scanning probe microscope), a new paradigm of molecular models
is needed rather than a microscopic approach. Thus courses in surface
science, molecular dynamics, quantum effects, computer modelling, and
manufacturing at a molecular level present opportunities for new approaches.
Because the technology is advancing so
rapidly, the course activities in both theory and practice need to emphasise
creative thinking, critical analysis and continued learning. Thus design,
modelling, simulation, control and optimisation of nanodevices must be
a central thrust of the educational process.
Interactive learning should be the hallmark
of nanotechnology education. Linkages to projects with industry are also
a desirable feature although, at this stage of nanotechnology, relatively
few industry sectors are available in most countries. These will increase
as investment into commercialisation of nanotechnology develops in the
future.
Apart from the scientific and technical
aspects of education in nanotechnology, there is a need for consideration
of the social and ethical aspects of nanotechnology. Scientific discoveries
do not generally change society directly; they can set the stage for change
that comes through the confluence of old and new technologies in a context
of evolving economic needs. Nanotechnology is so diverse that its effects
will take decades to work through the socio-economic systems. A major
problem in anticipating its effects is that subsequent developments may
be in the hands of the users and not the innovators.
Initially, the impact of nanotechnology
is likely to be limited to a few products and services where consumers
are willing to pay a premium for new or improved performance. As a result,
nanotechnology will co-exist for a long time with older technologies rather
than displacing them. This may give time to assess the potential social
and ethical implications of nanotechnology. However, given the problems
encountered in the introduction of biotechnology products, it seems prudent
to introduce discussion of the societal and ethical implications, both
positive and negative, of nanotechnology as part of a university course
in nanotechnology.
Given the widespread potential for change
in industry as a result of the developments of nanotechnology, a critical
component of an education system for nanotechnology is the introduction
of the concepts of nanotechnology into courses for technicians and also
for managers to alert them to the changing paradigm of manufacturing.
A changed approach could lead us to courses in Master of Business Analysis
looking to the future rather than the conventional MBA looking at the
past and present1
Finally, the broader community needs
to be made aware of the implications of nanotechnology. The National Science
Foundation in the USA is taking a leading role by supporting an educational
outreach program. This is designed to reach the general public through
exhibits in museums and to reach middle and high school students through
special designed learning modules. The role of the media is particularly
important in ensuring that a balanced approach is presented rather than
a scare or gee-whiz one.
4. Some Current Developments
in Education for Nanotechnology
Given the emphasis on research into nanotechnology,
it is not surprising that a major thrust in the education area is for
universities to set up interdisciplinary centres of research in nanotechnology
involving physicists, chemists, biologists and engineers and then link
these to industry to provide an environment to educate young scientists
and technologists and to train the current workforce in the techniques
of nanotechnology. This approach has worked effectively in other areas
eg. information and communication technology and biotechnology.
In the USA a major program of centre
development was announced by the National Science Foundation in September
2001 as part of the National Nanotechnology Initiative. Some US$65 million
over 5 years was awarded to fund six major centres in nanoscale science
and engineering. Of particular interest is the emphasis on the educational
programs aimed at middle and high schools.These centres will offer doctoral
degree programs once they are set up.
In Europe, there appears to be less activity
in the educational area although there are some masters and doctoral programs
in a number of countries. Given the large expenditure on research in nanotechnology
by countries in Europe and the thrust by the European Commission to coordinate
and link such activities within the European Area of Research and Innovation
initiative, there will clearly be an expansion of educational activities
in nanoscience and nanotechnology in the near future.
In the Asia-Pacific region, while there
is major research activity in nanotechnology in Japan, Korea, China and
Chinese Taipei under national nanotechnology initiatives, the bulk of
the research is being carried out in industry and in government laboratories.
In ASEAN countries, there as yet no national initiatives. Little is known
about educational activities in nanotechnology in the region although
there are active research groups in a number of universities.
In Australia, there is considerable activity.
In Queensland, the University of Queensland has set up a NanoMaterials
Centre (Nanomac) with the first Professor of Nanotechnology in Australia.
Together with the Queensland State Government, the University of Queensland
also is setting-up an Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology
at a cost of A$60 million to draw together the biological and physical
approaches.
In New South Wales, the University of
Technology Sydney established an Institute of Nanoscale Technology in
late 2001 and is developing undergraduate courses while the University
of New South Wales created a Semiconductor Nanofabrication Faculty to
carry out research on and fabricate advanced nanoscale semiconductor devices
and quantum computers. In South Australia the first undergraduate degree
in nanotechnology in the world was started by Flinders University. It
is a four year Honours degree course for Bachelor of Science in Nanotechnology
focussing on biosensors and nanostructures based in a biological and physical
approach. In 2003 in Western Australia Curtin University will offer a
course for a Bachelor of Science (Nanotechnology) Honours degree. In Victoria
a consortium of universities and CSIRO divisions have formed Nanotechnology
Victoria with the recent support of a $12 million grant from the Victorian
Government. Active doctoral programs are operating at the University of
Melbourne, RMIT University , Monash University (where a strong linkage
is anticipated to a newly announced synchrotron next to the campus) and
Swinburne University (where the CRC for Microtechnology is located). Undergraduate
courses are being developed.
5. Conclusion
The emerging fields of nanoscience and
nanotechnology are leading to a technological revolution in the new millennium.
