The University of Macau (UM) and the Venetian Cotai Limited signed a cooperation agreement today (9th). According to the agreement, the Venetian will sponsor UM in opening an advanced education centre and support courses and professional trainings offered by the University in the area of non-gaming education. In this way, the Centre will help drive the development of Macao’s higher education and human resources.
The agreement signing ceremony was officiated by Prof. Iu Vai Pan, Rector of UM and Mr. William P. Weidner, President and Chief Operating Officer of Las Vegas Sands Corp. at the Senate Room of UM with witness from Ms. Noémia Lameiras, Deputy Director of the Labour Affairs Bureau, Dr. Tse Chi Wai, Chair of the Council of the University of Macau, Prof. Rui Martins and Dr. Alex Lai, the Vice-rectors of UM, Mr. Stephen Weaver, President of the Asian Region, Mr. Eric Chiu, President of Asian Development, Mr. Daniel Shim, Senior Vice President of Human Resources – Asia.
The Centre sponsored by the Venetian will be named Adelson Advanced Education Centre of University of Macau and located at The Grand Canal Shoppes of The Venetian Macao-Resort-Hotel. The Centre will have an area of 15,446 square feet including one big lecture hall with seating capacity of 100 persons, six multi-function classrooms with seating capacity ranging from 30 to 48, two meeting rooms and one Small-Medium Enterprise Resources Centre of 500 square feet. The primary use of the Centre is for courses and programs relating to business education and management in the areas of MICE, Hospitality, Entertainment, Retail and Integrated resort.
Rector Iu said that the Venetian has been very supportive of the University by providing generous offer of scholarship and fellowship to their students and funding to the Institute for the Study of Commercial Gaming (ISCG) for research on the gaming industry and professional training for gaming practitioners. In addition, senior staff of the Venetian has participated in several programs in the University providing their valuable expertise and insights to graduate and undergraduate students as well as to many of their professors. At the same time, they are working closely with the Venetian to help develop management development programs for selected segments of the entry professionals at the Venetian. The signing of this agreement today will constitute another fine example of cooperation between the industry and academia with the common goal of human resource development.
Mr. William P. Weidner said the Centre is a cooperative project with UM and the Venetian will contribute around MOP100,000,000 for the first 3 years in the total construction and operating cost. The Venetian will also manage the facility and provide relevant professional expertise to UM in operating the advanced training courses. Mr. Weidner said this project will provide Macao residents, students of the University and staff of the Venetian with valuable training opportunities and enhance the professional standard of the local work force.
Caption: The cooperation agreement signing ceremony between UM and the Venetian
