UM holds Open Day in Macao and Hengqin to showcase its features and achievements

The University of Macau (UM) held its Open Day today (12 January) to allow the public to learn about its latest developments and experience its vibrant campus culture. More than 200 activities took place throughout the day, showcasing UM’s educational philosophy, learning environment, academic offerings, and developments in recent years. Parents agree that UM has a comprehensive talent cultivation system that provides an excellent teaching and research environment for students, adding that they will encourage their children to pursue further studies in Macao.

This year’s UM Open Day was held in a hybrid format. Both the UM campus and the Zhuhai UM Science & Technology Research Institute were open to the public, and the live stream of the whole day’s activities reached over 250,000 views across UM’s various social media platforms. The opening ceremony was held at 11:00am at the UM Wu Yee Sun Library Plaza and was officiated by Yonghua Song, rector of UM; Chan Iok Wai, head of the Department of Students of the Education and Youth Development Bureau of the Macao SAR Government; Chan Hong, president of the Chinese Educators Association of Macau; Lao Lai Mui, chairperson of the Macao Catholic Schools Association; Ao Peng Kong, president of the General Assembly of the University of Macau Alumni Association; Ho Pui I, president of the General Assembly of the University of Macau Students’ Union; and Chen Yulin, director general of the University of Macau Postgraduate Association. The ceremony was also attended by nearly 100 guests, including officials of the Macao SAR Government, members of the Executive Council and the Legislative Assembly, members of the University Assembly and the University Council of UM, representatives of the education sector, scholarship donors, partners, university management, faculty, students, and alumni.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Rector Yonghua Song said that UM has made significant developments and achievements since its relocation in 2014. The university also seized a new opportunity last year by becoming the first university in Macao to extend its teaching and research activities to the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. In December last year, the university held a land handover and groundbreaking ceremony for its campus in the Cooperation Zone, marking the official commencement of the campus construction. As a university rooted in Macao, UM will continue to take part in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, integrate with the nation, and go global. The university is committed to producing creative and socially responsible graduates with a global mindset and international competitiveness. Meanwhile, UM will continue to enhance its strategic research layout, build high-level scientific research and innovation platforms, promote the transformation of scientific and technological achievements, and support Macao’s economic diversification. Song also expressed hope that UM will experience another round of rapid development in the next decade.

Mrs Geng from Shandong Province attended the UM Open Day with her daughter. She appreciates UM’s beautiful and open campus, as well as the university’s high-quality learning and research environment. She hopes that her daughter will have the opportunity to attend UM’s summer programme, which can help her daughter find her development direction and lay a solid foundation for further studies. A pair of twins, who are currently form six students at Colégio de Santa Rosa de Lima, also visited UM with their parents. Their parents agree that the UM Open Day helped them gain a better understanding of the university’s admission information and academic programmes. They also learned more about UM’s talent cultivation system and academic atmosphere, and will encourage their daughters to study at UM. Ho, a student who wants to study business administration, learned that UM’s newly launched programme in business analytics aligns with his interests and meets the needs of social development. He believes that studying at UM will have broad development prospects.

Throughout the UM Open Day, various faculties, research institutes, laboratories, and residential colleges hosted over 200 activities, including admission talks, academic and science talks, laboratory activities, workshops, interactive booth games, performances, and exhibitions. These activities integrated fun science knowledge and cultural experiences, allowing participants to take part in metaverse racing games and Chinese medicine aromatherapy, explore the world under the microscope and the mysteries of cells, take lie detection tests, learn about telepathy, interact with the quadruped bionic robot, and make egg waffles and coffee ground scrubs. Through these activities, visitors experienced UM’s learning atmosphere and explored their interests and potential. UM’s ten residential colleges also offered guided tours, where participants gained insights into the colleges’ educational philosophy through games and communal dining experiences. In addition, the Zhuhai UM Science & Technology Research Institute in Hengqin held science lectures, admission talks, and alumni sharing sessions to showcase UM’s teaching and research achievements in Hengqin.

Furthermore, Zhong Junwen, assistant professor in the Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics of the Faculty of Science and Technology at UM, gave a presentation titled ‘Wearable haptic feedback devices for virtual reality—Thousands of miles away, we can touch’ at the opening ceremony. He shared UM’s latest research achievements in flexible smart materials, inspiring students to make the world a better place through science.