Small changes mean big opportunities: AINST becomes Sydney Nano
Nanotechnology will shape this century as digital technology shaped the last. The University of Sydney Nano Institute stands ready to embrace the future.
The University of Sydney Nano Institute director, Professor Susan Pond, with Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Dr Michael Spence.听
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The Australian Institute of Nanoscale Science and Technology is to become the University of Sydney Nano Institute, one of the University鈥檚 three flagship multidisciplinary centres.
The name change, simplified to Sydney Nano, reflects the success the institute has had in broadening its reach to engage a wide range of researchers across the University community, including in the faculties of听Engineering and Information Technologies, Pharmacy, Science, Arts and Social Science, Business and Medicine.
The director of the , , said that as the institute's workload and reach increased it was only natural that the name became compact.
鈥淲e are just at the beginning of the nanoscale revolution. Its impact will be as keenly felt as the industrial revolution in the 19th century and the digital revolution of the 20th century,鈥� Professor听Pond said.
鈥淭hose impacts will be felt far beyond science and engineering. That is why the Sydney Nano Institute reaches across our academic community into business, medicine, the arts and social sciences, architecture and design.鈥�
Sydney Nano sits alongside the University鈥檚 other flagship multidisciplinary institutes: the and the .
Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Dr Michael Spence, said: 鈥淕reat ideas come from collaboration. The University is a champion for multidisciplinary research across traditional silos.听The University of Sydney Nano Institute will play a leading role in the transformational technologies of the coming century and help society understand, adapt and thrive.鈥�
Next month, Sydney Nano鈥檚 theme leader in Health and Medicine, , will host a Nanosafety Symposium at the University of Sydney. The event is jointly hosted听by the . Dr Chrzanowski鈥檚 work reflects Sydney Nano鈥檚 multidisciplinary approach to the impact of nanotechnology across society.
Since establishing the institute in March 2016, there have been rapid changes that have prompted the adoption of the Sydney Nano name, which takes effect on 27 November.
The University鈥檚 has expanded, which has included the establishment of the partnership, based at the .
Sydney Nano has also embraced initiatives with Pharmacy on nanosafety, broadening engagement on nanotechnology with our Business School and Faculty of Arts and Social听Sciences to look at societal impacts from nanotech.
Sydney Nano members have also been recognised for their outstanding work this year, including:
- The director of the University鈥檚 Microsoft Quantum Laboratory, Professor David Reilly, was recognised as the .
- The institute鈥檚 nanorobotics project leader, , won the .
- Our theme leader for Computing, Communication and Security, Associate Professor Xiaoke Yi, won the .
- Professor Michael Biercuk has led the first venture-capital-backed spin-off from the Sydney Nano quantum science group, , which aims to become the trusted provider听of firmware solutions for quantum computing technologies.
- Sydney Nano member has been awarded the by the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. Dr New is an inorganic chemist working on molecular imaging and medical chemical sensors. The award recognises an early career researcher who has contributed most towards the development of a branch of chemical science.听