The residential colleges of the University of Macau (UM) have emerged in recent years as a breeding ground for many entrepreneurial teams. The success of these teams is not only the results of students’ hard work, but is also attributed to the invaluable guidance and support provided by their mentors at the university. Tang Yu Ming, a resident fellow at Cheng Yu Tung College (CYTC), exemplifies the significant impact these mentors can have. Since joining UM ten years ago, Dr Tang has played a pivotal role in helping CYTC students launch their businesses. He shares insights into how he supports students on their entrepreneurship journeys.
Providing opportunities for participation in science and technology innovation
Dr Tang, who has a strong passion for environmental science, joined UM as a resident fellow at CYTC after earning his PhD from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 2014. Since then, he has been a dedicated supporter of student development. Over the past decade, Dr Tang has organised various innovative activities to broaden students’ scientific thinking. Among the initiatives, his standout project is the creation of a knowledge integration platform in collaboration with faculties. This platform provides students with opportunities to learn how to start a business by combining market demands with research innovations. To date, Dr Tang has helped CYTC nurture 11 entrepreneurial teams. 
Dr Tang reflects, ‘Aligned with the university’s undergraduate education philosophy, each UM residential college, in collaboration with faculties, leverages its strength to promote students’ whole-person development. With this context in mind, when I became a resident fellow, I thought about how I could use my strengths to contribute to student development. Knowing that participating in entrepreneurship could significantly enhance students’ personal development and quality, I decided to offer entrepreneurship training for students, which has also become a highlight of CYTC.’
Dr Tang attributes his success in mentoring student entrepreneurs to his adventurous spirit. Born and raised in Hong Kong, he developed a wide range of interests from a young age. ‘As a child, I learned baguazhang (a Chinese martial art), arnis (a Filipino martial art), and Thai boxing’, he says. ‘As I grew older, I took up tea appreciation and wine tasting. I am always eager to learn.’ Although Dr Tang studied physics at university and earned a PhD in this field, his career has extended far beyond the sciences. He has gained experience in various sectors, including music and programming management. ‘Through my exposure to different industries, I have developed a willingness to try new things, which in turn inspires my students. They often come to me with questions about various fields, and I enjoy exploring the answers with them,’ Dr Tang says.
In addition to organising entrepreneurial activities at the college, Dr Tang also forms rock bands with students, hoping to enrich their college life and expose them to CYTC’s vibrant culture. He shares, ‘Students affectionately call me “Uncle Ming”. I believe this nickname is related to my passion for dormitory culture. I am good at fostering team spirit and building strong relationships with colleagues and students. I hope to maintain this vibrant dormitory culture at UM, where I can share and exchange knowledge and interests with students.’
It has been a decade since Dr Tang became a college resident fellow at UM. With the support of CYTC and under his mentorship, the student entrepreneurial teams have won more than 30 awards in various entrepreneurship competitions. Over time, Dr Tang’s ‘entrepreneurship’ strength has become a highlight of CYTC.
Turning entrepreneurial ideas into reality
Dr Tang’s journey in mentoring entrepreneurs began with a Hong Kong student’s proposal to start a winemaking business. This student reached out to Dr Tang and asked if UM offered any courses or services related to professional winemaking and expressed a desire to start a business with Dr Tang. Later, Dr Tang met Lucas Lio, a CYTC student who was passionate about beer culture. Inspired by these interactions, Dr Tang suggested that the Hong Kong student and Lucas form an entrepreneurial team. He encouraged them to learn about beer brewing, including its methods and principles, so that they could brew and produce beer on their own.
The team’s efforts led to the successful production of beer, which became the signature product of their beer shop. However, the shop closed shortly thereafter due to operational problems. Consequently, Dr Tang held a long discussion with the team, where he asked the students to reflect on the process and learn from the experience. He also conveyed an important message to them: entrepreneurship is a process of trial and error, and learning from failure is more important than revelling in success. As a result, Dr Tang set rules for students participating in entrepreneurial projects: they must plan costs reasonably, avoid wasteful spending, and ensure their product is unique.
Dr Tang further explored with the students how to enhance the health benefits of beer and connected them with Prof Tam Kin Yip from the Faculty of Health Sciences. Under Prof Tam’s guidance, they analysed the chemical components of beer to improve its aroma and the brewing process. With Dr Tang’s mentorship, the students successfully brewed their second-generation beer and decided to start afresh. To minimise costs, they built their own wooden cart and sold their home-brewed beer from the cart at a night market. Following the establishment of the UM Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) in 2017, Dr Tang took the opportunity to recommend this entrepreneurial project for incubation at centre, allowing the project’s subsequent development on a more professional university platform.
Dr Tang says, ‘Our college only serves as a starting point. I hope students can learn the complete entrepreneurship process, from developing an entrepreneurial idea to putting it into practice.’
