Organic Electronics Education Programme for Double Degrees Postgraduates (QMUL Engineering School, NPU)

1.Programme Introduction

Organic Chemistry is a secondary discipline subordinated to chemistry discipline. It pays attention to the integration of organic electronics with materials and semiconductor device preparation and technology, while focuses on the dynamic carrier behavior, interface mechanism and mechanical mismatch mechanism of organic electronic devices. By studying the mechanical properties of semiconductor films, it explores the design theory of organic semiconductors, and focuses on new flexible organic electronic devices that are for information display, information storage and processing, lighting, sensing, energy conversion and storage, and organic semiconductor theory and device technology that are needed by systems. Organic electronics field includes the design and synthesis of organic semiconductors, the electronic structure design of organic semiconductors, the condensation behavior of thin films and the preparation and optimization of organic optoelectronic devices, which enjoys the frontier field in international academic research.

Organic Chemistry discipline of Northwest Polytechnical University (hereinafter referred to as NPU) was approved as the authorised for doctoral and master's degrees in first-class disciplines in 2011. Organic electronics is constructed mainly by the Institute of Flexible Electronics (hereinafter referred to as IFE). (Organic Electronics) The IFE is a comprehensive research institute with a high degree of interdisciplinary integration, headed by Academician Huang Wei, a representative in the field of organic electronics and flexible electronics. It aims to foster subversive technology and establish innovation leadership, national dependence, social trust and internationally recognisable high-end technology think tank by solving key scientific problems in flexible electronics research. At the same time, it serves the country's major strategic needs and "The Belt and Road" initiative and local economic development, forges a high-end innovation and entrepreneurship platform to exert its leadership and demonstration effect, supports the national civil and military integration strategy and industrial transformation and development, and builds a supporting platform for the development and construction of the state key laboratory of flexible electronics and related industries.

Focusing on the research directions of flexible organic electronic materials and devices, flexible nano-electronic materials and devices, flexible bioelectronic materials and devices, and flexible energy electronic materials and devices, the IFE has established the “Flexible Electronic Materials and Devices Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology”, “ Flexible Electronics Key Laboratory of Shaanxi Province”, “Xi'an Flexible Electronics Key Laboratory” and “Xi'an Flexible Electronics Engineering Technology Research and Development Centre”. With more than 12400 square meters of the existing laboratory area and more than 80 million yuan of the construction investment, the IFE owns the nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer, confocal imaging system, multi-wavelength semiconductor lasers, integrating device of vacuum coating and glove box, high performance liquid chromatography, photoelectric testing system, real-time measuring instrument of cell energy metabolism, optical imaging system of small animals in vivo, fluorescence spectrum, medium pressure chromatography and other experimental testing and analysis devices, which can support for high-level scientific research and technological development.

The IFE has one academician from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, five academicians from the United States, Russia, Germany and Malaysia, four "Yangtze River Scholars" from the Ministry of Education, five winners of the Outstanding Youth Fund, two winners of the "1000Talents Programme" from the Central Group Department, two winners of the "10000Talents Programme ", three winners of the Outstanding Youth Science Fund and eleven candidates of the national young talent programme of the central organisation department. All the core members have many years of overseas study and work experience. In recent years, it has undertaken more than 300 scientific research projects at or above the provincial and ministerial levels, including three national 973 projects, six national key R&D projects, five projects of national outstanding youth science funds, more than 100 national natural science fund key projects, surface projects and youth projects, and two major cultivation funds and key projects of the Ministry of Education. More than 2000 high-level academic papers have been published in international top and authoritative academic journals, such asNature Materials, Nature Nanotechnology, Nature Photonics, Nature Chemistry and Nature Communications. More than 300 invention patents have been granted at home and abroad, and more than 180 patents have been granted by the United States, Singapore and China.

