UM successfully completed the relocation in the just-ended summer holiday. The various teaching, sports and residential facilities underwent several trial runs during the summer holiday so that problems could be detected and fixed before faculty members, staff, and students move to the new campus. In the 2014/2015 academic year, UM welcomed over 1,600 new undergraduates. All the new undergraduates have moved into the RCs, bringing the total number of students living in the RCs to over 3,500. The University Mall, which integrates dining, shopping and postal functions; the dining halls in the various RCs; and the other Chinese and Western restaurants are all running smoothly. Some students comment that the University Mall is very convenient for those who live on campus.
At about eight o’clock this morning, UM Rector Wei Zhao and Dean of Students Peter Yu, along with several other colleagues, made a special trip to the bus stops at the Praça de Ferreira do Amaral and the Edifício do Lago in Taipa, in order to gain firsthand knowledge about whether available public transport could meet UM students’ needs. They later also arranged for a shuttle bus to take UM students to the new campus. Rector Wei Zhao says that starting this academic year there will be around 10,000 people, including current students, new students, faculty, and staff, working and studying on the new campus, which will bring many challenges for UM in terms of facilities management, but UM has the confidence to solve the problems efficiently. UM implements a “4-in-1” model of education on the new campus. This model has four components, namely discipline-specific education, general education, research and internship education, as well as community and peer education. The RC system is an important vehicle for carrying out community and peer education. It also opens a new chapter in higher education development in Macao as it represents a departure from the traditional model of education where students go to the campus for classes and return home when the classes are over. Vice Rector (Student Affairs) Haydn Chen says this is the first time UM has officially implemented the RC system on a full scale. Under this system, students will be able to
experience a new model of education and a new campus culture.
A student who has just moved into one of the RCs where she will work as a residential tutor, says, “Not only does each college has its own unique culture, but each college has its own library, dining hall, and music room as well. It is like a classroom outside the classroom.” Another student from the Faculty of Education, who moved into one of the RCs several days ago, highly praises her experiences on the new campus, “Living on the new campus saves me a lot of commute time. It takes only a few minutes to walk from my college to the various faculties. Living on campus also means that more students are joining the student organisations, which will lead to a stronger sense of belonging among the students. ”
In addition to fostering unique cultures at the different RCs, UM also hopes to foster a biking culture on the new campus. Only one day into the new semester, and already many teachers and students can be seen getting around the campus on bike. A professor from the Faculty of Science and Technology thinks the biking route is very convenient. “Getting around the campus on bike saves a lot of time,” he says. Another professor from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities praises the beautiful surroundings of the new campus, and says, “The new campus will help to create stronger bonds among UM members, and will also help to foster a campus atmosphere never experienced on the old campus.”
Should you have any inquiries about the press release, please feel free to contact Ms. Albee Lei and Ms. Kristy Fok at（853）8822 8004 or
prs.media@um.edu.mo
or visit UM webpage
www.umac.mo
.
