Introduction to Key Laboratory for Anisotropy and Texture of Materials, Ministry of Education

The Key Laboratory for Anisotropy and Texture of Materials, Ministry of Education (ATM) was founded by the Ministry of Education in Dec. 2005, and consequently passed the government assessment in May 2008. Based on material science in Northeastern University, which is the secondary and national key discipline in China, the Lab is becoming a science and technology innovation base under the “211” and “985” projects. On approval of the Ministry of Education, Professor Zuo Liang from Northeastern University is appointed as the director of ATM and Professor Lu Ke from Institute of Metal Research Chinese Academy of Science is the chairman of the academic committee.

The ATM Lab covers a research area of multi-disciplines, which is mainly grounded on four directions: the characterize of material texture and anisotropy, the material texture and microstructure control, the design and fabrication of anisotropic structural and anisotropic functional materials. Researches among these subjects are inter-connected and inter-supported, covering a wide range of cutting-edge basic scientific issues and key generic technology in anisotropy and texture of materials area.

The ATM Lab focuses on gathering and cultivating high-quality and professional talents in key research orientations, formulating a scientific research group membered by appropriately aged and informed, innovative and internationally visioned, as well as united and cooperative personnel. The ATM Lab has 54 research fellows, of which 27 are Professors (Ph.D. supervisors: 14) and 18 are Associate Professors. Young and middle-aged discipline pioneers and academic backbone constitute the driving force for the building and development of the lab, among which, 2 members have been included in China’s Hundred, Thousand and Ten Thousand Talent Project (at the hundred level), 4 members have been supported by National Natural Science Funds for Distinguished Young Scholar, 15 members have been supported by Trans-century Training Program Foundation for the Talents by Ministry of Education. In 2008, the research group, which the Lab belongs to, was included in the Innovative Research Team Development Plan by Ministry of Education.

In the past five years, the total inlet amount of the ATM Lab scientific research reached 80.32 million RMB, of which 69.68 million RMB were research funds from academic committee; 40 items were approved by the National Natural Science Foundation, of which 6 items were key projects, with a total funding of 17.5 million RMB. The Lab published 700 academic papers, (SCI: 317 papers). The quality of publication has been greatly improved. High-level papers were published, including Phys. Rev. Lett.， Scientific Reports, Acta. Materilia. and etc. In the past five years, 47 patents have been authorized.

The ATM Lab emphasizes the construction of quality courses and the improvement of undergraduate teaching quality and pedagogical reform project. The “History of Materials”, course lectured by teachers in the lab, has been added into National Quality Video Public Classes. The courses of “Mechanical Properties of Materials” and “Principles of Metal and Heat Treatment” have been added in Liaoning Sharing Courses. The course of “Material Thermodynamics and Exercises of Material Thermodynamics” were approved by Liaoning 12th Five Year Plan. The course of “Quality Course Construction for Modern Research Methods of Materials in Material Shaping and Control” was awarded the 1st prize in NEU’s Pedagogical Achievements. The course of “Material Preparation”: was approved as a piloting project of Online Examination for NEU’s Undergraduate Courses.

The ATM Lab attaches great importance to improve the creativity of college students. In 2014, it was awarded two 1st prizes, five 2nd prizes and the Excellent Team award in the Third Competition of National Students’ Metallurgical Skills. Four undergraduate students, instructed by members of the lab, won four 2nd prizes in the Competition of National College Students’ New Materials Innovative Design.

The ATM Lab upholds the Scientific Outlook on Development, with the overall thinking of work to strengthen international exchanges and cooperation. In the past five years, 260 faculty members traveled abroad for academic conferences and cooperative researches. Over 200 noted scholars at home and abroad were invited to the lab. 2 projects of the lab were approved as High-end Foreign Experts Project in 2014. Professor Claude, Université de Lorraine, who visited the lab at invitation, was awarded the 2014 Chinese Government Friendship Award, which made him the only foreign expert in NEU who accepted the highest honor from the Chinese government for foreign experts.