Queen Mary University of London (hereinafter referred to as QMUL), founded in 1887, is a member of Russell Group (a coalition of 24 best universities in research, teaching and social cooperation in the UK). It ranks the 9^thin 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) in the UK, and won the silver award for the 2017 Teaching Excellence Framework. It has the accreditation of the top 25 world universities in view of internationalization according to The Times and ranks 119^thin 2019 QS World University Rankings. As the first university in the UK to establish the subject of materials engineering, materials science is one of the most influential disciplines in QMUL, which has been awarded five-star by the British government for many times and ranks first in terms of satisfaction survey sponsored by the National Student Federation in 2011 in the UK. Since 2008, the School of Engineering and Materials Sciences of QMUL has always been the top five in the UK in terms of scientific research ability. It provides elite quality education and excellent professional education for students in the whole process of organic chemistry, polymer material organization, structure and performance relationship, and material design, shaping and application.

In 2016,approved by the Ministry of Education of China, NPU and QMUL have launched a joint educational institutenamed Queen Mary University of London Engineering School, Northwestern Polytechnical University (hereinafter referred to as QMES) in order to providehigh-quality international undergraduate education. On the basis of undergraduate education, relying on high-level scientific research platforms and the international teaching and research teams such as the Institute of Flexible Electronics and the Sino-British Joint Research Institute of Advanced Materials and Structures, QMES deeply integrates the superior educational resources and education philosophies of the two universities in the field of materials to carry out the double masters education programme of Organic Electronics so as to enhance the education level of Sino-foreign joint education. The aim is to cultivate students to become the international innovative talents with solid natural science foundation and profound engineering technology knowledge, international perspective and international competitiveness, and innovative thinking and ability, capable of independently doing scientific research or undertaking engineering technology related work in the field of organic electronics.

2. Educational Aims

(1)Be equipped to become a qualified builder and reliable successor of the Socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era with a strong sense of love for nation and family and social responsibility, good academic ethics and professionalism, physical and mental health, and high comprehensive quality.

(2)Be equipped to be proficient in natural science and solid basic theory such as Synthesis methodology of organic photoelectric materials, structure and structure-activity relationship of organic photoelectric materials; be equipped with the ability to research and analysis on chemical structure and to independently engage in scientific research and engineering practice

(3)Be equipped with the fluently skills in English listening, speaking, reading and writing, global international perspective, innovative consciousness and ability, rigorous scientific research style, good spirit of cooperation, and the ability of self-learning and lifelong learning.

3. Research Interests

Research interests	Main contents
Synthetic Methodologies for Organic Electronic Materials	1) Chiral Luminescent Materials 2) Asymmetric Catalysis 3) Organic Large-πCompounds 4) n-Type Organic Semiconductors
Physical Organic Chemistry	1）Ultra-long Organic Phosphorescence 2）Stimuli-Responsive Materials 3）Photochemical Reactions 4）Dynamic Processes of Excited States
Organic Radical-based Materials	1）Air-Stable Organic Radicals 2）Spin-Distribution in Organic Radicals 3）Organic Radical Conductors and Semiconductors 4）Luminescent Organic Radicals
Organic Electronic Devices	1) Organic Photovoltaics 2) Organic Light-Emitting Diodes 3) Organic Field-Effect Transistors 4) Flexible Sensing Devices

4. Qualification and Degree Certificate

Schooling years:3 years including no less than 9 months studying in QMUL, at least 29 credits needed.

Degree:After completing the whole education process and successfully defensing the dissertation, the postgraduate students will be awarded diploma by NPU, MSc degree by NPU and MSc degree by QMUL.

5. Modules and Credits/Hours, 13 Modules in Total with 29 Credits

uPublic modules (3 modules), 6 credits/108 hours;

uFundamental modules (1 module), 3 credits/60 hours;

uTechnical core modules (8 modules), 18 credits/360 hours;

uComprehensive module (1 module), 2 credits/40 hours;

Except for ideological and political theory modules (3 credits), 16 credits taught by QMUL and 9 credits taught by NPU with fully English teaching. 7 introduced modules include English for Science and Engineering,Professional Engineering Methods,Advanced Polymer Synthesis and other 5 technical core modules,satisfying the requirement ofRegulations of the People’s Republic of China on Chinese-Foreign Cooperation in Running Schools, which are:

◆numbers of introduced modules (7) take 53.8% of numbers of total modules (13);

◆numbers of introduced major core modules (5) take 62.5% of numbers of total major modules (8);

◆numbers of QMUL teaching major core modules (5) take 38.5% of numbers of total modules (13);

◆class hours of QMUL teaching major core modules (220) take 38.7% of class hours of total modules (568).

