Supporting Macao’s development with whole-person education

As the only public comprehensive university in Macao, the University of Macau (UM) has played a leadership role in nurturing professionals in various fields to support the fast economic growth of Macao since its handover to China. UM implements a ‘4-in-1’ education model that consists of discipline- specific education, general education, research and internship education, and community and peer education, to help students achieve well-rounded development. Prof Billy So, UM’s vice rector for student affairs, says that in the future UM will focus on nurturing students into caring, socially responsible, and globally minded individuals.

Learning Outside the Classroom

Currently, UM has Asia’s largest residential college system, with ten colleges in operation, each home to approximately 500 students. These students live, dine, and organise activities together, under the guidance of a group of resident faculty members. The RC system serves as a vehicle for implementing community and peer education, one component of the ‘4-in-1’ model. According to Prof So, the RCs aim to help students develop competencies in five areas, namely Healthy Living, Interpersonal Relation and Teamwork, Leadership and Service, Cultural Engagement, and Citizenship with a Global Perspective, through systematic planning of all courses, programmes, and activities. Students are encouraged to apply textbook knowledge in real-world situations. Prof So explains that an RC is different from a dormitory, in that it provides a platform for students to receive community and peer education, to learn how to become better persons, and to apply classroom knowledge in real life.

UM also emphasises the links between classroom learning and extracurricular activities. There are close to 30 sports, cultural and arts teams, as well as about 100 student-led groups under the Students’ Union and the Postgraduate Association, for students to choose from. Through these organisations, students can showcase their talents, develop skills, and make friends from different cultural backgrounds.

Instilling a Global Mindset

According to Prof So, UM hopes to produce graduates who are compassionate, caring, globally minded, internationally competitive, and socially responsible. For students who are interested in Chinese culture or plan to pursue a career in Macao or mainland China, the university encourages them to gain a better understanding of Macao’s history and its future direction as well as China’s national policies and traditional culture. Last year, UM established its National Flag Team, which is composed of students from Macao, Hong Kong, mainland China, and Taiwan. The university also recommends outstanding students for a national programme known as ‘The Ten Thousand Talent Programme’, which sponsors teachers and students from Macao and Hong Kong to participate in exchange or educational programmes at mainland universities, to help them gain a better understanding of academic and cultural development in China.

Instilling a global mindset in students is an important part of whole-person education, which is particularly important for students studying in a cosmopolitan city like Macao. Over the past 20 years, UM has entered into partnerships with an increasing number of higher education institutions. Currently, UM students can choose to participate in exchange programmes at over 150 universities in 28 countries and regions. For years, UM offers a Global Summer Internship Programme to sponsor students to serve internships in Macao, mainland China, and overseas countries. Starting in 2020, the programme will provide internship opportunities in different parts of the world, including Europe, North America, and Oceania. Prof So says, ‘Even if the students choose to stay in Macao after graduation, they will still come into contact with people from other places, perhaps more and more frequently. So it is very important to develop a global mindset.’

Supporting Students’ Entrepreneurial Attempts

To support the Macao SAR government’s effort to promote innovation and entrepreneurship, UM regularly organises entrepreneurship competitions, sometimes with other universities, to encourage entrepreneurial projects from students. For instance, it has co-organised the Bank of China Trophy One Million Dollar Macao Regional Entrepreneurship Competition with the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. At the 2019 competition, UM students swept all the top prizes. UM also organises field trips to mainland China and its neighbouring regions to help students gain a deeper understanding of economic development and entrepreneurial culture in these regions. Apart from the Global Summer Internship Programm, UM has launched various other internship programmes in recent years, including the Tencent – Macao Talent Internship Programme, to help students understand national development and start early career planning.

Encouraging Students to Give Back to Society

In recent years, UM has organised many service learning trips to different parts of the world. The Thailand Volunteer Teaching Work Group, for instance, has made its first service learning trip to Africa. UM students also actively participate in volunteer service programmes organised by local associations. Some of them have gone one step further by carrying out research studies on issues of close interest to the local community under the guidance of their professors. For instance, students from the Global and Community Mental Health Research Group under the Department of Psychology have completed several public health studies in Macao. Their findings were presented and won several awards at the 2018 Convention of the American Psychological Association, one of the oldest and most respected psychology associations in the world.

In response to a poverty alleviation volunteer programme launched by the Macao government, UM has organised multiple service learning programmes, through which students visit remote areas in China to provide volunteer teaching or other forms of help to the disadvantaged. In addition to raising student awareness about giving back to society, these programmes have also helped students gain a comprehensive understanding of the state of the nation and foster a sense of social responsibility.

Cultivating a Caring Heart

Prof So believes that whole-person education is essentially about teaching students to learn to care about other people and society in general, in addition to acquiring professional skills. He says, ‘We want our students to not only care about themselves, but also care about other people. No matter how talented a person is, if he only cares about himself, what good is he going to bring to society? Eventually, self-centred people may not even bring much good to themselves. So I hope UM students will contribute to society in some meaningful way after graduation, and I believe this should start with cultivating a caring heart.’

Source: UMagazine Issue 21