Source: Office of the Spokesperson of the Government (GCS)
The University of Macau’s (UM) new campus, a landmark project that ushers in a new mode of collaboration between Guangdong and Macao, is handed over to Macao SAR on 20 July. The new UM campus shall be governed by the laws of Macao SAR as of the commencement-of-use day.
Today (19 July), the Macao SAR Government Official Gazette published the Chief Executive Dispatch No. 218/2013, announcing the commencement of use of the new campus on Hengqin Island to Macao SAR on 20 July. According to the relevant decisions announced by the National People’s Congress Standing Committee in June 2009, the new UM campus shall come under the jurisdiction of Macao SAR as of the day of commencement-of-use—i.e. the new campus shall be governed by the laws of Macao SAR as of the commencement-of-use day.
The new UM campus located on Hengqin Island is believed to have the potential to play a crucial role in educating talent for Macao SAR and in promoting the moderate economic diversification and sustainable development of Macao SAR. Therefore, the Macao SAR government has attached great importance to the new UM campus project, and has maintained close liaison with the government of Zhuhai city to ensure the smooth progress of the project. Ever since 20 December 2009, when Hu Jintao, former president of the People’s Republic of China, presided over the groundbreaking ceremony, the new campus project has received great support from the central government as well as full cooperation from Guangdong province and Zhuhai city. In this April, the construction was overall finished, and after that relevant parties from Guangdong and Macao began to prepare for quality inspection and equipment testing. Special meetings were held to discuss matters related to the handover of the new campus and various follow-up works, and meticulous arrangements were made to ensure that everything went according to plan.
The new UM campus has a total building area of approximately 940,000m2. There are 15 building complexes and more than 80 independent buildings, complete with water, electricity, natural gas, and telecommunications systems as well as customs, police station, and other facilities. The total size of the municipal roads on the new campus is 160,000m2. The new campus is a large-scale project that has followed high construction standards and required a high level of coordination between various parties. Numerous sub-projects and works often needed to be carried out simultaneously. At the height of the construction, nearly 60 construction units consisting of nearly 10,000 workers were working on the site.
The new UM campus on Hengqin Island is more than just a campus construction project. It is strategically significant because it is an innovative implementation of the “One Country, Two Systems” policy, which will strengthen the cooperation between Guangdong and Macao SAR.
UM’s relocation to the new campus will be carried out in stages. Because quality inspection and various follow-up works are in progress, the new campus will be managed in the same way a construction site would be managed for the time being and therefore will open to the public later.
New campus will not open to the public for the time being to facilitate the installation of various facilities
20 July is a historic moment for the new UM campus on Hengqin Island, because on this day the new campus is officially handed over to the Macao SAR government, which means the new campus will be governed by the laws of Macao SAR. For the time being the new campus will be managed in the same way a construction site would be managed to facilitate equipment testing, quality inspection, and relocation. Therefore it will not open to the public at this stage.
To facilitate the installation of water, electricity, security, telecommunications, and transport systems and facilities on the new campus, as well as the subsequent relocation, the governments of Macao SAR and Guangdong province, upon careful consideration and meticulous discussion, reached a consensus and successfully obtained approval from the central government for the new campus to be handed over on 20 July of this year.
Because quality inspection and follow-up works are in progress, the new campus will not open to the public for the time being for easy management. During the transitional period, there will be measures to control pedestrian and vehicle flows at the exit/entrance of the underwater tunnel on the Macao side. At present most of those staying behind on the new campus site are engineering and technical personnel who hold relevant permits to work legally in Macao. In view of the need to apply the laws of Macao SAR to the new campus after the handover, the contractor, Guangdong Nam Yue Group Co. Ltd, initiated the withdrawal process earlier this year. Workers and construction equipment from mainland China have been withdrawn from the new campus before 20 July.
UM will carry out the follow-up works and relocation in stages. Follow-up works include installation and testing of the campus computer network and information equipment, installation of WiFi and telephone systems, installation of equipment in approximately 350 classrooms and more than 400 residential units, as well as the procurement of more than 100,000 pieces of furniture. UM plans to move approximately 2,000 staff and students to the new campus in batches during the summer break. Some courses will be conducted on the new campus starting the upcoming academic year. UM’s Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences and the two state key labs (the State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, and the State Key Laboratory for Quality Research in Chinese Medicine) will move in later. Some administrative units and academic support units will also move in stages to provide support.
The relocation is a huge and complex project. UM will carry out the relocation in stages and in an orderly manner to minimise the impact on the lives of staff and students.(Translation)
