UM rector attends meeting of Jiangsu-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance

The Jiangsu-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance Meeting and President Forum 2023 was held in Hong Kong today (11 December). Yonghua Song, rector of the University of Macau (UM), and more than 100 delegates from higher education institutions and relevant support units in Suzhou, Hong Kong, and Macao held discussions on topics such as the opportunities and challenges of higher education in the age of artificial intelligence and big data, and university research and technological innovation in industry. They also offered suggestions on the development of the alliance as well as the development of higher education in the Yangtze River Delta and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Song delivered a speech titled ‘The Innovation and Development of Higher Education in the New Era—UM’s Roles and Practice’ and shared the university’s practice and experiences in promoting regional cooperation and development of higher education. He also served as the moderator for a panel discussion at the President Forum and discussed with speakers and delegates the opportunities and challenges facing higher education in the age of artificial intelligence and big data.

To read the news on UM’s official website, please visit the following link:
https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/press-release/detail/57343/

UM holds seminar on envisioning China and the world from GBA perspective

The Institute of Global and Public Affairs of the University of Macau (UM) and the Chinese Institute of Hong Kong jointly held the seminar titled ‘From the Greater Bay Area Perspective: Envisioning China and the World on the PRC’s 100th Anniversary’. More than 40 leading experts from the academic, business, and political sectors of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) held in-depth discussions and exchanges. Some experts present at the seminar believe that Chinese-style modernisation will play an important role amid global changes of a magnitude not seen in a century, and the GBA will also hold a crucial position in the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.

To read the news on UM’s official website, please visit the following link:
https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/campus-news/detail/57326/

Experts from Central Academy of Fine Arts give talks at UM on AI and art innovation

The Department of Arts and Design of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Macau (UM) held a series of lectures, where renowned experts from the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), Ma Lu, Liu Qinghe, and Li Fan shared their insights into art innovation in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). The three talks attracted many UM faculty and students as well as art lovers.

Ma Lu is a renowned contemporary oil painter in China. He has served as the dean of the School of Plastic Arts and the director of the Oil Painting Department at CAFA, and has extensive teaching experience. During his talk, Prof Ma highlighted the cultural differences between the East and the West in the choice of artistic media, emphasising the Eastern preference for nature and uncertainty, and the Western preference for regularity and controllability. He pointed out that painters face more challenges and opportunities in the age of AI, and that they need to focus on themselves and the origin of life, and stressed the importance of artists in creation. Prof Ma also explained how AI can become a powerful tool for creators to better understand themselves, prompting them to think about their weaknesses and strengths.

Liu Qinghe is a celebrated contemporary ink painter in China, as well as an educator and scholar. During his talk, Prof Liu, by taking his own ink painting works as examples, remarked that the artist’s judgment is more important than mere technique. He believes that artists should keep a certain distance from orthodox thinking, and strike a balance between reality and imagination. Prof Liu noted that tradition is the foundation for artists to re-examine themselves, and stressed the importance of simplifying in creation.

Li Fan is an associate professor at CAFA, as well as a renowned Chinese printmaker and educator. During his talk, Prof Li shared his insights into practice and research in art education, drawing from his experiences spanning over the past three decades. He emphasised that art education is bidirectional, and teachers should understand the situation of each student, and pay attention to their personality and background in order to help them identify their strengths and uniqueness. Prof Li also stressed that everyone has their own potential, and the purpose of education is to guide students to discover their own qualities.

This series of lectures explored in depth the direction and challenges of art innovation in the age of AI, and provided a learning and exchange platform for participants.

To read the news on UM’s official website, please visit the following link:
https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/campus-news/detail/57324/

UM, ULisboa jointly launch dual doctoral degree programme to nurture talent in science and technology

The University of Macau (UM) and the University of Lisbon (ULisboa) today (7 December) held a cooperation agreement signing ceremony for their dual doctoral degree programme. The two universities, building on the good foundations of research innovation and academic exchanges, will establish cooperation for the joint training of high-calibre talent, create a new model of cooperation between universities, and jointly promote the high-quality development of higher education in both places.