Module distribution in details is as below:

(Module code reference: Modules beginning with Code Q are taught by QMUL. Modules beginning with Code N are taught by NPU in English. Modules beginning with Code M are the compulsory modules taught by NPU in Chinese according to MoE regulations.)

(1)Public modules (3 modules, 6 credits)

(2)Fundamental modules (1 module, 3 credits)

(3)Technical core modules (8 modules, 18 credits)

(4)Comprehensive module (1 module, 2 credits)

Curriculum Modules and Credits Table

Module

Module Code

Module Name

Hours/ Credits

Exam/Assessment

Allocation of Hours

Exam √

Assess √

Lecture

Experiment

Sem 1st

Sem 2nd

Sem 3rd

Sem 4th

Sem 5th

Sem 6th

Public Modules

Public Modules

M13G11001

Research on the Theory and Practice of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics

36/2.0

√

36

18/1.0

18/1.0

M13G11002

Dialectics of Nature

18/1.0

√

18

18/1.0

QXU7111

English for Science and Engineering

54/3.0

√

54

54/3.0

Total

108/6.0

Fundamental Modules

Fundamental Modules

NXC7105

Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics

60/3.0

√

60

60/3.0

Total

60/3.0

Technical Core Modules

Technical Core Modules

NXC7206

Advanced Organic Chemistry

60/3.0

√

60

60/3.0

QXU7033

Advanced Polymer Synthesis

40/2.0

√

40

40/2.0

NXC7205 NXC7208

Supramolecular Chemistry (Option A) Organometallic Chemistry (Option B)

40/2.0

√

40

40/2.0

NXC7209 NXC7220

Molecular Spectroscopy (Option A) Electrochemistry (Option B)

40/2.0

√

40

40/2.0

QLU7301

Environmental Properties of Materials

40/2.0

√

40

40/2.0

QLU7302

Plastic Electronic Materials

40/2.0

√

40

40/2.0

QLU7401

Energy Materials and Devices

40/2.0

√

40

40/2.0

QLU7404

Polymer Rheology

40/2.0

√

40

40/2.0

Total

360/18.0

Comprehensive Module

Comprehensive Modules

QXU7211

Professional Engineering Methods

40/2.0

√

40

40/2.0

Total

40/2.0

Total hours / total credits:568//29.0

Reference: Modules beginning with Code Q are taught by QMUL. Modules beginning with Code N are taught by NPU in English. Modules beginning with Code M are the compulsory modules taught by NPU in Chinese according to MoE regulations.

6. Education Plan

TheAcademic Committeeof QMES is in charge of supervising and guaranteeing the education process of double master degree, teaching quality and the viva examination of the final dissertation/project.

Dual tutors mechanism is adopted in this double master programme. Respectively coming from NPU and QMUL, two tutors play a leading role in the cultivation process and will be decided when postgraduates are registered. The final dissertation/project is co-directed by dual tutors.

Schooling years are 3 years including no less than 9 months studying in QMUL.

Taught modulesenjoy the important part of the education plan for the postgraduates who are required to complete enough credits, satisfying the credit requirements of both NPU and QMUL, before the viva examination.

1) Taught modules

(1)Students study public modules, fundamental modules, comprehensive modules and part of technical core modules in NPU, and decide their choices on research interests and complete the literature review for their dissertations under the guidance of dual tutors.

(2)Students study all the technical core modules in QMUL, and start their academic research work and submit their dissertation plans supervised by the dual tutors.

(3)Students continue their research work in NPU and QMUL and complete all the requirements, pass mid-term dissertation assessment, finish writing their dissertations and pass the final viva examination under the instruction of their dual tutors.

