The University of Macau’s (UM) Pearl Jubilee College (PJC) has achieved some very good results with its Academic Support Programme (ASP), which was launched in 2012.

The programme is designed to help all college members achieve their full academic potential. It not only provides assistance to students who need more guidance, but also help students to explore their interests and abilities and develop their competencies.

In particular, ASP offers various sub-programmes, including study groups; seminars and workshops; college library and reading clubs; the Student Project Subsidy Scheme (SPSS); and the Academic Improvement Award.

In this semester alone, PJC has successfully held eight regular study groups on a wide range of topics including economics, accounting, math and statistics, Photoshop, Portuguese, and English speaking and writing for academic purposes; as well as four consultation sessions on methodology, finance, Japanese speaking, and International business law respectively.

The study group appoints one senior student as the tutor for a specific course. Each tutor conducts weekly sessions during which participants discuss study materials, solve problems, and learn academic skills.

The Student Project Subsidy Scheme, or SPSS, is a relatively new programme launched in the 2012/2013 academic year, with the aim of encouraging PJC students to pursue their interests in academic research, product development, business projects, or publication. Students can apply for this grant once in an academic year. 12 PJC members have succeeded in applying for this subsidy programme in the past academic year.

To promote reading habits among the students and to provide resources to support the learning, research, and development needs of the college community, PJC’s library was established in January 2013. The library is open three nights every week with the help of volunteer librarians. Building on the resources of the library, reading clubs are held every month to promote reading and idea-sharing. Reading clubs are a huge step forward for PJC; it helps PJC develop into a student community with a richer academic atmosphere.

Academic success seminars and learning enrichment workshops are provided on study techniques, time management, writing proposals and term papers, how to prepare presentations, and so on. To better prepare students for their future careers, PJC also organised a series of overseas study seminars, graduate school admissions workshops, and resume and job interview workshops.

The Academic Improvement Award is designed to recognise students who have made significant academic progress. The purpose of this award is not to recognise the students who get the highest score, but to reward those who have made the most progress. All PJC students are eligible for this award. The candidates are nominated by the Academic Support Committee and other college members, and the winners are selected by the master of PJC. Selection is mainly based on individual improvement in grade point average (GPA).


Should you have any enquiries about the press release, please feel free to contact Ms. Albee Lei or Ms. Kristy Fok at(853)8397 4325 or prs.media@um.edu.mo or visit UM webpage www.umac.mo.