During the ceremony, UM Rector Yonghua Song, ULisboa Rector Luís Ferreira, and President of ULisboa Instituto Superior Técnico, Rogério Colaço, signed the cooperation agreement for the dual degree programme. Both parties will focus on talent cultivation, as well as academic and research collaboration in the fields of microelectronics, robotics, and ocean science, and recommend their respective doctoral students in the relevant fields to enrol in the dual doctoral degree programme. Students who have completed the required coursework and research, and fulfilled the graduation requirements will be awarded a Doctor of Philosophy degree by UM and a doctorate degree by ULisboa, respectively.

Song said that ULisboa has been an important partner of UM. Over the years, the two universities have deepened their cooperation in student exchanges, joint talent cultivation, scientific research, and the establishment of higher education alliances. In April this year, UM and ULisboa signed a strategic cooperation framework agreement, which elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership. As an international public comprehensive university in the Macao SAR, UM is committed to expanding and deepening its cooperation with universities and research institutes in Portugal, with the aim of promoting the synergistic and innovative development of higher education and talent cultivation, as well as giving full play to its role of as a bridge for higher education cooperation and exchanges between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. He also expressed hope that the launch of the doctoral degree programme will further strengthen and foster exchanges and cooperation in the fields of higher education, science and technology between the two places, so as to create high-quality development opportunities.

Representatives of ULisboa present at the signing ceremony also included João Peixoto, vice rector of ULisboa; Fátima Montemor, vice president of ULisboa Instituto Superior Técnico; and José Santos-Victor, head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of ULisboa Instituto Superior Técnico. Representatives of UM included Rui Martins, vice rector of UM; Wang Chunming, director of the Research Services and Knowledge Transfer Office; Wang Ruibing, director of the Global Affairs Office; Dai Ningyi, assistant dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST); Xu Jie, interim director of the Centre for Regional Oceans; and Carlos Silvestre, professor in FST.

To read the news on UM’s official website, please visit the following link:
https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/campus-news/detail/57323/

Annual meeting of Alliance for Technology, Innovation, and Talent Development in Western GBA held

The annual meeting of the Alliance for Technology, Innovation, and Talent Development in Western Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, as well as the alliance’s 2023 council meeting and president forum, were held at Zhaoqing University. During the event, members of the alliance reviewed the alliance’s achievements throughout the year and shared their vision for the alliance’s future endeavours. They also actively engaged in discussions on enhancing the integration of research and education in higher education institutions, as well as exploring innovative approaches to talent cultivation.

At the annual meeting, Yonghua Song, rector of the University of Macau (UM) and chairman of the alliance, highlighted the achievements of the alliance in 2023 and outlined its work plan for 2024. He said that throughout this year, members of the alliance have leveraged their complementary advantages and shared resources, creating many favourable results. He also expressed hope that members of the alliance will continue to follow the Outline Development Plan for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Master Plan of the Development of the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, and other national development strategies, carry out joint cultivation of high-calibre talent, and foster academic and research cooperation in advantageous disciplines.

To read the news on UM’s official website, please visit the following link:
https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/campus-news/detail/57313/

UM holds Annual Conference of Macao Studies to explore regional development and geopolitics

The Centre for Macau Studies (CMS) of the University of Macau (UM) and the Macao Foundation jointly organised the Third Annual Conference of Macao Studies (2023). Focusing on regional development and geopolitics, this year’s conference offered scholars from Macao and around the world a platform to discuss related topics, serving to deepen understanding of Macao’s role in a broader regional and global context.

Available in a hybrid mode, the conference featured 10 panels which delved into diverse topics, including the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), strategic roles, institutional transformation, historical conjunctions, historical memory, and geo-economics. According to Ge Wei, vice rector of UM, Macao has undergone significant changes at different times in its history, which have shaped its role in geo-economics and geopolitics in the context of Greater China and in the global context. By focusing on geo-economic and geopolitical topics related to Macao in key historical and contemporary events, particularly research on the GBA, this year’s conference served to deepen understanding of Macao’s role in a broader regional and global context.

