UM organises FSS Summer Camp for mainland university students

The Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS) of the University of Macau (UM) organised the FSS Summer Camp Programme 2024, which attracted 33 undergraduate and postgraduate students from mainland China. The participating students said that the summer camp enhanced their knowledge and research skills in social sciences and enabled them to experience Macao’s unique East-meets-West culture.

During the summer camp, professors and lecturers from various departments of FSS held a series of programme introduction sessions and seminars covering a wide range of disciplines such as public administration, clinical psychology, data science, public security and criminology, economics, and communication. In addition, the students participated in visits and exchange activities. They visited the Pavilion of China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform and gained a better understanding of its functions and operation. They also took a guided tour of the UM campus and visited the Historic Centre of Macao, where they explored the urban landscape of Macao, a city characterised by the integration of Chinese and Western cultures.

The participating students agreed that the summer camp was an unforgettable and enjoyable experience. They also praised UM for its international environment, diversity, and research capacity. Yang Yang, an undergraduate student of international affairs and international relations at Huaqiao University, said that the most impressive part of the summer camp was the class on Macao studies, in which the professor guided the students to explore the current state and development of Macao’s various cuisines from the perspective of culinary culture, and to understand the exchange between Chinese and Western cultures in the city. Wu Shanji, an undergraduate student of journalism and communication at Shantou University, said that through the visit to the Pavilion of China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform, he gained an understanding of the culture and business environment in Portuguese-speaking countries and realised the importance of Macao as a bridge for exchanges between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. Liu Gaoge, a master’s graduate of communication-media management concentration at Beijing Normal University-Hong Kong Baptist University United International College, said that the talks and visits organised by FSS enabled students to understand how social sciences shed light on the complex and ever-changing social phenomena and human behaviours, which provided direction for their future career development.

At the closing ceremony, Hu Weixing, dean of FSS, presented certificates of completion to the students and talked about UM’s competitive advantages in the international arena in recent years. He also encouraged the students to continue to nurture their intellectual curiosity and prepare for their future learning journey. The summer camp not only gave the mainland students a better understanding of UM and Macao, but also laid a good foundation for future inter-university exchanges and cooperation.