Top students share reasons for choosing UM

With the steady increase of its international reputation and the quality of its teaching and research, the University of Macau (UM) in this academic year (2019/2020 academic year) received more than 13,000 applications for its undergraduate programmes, up nearly 30 per cent from last year, hitting a new high in the university’s history. With the goal of recruiting outstanding students, UM this year admitted 2,041 students, with a record number of outstanding students. Why do top students choose UM?

Following in Her Father’s Footsteps

A record number of 348 outstanding students were admitted this year through the Principals’ Recommended Admission Scheme. Among them, 37 are ranked No 1 in their secondary school classes. Lam Lam, a first-year student of electromechanical engineering, is one of these students. According to Lam, thanks to the rapid development of science and technology, artificial intelligence (AI) is attracting more and more attention worldwide, and UM has its unique strengths in AI research. She believes that against this backdrop, graduates of electromechanical engineering will have many career opportunities after graduation. In the Essential Sciences Indicators (ESI) rankings, UM is among the top 1 per cent in six subjects, namely Engineering, Chemistry, Pharmacology & Toxicology, Computer Science, Clinical Medicine, and Social Sciences, General.

Lam’s father is an electromechanical engineer. Since her childhood, Lam has learned a great deal about electromechanical engineering from him, and gradually developed a strong interest in this field. Lam hopes to become an outstanding electromechanical engineer just like her father. She says she applied to UM because UM’s undergraduate programme in electromechanical engineering has received full accreditation from the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE), so she will be qualified to apply for HKIE membership after graduation. In addition, UM’s English-teaching environment is also one of the reasons why she chose UM. ‘Studying at UM will not only improve my English; it will also fulfill the English requirements for the profession of electromechanical engineering, which will in turn prepare me for studying overseas in the future,’ says Lam.

Integrating Big Data into Business Education

Many outstanding students from mainland provinces and cities applied to UM this year, up 58 per cent from last year. The 351 mainland students admitted by UM scored an average of 18.6 per cent higher than the admission marks required by tier-one universities for their respective provinces and cities, hitting a new high in the university’s history. Ma Jingkun, a first-year student from Beijing, who studies in the Faculty of Business Administration, achieved marks that were 20 per cent higher than the admission marks required by tier-one universities in Beijing. As a top scorer from the High School Affiliated to the Renmin University of China, she had many options in terms of college choice. It was during a higher education fair that she learned of the international recognition of UM’s academic and research results and the fact that UM is an outstanding young university. ‘UM enjoys great renown, both at home and abroad, for its business education,’ she says. ‘This year, the university launched the Bachelor of Science in Business Intelligence and Data Analytics programme, which I believe will help enhance my international competitiveness.’

She adds: ‘Big data analysis is a hot new topic in recent years. Everybody is talking about how to apply big data technology in their fields. In recent years, UM is actively integrating advanced technology (such as data mining, blockchain, artificial intelligence ) into business education in order to equip students with the newest knowledge. Also, Macao is a place where diverse cultures co-exist, and UM is like a microcosm of the Macao society. Studying at UM can help me develop a global mindset and grow as an individual.’ She looks forward to participating in an exchange programme overseas in her third year to experience a different culture. (currently, UM students can choose from more than 150 higher education institutions around the world for exchange programmes or overseas studies)

A Stage for Showcasing Your Talent

UM is dedicated to recruiting more international students. This year sees an increase in both the number of applicants and the diversity of their backgrounds. A total of 570 students from 31 countries and regions applied to UM this year. Foong Chan Kok, a first-year student in the Department of Psychology, is from Malaysia. He received A1 in six subjects in the UEC (Unified Examination Certificate) examination. He says he considers UM to be an ideal university, adding that he learned about UM and its unique residential college system from a senior female student in his high school who highly recommended UM and who herself is now a student at UM. Foong likes dancing, and he feels that UM provides a perfect learning environment and sufficient resources to sustain his determination to continue dancing. He says, ‘There is a cheerleading team in every residential college. UM places an emphasis on team spirit and encourages students to make good use of their spare time to practise various skills. This place feels like a home. Every day, when I am not studying, I am dancing.’

Foong says he chose psychology mainly because he wanted to learn how to release emotions as someone who is not very good at expressing himself. ‘One day, I just lost it,’ he says. ‘That was the first time I went to see a counsellor, which made me realise the importance of releasing emotions. I hope that through studying psychology, I can learn how to observe and understand myself better, and then I hope to be able to help others. I also believe that UM teachers and students will inspire me.’ Foong intends to combine dancing and psychology to help people express their emotions through dance moves. He explains, ‘This is just a preliminary idea. I hope to put my knowledge into practice, and interpret psychological theories into body language, so we can release our emotions through dancing.’

Source: Communications Office