According to Wu Zhiliang, president of the Administrative Committee of the Macao Foundation, it is necessary to have a clear understanding of the global situation and national development, and to examine Hong Kong and Macao’s advantages in a comprehensive, thorough, systematic, and scientific way. In his view, Macao’s greatest value and advantage lie in its culture, on which the city should fully capitalise. Culture is also the most important value in the city’s role as ‘one centre, one platform, and one base’ in the GBA. As the core element in strengthening the national identity of the Chinese nation and building a community with a shared future for mankind, culture deserves to be valued, studied, and promoted. He added that culture should become a regular topic of discussion at the Annual Conference of Macao Studies.

Agnes Lam, director of CMS, said that the Annual Conference of Macao Studies has maintained the same goal since its inaugural edition in 2019, which is to establish a platform for mutual dialogue and cooperation in Macao studies, and to provide scholars from all over the world who possess an interest in Macao Studies with an opportunity to engage in exchanges. Looking ahead, she hopes that the Annual Conference of Macao Studies will continue to bring together competent scholars, and CMS will remain rooted in Macao, keep conducting sociological research and contributing to the development of Macao.

Carolyn Cartier, professor in the School of International Studies at the University of Technology Sydney, delivered a keynote speech titled ‘Territorial Urbanization and the Greater Bay Area’. She discussed how changes in the administrative divisions of mainland China, such as the city cluster of the GBA, would affect the establishment and expansion of cities. Prof Cartier is an expert in international and Chinese regional studies, and her research interests include urban governance, geo-economics, and geopolitics.

To read the news on UM’s official website, please visit the following link:
https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/campus-news/detail/57312/

UM professor receives award for best article in scholarly journal

Joshua Ehrlich, assistant professor in the Department of History of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Macau (UM), has been awarded the Arnold Hirsch Award for Best Article in a Scholarly Journal for 2023 for his significant contribution to the field of historical research. The article was published in the international academic journal Past & Present.

The award was presented by the Urban History Association, an international organisation. The award committee praised Prof Ehrlich’s article as a ‘compelling’, ‘meticulous’, ‘rich and nuanced’ work of scholarship, which ‘paints a vivid picture of how physical boundaries play a profound role in shaping socio-political landscapes’.

Prof Ehrlich’s award-winning article, ‘The Meanings of a Port City Boundary: Calcutta’s Maratha Ditch, c.1700–1950’, traces the history of the port city of Calcutta (now Kolkata) and its historical boundary, the Maratha Ditch. It shows how, from the 18th century to the 20th century, the ditch was a vital site of meaning-making that sustained political, legal and social divisions. More broadly, the article proposes a new way to study the history of port cities and provides the basis for a new historical geography of the urban world: one attentive to both boundaries and connections.

To read the news on UM’s official website, please visit the following link:
https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/campus-news/detail/57311/

President of National Natural Science Foundation of China Dou Xiankang visits UM

Dou Xiankang, member of the CPC Leading Group of the Ministry of Science and Technology and president of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), led a delegation to visit the University of Macau (UM) today (5 December) to learn about the latest developments and research layout of UM. The delegation was received by UM Rector Yonghua Song and Vice Rector Ge Wei. Song introduced to the delegation UM’s education setup and research achievements and said that the university’s rapid developments in recent years are a testament to the successful implementation of the ‘One Country, Two Systems’ policy. Dou reviewed NSFC’s support measures for Macao and UM, and said that NSFC is committed to supporting research innovation in Macao and facilitating cooperation and exchanges in science and technology between mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao. The delegation visited the University Gallery, State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, and Super Intelligent Computing Center. Dou spoke highly of UM’s achievements in research innovation and expressed hope that the university will make further breakthroughs in the future.

To read the news on UM’s official website, please visit the following link:
https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/campus-news/detail/57301/

Member of US National Academy of Engineering gives talk at UM on ultrasound-enhanced gene editing for Alzheimer’s disease treatment

The University of Macau (UM) held a Doctor honoris causa Lecture titled ‘Focused Ultrasound-Enhanced Gene Editing: A Potential Therapeutic Approach for Alzheimer’s Disease’, featuring Leong Kam Weng, honorary doctor of UM and member of the US National Academy of Engineering, as the speaker. During the talk, Prof Leong presented his team’s latest research advancements in gene editing in the brains of experimental animals using viral and non-viral vectors. He also discussed the implications of this cutting-edge technology for treating Alzheimer’s disease. The talk attracted many UM faculty and students, as well as people from different sectors of the community.