All sectors of the economy will be profoundly influenced and altered by
nanotechnology. Governments are investing large amounts in research and
industrial companies in a number of countries are also making substantial
investments in research. Given the concentration of effort in the field,
commercialisation of new products and processes will occur within the
next few years. There is clearly a growing demand for scientists and engineers
trained in an interdisciplinary approach to cope with research and production
based on nanotechnology. While a number of institutions in a limited number
of countries have moved to meet this demand by creating new university
centres and courses in nanotechnology, the challenge to educators everywhere
is to reform courses and institutional structures to prepare the workforce
for the emerging opportunities in nanotechnology.
Acknowledgement
I wish to acknowledge the opportunity
provided by the APEC Center for Technology Foresight in Bangkok in 2001
to lead a project in “Nanotechnology: The Technology for the 21st
Century” which enabled me to meet with leading researchers in nanotechnology
in the Asia-Pacific region (for details see the page: apectf.nstda.or.th/html/nano.html).
I am also grateful to colleagues in the Centre for Strategic Economic
Studies and elsewhere in Australia for stimulating
discussions on nanotechnology research, education and applications.
ACTIVITIES IN THE AUSTRALIA
In Australia there is increasing activity in education
and training in nanotechnology through undergraduate courses, post-graduate
research and special research centres. The scene is changing rapidly
and this presents the situation at the commencement of 2003. The activities
are divided by States.
QUEENSLAND
University of Queensland
offers a BSc with a major in Nanotechnology with a focus on nanobiotechnology
linked to the Centre for Nanotechnology and Biomaterials.
http://chemistry.uq.edu.au/nbc/
The University also has the first centre for nanomaterials research
in Australia as a multidisciplinary group across all faculties. The
Nanomaterials Centre (nanomac) has a wideranging research
program on nanocomposites, nanotubes, thin films, catalysts.
http://nanomac.uq.edu.au
Griffith University offers
a Bachelor of Photonics and Nanoscience (B Phot Nan Sc) with a focus
on photonics, devices and systems.
http://www.sct.gu.edu.au/physics/u_grad.html#BPN
NEW SOUTH WALES
University of New South Wales
offers a B Sc in Nanotechnology as a four year course (3 years plus
honours) with a broad curriculum.
http://www.student.unsw.edu.au/handbook/programs/3617.shtml
There are also post-graduate research opportunities
eg in quantum computing.
University of Technology Sydney offers
two courses in nanotechnology, both over three years with an honours
year. The BSc in Nanotechnology covers chemical and physical processes
at the micro and nanoscales to produce professional scientists and researchers.
http://www.nano.uts.edu.au/students
The BSc in Nanotechnology Innovation stresses the commercialisation
of nanotechnology developments.
http://www.innovation.uts.edu.au/bsni
The Institute for Nanoscale Technology offers post-graduate research
opportunities in Biomedical Nanomaterials and Energy Efficient Nanomaterials
and Devices.
University of Sydney offers
options in nanoscience and nanotechnology within the three year BSc,
Advanced Science and Liberal Arts courses.
http://www.scifac.usyd.edu.au/future/ug/study_nanosci.html
There is also a BSc(Molecular Biotechnology)
course covering design of drugs and therapeutics.
The University is also the headquarters of the Nanostructure Analysis
Network Organisation (NANO) which links together the major University-based
microscopy and microanalysis centres throughout Australia as nodes to
provide an important platform for nanotechnology-related research. A
feature of NANO is a telepresence network to provide remote access to
the network.
http://nano.conc.uq.edu.au/aboutnano
VICTORIA
The major universities-University
of Melbourne, Monash University, RMIT University and Swinburne University-have
strong research teams on aspects of nanotecnology but as yet no undergraduate
courses although these are under development. A major thrust is the
formation of a consortium of academic and government researchers (NANOVIC)
based at Monash University with strong State backing to produce a coherent
strategy for nanotechnology in Victoria. The construction of a synchrotron
near Monash University will provide a major stimulus to nanotechnology
in the State.
Swinburne University is the
base of the Co-Operative Research Centre for Micro Technology which
is a Federally –funded initiative to link academic, government
and industrial researchers in projects aimed at commercial outcomes.
An integrated micro-manufacturing facility-Mini FAB- has been set up
to provide a prototype facility, a low volume production facility and
incubator opportunities for SMEs in micro and nanotechnology.
http://www.microtechnology.com
and http://www.minifab.com
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Flinders University established
the first undergraduate course in nanotechnology in the world three
years ago. It is a BSc in Nanotechnolgy as a four year course( three
years plus an honours year) with two streams-Biodevices or Nanostructures
and Laser Devices.
http://www.scieng.flinders.edu.au/courses/nanotechnology/
There are also post –graduate research opportunities.
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Curtin University offers
a BSc(Nanotechnology) Honours wide a wide range of options to allow
students to build courses to their specific interests. A feature is
a major research project in final year.
http://www.curtin.edu.au/curtin/handbook/courses/30/305377.html
University of Western Australia
does not have an undergraduate course but has
strong research and commercial interests in nanomaterials through the
Centre for Advanced Materials and Materials Processing.
ACTIVITIES IN THE U.S.A.
Courses on Nanoscale Science
and Engineering Offered in U.S. Universities
EUROPE
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CMP
Cientifica
For those who want to be briefed on nanotechnology developments on
a regular basis, CMP-Cientifica(CMPC), Europe's first integrated solutions
provider for the Nanotechnology Community, is a useful source. It
produces TNT Weekly, a free current awareness service for research,
lay and business readers that aims - rather portentously - 'to give
the information required to help the nanotechnology industry self
assemble'. Updated 'White paper' on Nanotechnology: the tiny
revolution is available for free downloading at http://www.cientifica.com
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