(4)The contents of Professional Engineering Methods include: scientific ethics and academic norms, intellectual property rights, problem solving methods, project management, psychology, career planning, academic literature review, academic paper writing guidance and so on.

(5)Students should complete the comprehensive industrial/social practice in NPU. It focuses on cultivating the comprehensive abilities of postgraduates by means of attending activities such as teaching practice, scientific and technological innovation, social service, cultural training, taking a temporary post and volunteer activities. After the practice students need to complete the form titledFeedback on the Industrial/Social Practice for NPU Postgraduateswith their NPU tutors’remarks and comments from the organizations where students have done their practice, which is kept in their files.

2) Project/dissertation scheme

(1) Literature review

Dual tutors will be decided when postgraduates are registered and supervise students to choose their research interests. Students should submit the literature review before the end of the 1^stacademic year.

(2) The opening report review

The final project/dissertation starts with the opening report review which should demonstrate the scientific significance, background, research content, expected objectives, research methods and conditions of the topic. The opening report review should be reported to the Academic Committee for comments no later than the 3^rdsemester.

Those who pass the review shall be allowed to continue the final project/dissertation. Those who fail to pass the review shall be warned and asked to revise it within a specified time period. They shall submit the report again for review. Those who fail to pass the review again shall terminate the programme or find other cultivating ways.

(3) Mid-term review

Students should submit a mid-term progress report about 6 months after the opening report passed. The progress report shall include whether the work of the project/dissertation is carried out according to the scheduled content of the opening report and the progress of the project/dissertation plan, the completed research content, the summary of scientific and academic research participated, the existing or anticipated problems, the proposed solutions, subsequent work plan and research content, etc.

During the progress students are allowed to make necessary adjustments to the project/dissertation (title,content, research plan, etc.). However, the main content of project/dissertation should be basically consistent with the content of mid-term progress report when students having the viva examination of the final project/dissertation.

A review team can be established under the consent of the Academic Committee. It should consist of at least three associate professors and above (excluding tutors) with a team leader to give evaluation opinions on students’submitted projects/dissertations.

Those who pass the review shall be allowed to continue the final project/dissertation. Those who fail to pass the review shall be warned and asked to revise it within a specified time period. They shall submit the report again and pass the review. Those who fail to pass the review again shall terminate the programme or find other cultivating ways.

(4) The final project/dissertation writing

The final project/dissertation is the summary of independent and systematic academic research work completed by postgraduate students under the guidance of tutors. It should have good academic technicality and considerable workload. It solves the scientific problems of the subject by using existing or innovative theories and methods, carries out necessary theoretical analysis and obtains correct results. Specific requirements shall be implemented in accordance with theRegulations on Degree Thesis Writing of NPUandCriteria for Master's Degree Dissertations of QMUL.

(5) The viva examination

A Viva Examination Committee shall be established under the consent of the Academic Committee to evaluate students’projects/dissertations in accordance with the provisions of the Academic Degree Evaluation Committee of both NPU and QMUL.

7. Enrollment Requirements for Double Degrees Master Students

1) Participate in the Unified National Postgraduate Entrance Examination, reach the basic score line of postgraduate interview of NPU, and pass the interview organised by QMES who select the best examinees.

2) Candidates who meet the exam-free requirements of NPU postgraduates shall apply for their intended programme through MoE “national information disclosure and management service system for recommending outstanding undergraduates to study postgraduate programmes” and pass the interview organized by QMES.

3) English requirements: have achieved a score of 6.0 or above in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with a score in writing of 5.5 or above; or achieved a score of 60 or above in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a score in writing of 18 or above; or have, within 5 years prior to entry to the JEI, graduated from a degree that was studied in English, where the transcript of the degree clearly shows that the degree was taught and examined in English.

8. Student Management of Double Degrees Master

QMES is responsible for postgraduate enrollment, student registration, student management, academic management and student cultivation. The Institute of Flexible Electronics assist the selection of tutors, academic guidance and to provide research platforms.

Teacher List

Tutor list