Chen Xin, director of UM’s Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, said that Prof Leong, as an eminent scientist, has made significant contributions to biomaterials science and engineering, particularly in the development of innovative biomaterials for drug delivery and regenerative medicine. As a leading figure in the field of biomaterials, Prof Leong is highly recognised for his trailblazing research that has benefited the well-being of humankind.

Prof Leong is a member of both the US National Academy of Engineering and the US National Academy of Medicine. He is also a fellow of the US National Academy of Inventors, and the Samuel Y. Sheng Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University. He began the talk by sharing his personal connection to Macao as his hometown and reflecting on his academic journey. Prof Leong expressed his gratitude to UM for conferring on him an honorary doctorate, and looks forward to establishing closer ties with the university in the future.

During the talk, he pointed out that Apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype is the most significant genetic risk factor in the pathogenesis of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease, and the presence of an APOE4 allele increases the risk of late-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, the delivery of gene-editing components to the brain is hindered by obstacles such as the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Prof Leong’s research team has developed a method using focused ultrasound (FUS) technology to transiently open the BBB, thereby resolving a bottleneck in targeted gene editing therapies. This finding lays the foundation for the clinical use of gene editing therapy for treating Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, Prof Leong actively engaged in the Q&A session with the participants and had in-depth exchanges with faculty and students.

The lecture provided a good learning and exchange opportunity for faculty and students of UM, and industry practitioners. Through Prof Leong’s lecture and sharing of his experiences, faculty and students gained a better understanding of the development trends and application prospects of gene editing in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. Prof Leong’s successful experiences also provide a valuable reference and source of inspiration for talent cultivation and technological innovation at UM.

To read the news on UM’s official website, please visit the following link:
https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/campus-news/detail/57298/

UM honorary doctor Cai Fang calls on chief executive of Macao SAR

Cai Fang, member of the Academic Committee of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), chief expert of the CASS China Top Think Tank, and honorary doctor of the University of Macau (UM), called on Ho Iat Seng, Chief Executive of the Macao SAR, today (4 December). The two parties exchanged views on the economic development of mainland China and Macao, as well as the development of the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. Subsequently, Cai gave a Doctor honoris causa Lecture titled ‘Population Factors in China’s Economic Growth’ at UM.

Also present at the meeting were Ao Ieong U, secretary for social affairs and culture; Yonghua Song, rector of UM; and Hu Weixing, dean of UM’s Faculty of Social Sciences.

During the meeting, Ho welcomed Cai and expressed appreciation for the longstanding positive relationship between CASS and various higher education institutions in the Macao SAR. He acknowledged the valuable advice provided by CASS, which has contributed to the continuous improvement of higher education in Macao. He added the Macao SAR Government is promoting the ‘1+4’ strategy for economic diversification and the development of the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. He also looks forward to strengthening exchanges and cooperation between Macao and CASS in the future. Cai expressed gratitude to UM, whose chancellor is the chief executive, for conferring on him the title of Doctor of Social Sciences honoris causa. He provided an overview of mainland China’s economic development, as well as its strategies to promote high-quality economic growth and support Chinese-style modernisation through high-quality demographic development. He also discussed the major measures implemented to restore and increase consumer spending. Moreover, Cai extended his best wishes for the Macao SAR’s greater success in economic and social development.

Speaking at the Doctor honoris causa Lecture, UM Vice Rector Ge Wei said that every year, the university confers honorary doctorates to honour distinguished individuals in recognition of their significant contributions to the country, society, and the world, and Cai is one of the five recipients this year. He added that as an economist, Cai’s research has made major contributions to China’s labour economy, agricultural economy, and the understanding of the impact of population on economic development.

Cai began the talk by introducing Malthusianism and the concept of demographic dividend. He then delved into the factors that contributed to China’s economic growth during the period spanning from the country’s economic reform and opening-up until 2010. He also examined the challenges and opportunities arising from negative demographic growth and moderate ageing in mainland China from the perspectives of the supply and demand sides. In addition, Cai analysed the problems facing China’s current stage of economic development and proposed policy suggestions at both macro and micro levels.

To read the news on UM’s official website, please visit the following link:
https://www.um.edu.mo/news-and-press-releases/campus-news/detail/57289/