As the bus quickly exited the underwater tunnel to reveal UM’s new campus to its first visitors after it came under the jurisdiction of Macao SAR on 20 July 2013, those on the bus—UM’s top management, students, as well as faculty and staff members—burst into a spontaneous cheer and applause. For them, this first visit to the new campus via the underwater tunnel after more than three years of construction was a historic event. It more than just opened their eyes—it also opened a new chapter in the history of higher education in Macao.

New Campus Will Gradually Open to Public

Quality inspection of the buildings and a series of follow-up works are still ongoing, so at the moment the new campus is still being managed in the same way a construction site is managed. UM’s various departments are doing their best to try to complete all the tasks as soon as possible. It is expected that the new campus will be fully open to the public the next spring. During the current first stage, the residential areas in the south of the campus are open to the public on a limited scale. Areas that are open to the public during this stage include the Postgraduate Houses, one of the residential colleges (block 12), and the public roads to the south of the entrance/exit of the underwater tunnel. During the second stage, the landmark building area, the north of the campus, all public roads and some sections of the central avenue, as well as the pedestrian lane in the tunnel will be open to the public. (Please see yellow highlights in the attached maps)

Over 1,000 Students among the First to Live on New Campus

One of the residential colleges (block 12) was the first building on the new campus to receive and pass quality inspection. After it passed quality inspection on 20 August, UM kicked off a three-day trial use activity, which overall ran smoothly. The next buildings to receive quality inspection are the Postgraduate Houses. The remaining more than 60 buildings are expected to receive quality inspection by the end of this year. Since 28 August, UM has started arranging for some students to move to the new campus first. Altogether about 1,600 students will move to the new campus during this first stage. If quality inspection of the buildings and the followup works go smoothly, UM plans to carry out large-scale relocation between late 2013 and early 2014 (winter break), which means that during the first semester of the 2013/2014 academic year, most of the courses will still be conducted on the current campus.

Bus Service to New Campus Now Available

The Transport Bureau of Macao SAR has put a new bus route—Route 37U—which links the current campus and the new campus—into service since 26 August. For the time being this bus route will mostly travel on the public roads adjacent to the Postgraduate Houses in the south of the new campus to facilitate working staff’s and UM students’ need to commute between the current campus and the new campus. Because some follow-up works are still ongoing on the new campus, only authorised buses and other vehicles are allowed entry to the new campus to avoid undue transport and management pressure. In addition, only the two two-way vehicle lanes in the underwater tunnel are now in use. The 500-metre pedestrian lane will be open to the public in due course.