The lightbulb moment
Inspiration is crucial to entrepreneurship. During the students’ beer brewing process, Dr Tang noticed that a large amount of malt residue, a brewing by-product, was produced, so he came up with the idea of recycling it. As a cat lover, Dr Tang frequently buys cat litter, an expensive necessity. One day, while taking a shower, he experienced a lightbulb moment. He connected these two seemingly unrelated aspects: why not use the malt residue to produce cat litter? Motivated by this idea, Dr Tang organised a reading club activity titled ‘The Science of Cats’ at the college, through which he hoped to engage students in further exploring this idea and to launch another entrepreneurial project—making cat litter from malt residue.
‘By carefully observing and deeply experiencing our lives, we will naturally uncover intricate problems. While we may not be able to solve these problems or improve the situation immediately, continuously absorbing information and interacting with people from different sectors often leads to a solution. Often, this solution arrives as a lightbulb moment.’
Starting a business is no easy task, and Dr Tang is well aware of that. He explains, ‘The students on the cat litter project team─Tam Pui Si, Tong Man, and Fu Haoming─put in a lot of effort and time, from preparation to execution. They needed to thoroughly dry the malt residue and then cut it into granules. The entire process took 48 hours and required continuous attention. If not handled properly, the malt residue would emit an unpleasant smell and become unusable.’ To achieve their goal, Dr Tang and the students dedicated considerable time and effort to collecting information, conducting hands-on experiments, and adjusting the formula. Despite the challenging nature of the project, which started with twenty people and ended with only four committed students, their perseverance paid off. The team not only succeeded in developing cat litter from malt residue, but also won awards in various entrepreneurship competitions for the project. In 2023, their innovation caught the interest of a company in Nansha District, leading to a cooperation agreement.
‘I often encourage students to participate in college activities,’ says Dr Tang. ‘Only by knowing enough can we integrate knowledge from various fields to solve problems and generate new ideas. During the process of entrepreneurship, students must acquire knowledge across various fields. Whether it is about collecting information, conducting research, operation, mass production, and patent application, they need to invest significant effort.’
Using the right model to identify the right people
Starting a business is never an overnight endeavour. So, how to identify potential students and prepare them for an entrepreneurial project? ‘It is crucial to use the right model to identify the right people,’ answers Dr Tang.
Dr Tang notes that after years of experience, CYTC Interim College Master Alfred Wong Seng Fat has developed a unique entrepreneurship model for the college. This model includes: 1) Identifying potential candidates through the college’s entrepreneurship camps and reading club activities, and providing them with specific training; 2) Encouraging students to gain a deep understanding of the latest products and relevant policies in various industries in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and to conduct field investigations; 3) Launching entrepreneurial projects with development potential, and collaborating with faculties to translate these innovative ideas into reality; 4) Referring projects that have produced technological innovations to CIE for further development.
Under this four-step entrepreneurship framework, Dr Tang has established requirements for every training activity. He shares, ‘I often jokingly tell students that our activities need to be both entertaining and demanding to push them to unleash their potential.’ He recalls how, at the first CYTC Entrepreneurship Camp, students were thrust into a challenging scenario right after breakfast. Dr Tang required them to collect information for the mock entrepreneurial project ‘Metaverse Dog Walking Tool’, and prepare a presentation within half an hour, in order to persuade him to invest in the project. In addition to these rigorous training activities, Dr Tang organises students to visit the Environmental Protection Bureau to understand the latest products and policies, so as to inspire students to think about how their entrepreneurial ideas can better meet the needs of society.
CYTC’s entrepreneurial project ‘Malt Residue as Hard Carbon Anode Material’ that won the second prize in the 10th Xiangzhou District University Student Entrepreneurship Competition in 2023 was developed through these activities. Having noticed the remarkable achievements of CYTC’s entrepreneurial teams over the years, Associate Professor Hui Kwun Nam from the UM Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering also offered to help with the research work of the project. The project was subsequently referred to CIE for further incubation and financial support.
Empowering entrepreneurs for success 
Reflecting on his entrepreneurial coaching journey, Dr Tang expresses immense pride in his students’ achievements and gratitude for the university’s support. When asked to summarise his efforts in promoting student entrepreneurship over the past decade, he highlights CYTC’s entrepreneurial activities and its emphasis on ‘knowledge integration’, which are crucial in fostering seven competencies among students.
Dr Tang concludes, ‘The most important aspect of starting a business is the people involved. Team communication and collaboration are more crucial than the project itself. Only when team members communicate effectively and share responsibilities can the project move steadily towards its goal. As a college resident fellow, I aim to leverage my professional knowledge and skills to organise engaging activities. In addition, I hope to serve as a mentor and a companion to students on their entrepreneurship journeys, helping them set ambitious goals and laying a solid foundation for their future endeavours. I look forward to seeing them achieve greater success and make a positive impact on society.’
Text: Clara Cheang, Trainee UM Reporter He YanLin
English translation: Bess Che
Photos: Editorial board, Trainee UM Reporter Ying Yupeng & Zhou Xiaohe, with some provided by the interviewees 
Source: My UM Issue 138