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On 5 November 2010, construction of the main structures of the new University of Macau (UM) campus kicked off, signalling a new stage in the development of the new campus project. Secretariat for Transport and Public Works of Macao SAR Lau Si Io, Vice Governor of Guangdong Liu Kun, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Macao SAR Gao Yan, UM’s University Council Chair Tse Chi Wai, and UM Rector Wei Zhao attended the construction kick-off ceremony.
The implementation of the new campus project has ushered in a brand-new model of cooperation between Zhuhai and Macao. Not only is this project an important initiative on the part of the central government to support Macao’s endeavor to develop education and nurture outstanding graduates for society, but it is also a key project to explore a new model of cooperation between Guangdong and Macao under the "One Country, Two Systems" policy.
During the three-year construction period, the new campus will be governed in accordance with mainland laws and regulations. Once the spacious new campus is put into use, it will play an important role in furthering cultural causes and moderate industrial diversification in Macao, as well as in the city’s sustainable development and long-term prosperity and stability.
The phase-1 landmark buildings include the central library, the central classroom building and the university history exhibition hall, with a total building area of over 100,000 square metres. Soft subsoil reinforcement for relevant sections has been completed, and pile foundation construction will soon begin. Designed in accordance with the master plan, the three landmark buildings will form a square that faces Macao across the sea.
Land reclamation for the new campus began at the end of December 2009. Designs and construction plans for foundation reinforcement, buildings, campus greening and transport networks are expected to be completed successively next year. The ongoing soft subsoil reinforcement for phase-2 and phase-3 buildings is expected to be completed by next March. Cofferdam construction for the underwater tunnel connecting the new campus and Macao and will be carried out simultaneously. Geological survey, preliminary design, environmental evaluation, and assessment of the navigation capacity of the waterway and the dam’s flood prevention capacity have been completed. Civil works will be carried out in three phases. The Hengqin-side entrance section and the underwater section are expected to start construction at the end of this year, while the Macao-side entrance section is expected to start construction in the second quarter of 2011 after piping relocation and alteration are completed, to ensure that tunnel construction can be completed on schedule.
