Dear new students,
In line with the government’s measures to control and prevent the epidemic, I have to greet you through a video at the beginning of the new academic year. On behalf of the University of Macau, I would like to welcome all of you to the UM family. University is not only a valuable stage of growth in your life, but also an important platform for you to mature and gain personal success. Today is a very meaningful day as it marks a new chapter in your life.
For new undergraduate students, you have officially entered the stage of university. The first challenge that you will face is a change in lifestyle. I believe most of you are leaving your parents and are away from a familiar living environment for the first time. In the next four years in the university, you must learn to be independent and organised. You need to develop good time management skills, cultivate self-discipline, and maintain a healthy and positive attitude. In addition, you will face a change in your learning style. Compared to secondary education, university studies require you to take the initiative and be more proactive as the fields of knowledge and learning platforms will be much broader than before. For undergraduate education, UM adopts a unique ‘4-in-1’ model of whole-person education, which consists of discipline-specific education, general education, research and internship education, as well as community and peer education, and the model is implemented via a coordinated approach between the university’s faculties and residential colleges. At UM, I hope that you will further cultivate your sense of belonging to your home country, strive for high moral standards, improve your level of knowledge and learning ability, and actively participate in group activities and social activities. UM will fully support and assist you in all aspects of your development to help you succeed.
For new postgraduate students, even though you are already familiar with university life, postgraduate education will be a new stage for you to further develop academic knowledge and improve research ability. With changes unprecedented in a century in the world and a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, different academic challenges are waiting for you to solve and break through. I hope you will pursue innovation in each of your research projects by taking a problem-oriented approach with interdisciplinary knowledge and methods. UM attaches great importance to the development of research and innovation and fostering an excellent academic culture and environment, in order to provide students with more opportunities to participate in cutting-edge scientific and interdisciplinary research. The university requires you to strictly adhere to the ethics and academic standards of research. I hope you will make full use of the abundant platforms and resources provided by the university to pursue your own research directions. The university is a place where faculty members and students can actively engage in academic discussions to inspire each other. In your new stage of learning, I hope you will be diligent in thinking, conscientious in seeking truth, and courageous in innovating.
Although the epidemic will inevitably affect our daily lives and studies, we must adapt to the changes and overcome the difficulties with a positive attitude. As the new academic year begins, the university will continue to create a safe, secure, and friendly environment conducive to your personal growth and academic development. UM has a multicultural learning environment, where Chinese culture is the mainstream and diverse cultures coexist, as well as an international governance model. At UM, you can learn from faculty members and students from different cultures and backgrounds, which will help you broaden your horizons and make progress together. ‘Perseverance leads to a bright future!’ I hope you will embark on your new journey with optimism and confidence, cherish the opportunity, and study hard to fulfil your dreams!
Once again, congratulations to you all and welcome to the UM family! I wish you all good health and progress in your studies!
Yours sincerely,
Yonghua Song
Rector
