UM Career and Internship Fair to take place on 26 March

The University of Macau (UM) will hold the UM Career and Internship Fair 2025 on 26 March (Wednesday). More than 110 companies and organisations from various industries will set up recruitment booths at the university, offering over 3,000 job opportunities.

The Career and Internship Fair is an annual recruitment event at UM that aims to help graduating students seek job opportunities and provide a platform for students to find summer internships. The fair also offers an online job search guide, introductions to companies and organisations, recruitment talks, workshops, and career advising services.

The fair will take place in the Multi-function Hall of the UM Guest House (N1-G008), from 11:00am to 5:30pm (last entry at 5:00pm). Companies and organisations will set up recruitment booths at the venue. All students are welcome to bring their personal information and dress formally to explore potential career opportunities at the fair. For enquiries, please contact the UM Career Development Centre at +853 8822 4839 or email sao.career@um.edu.mo.

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/60683/

AI expert to give talk on preliminary exploration to learnware at UM

The University of Macau (UM) will hold a talk titled ‘A Preliminary Exploration to Learnware’ on 25 March (Tuesday) as part of the University Lecture Series. The talk will be given by Zhou Zhi-Hua, vice president of Nanjing University and president of the International Joint Conferences on Artificial Intelligence Organization (IJCAI) Trustee, who will talk about the innovative concept of ‘learnware’ in machine learning.

The talk will begin at 10:00am in the Lecture Hall of Research Building N21 (N21-G013) and will be conducted in Mandarin. All are welcome to attend. To register for the talk, please visit: https://isw.um.edu.mo/evmapp/register/ULSzhzhou. For enquiries, please call +853 8822 8878 or email uls@um.edu.mo.

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/60651/

UM holds Bank of China Trophy UltiMater Entrepreneur Competition, with total prize pool over MOP 110,000

The Bank of China Trophy UltiMater Entrepreneur Competition, organised by the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) of the University of Macau (UM), is now open for applications. Students currently enrolled in higher education institutions in Macao, as well as Macao residents studying in higher education institutions outside Macao, are welcome to participate in the competition in teams. The total prize pool is over MOP 110,000. The top three teams and the winners of the Outstanding Prizes will have the opportunity to be incubated at CIE and will have access to incubation services worth over MOP 150,000. The competition is sponsored by Bank of China Macau Branch.

The competition aims to identify potential technology and innovation projects in areas such as big data/artificial intelligence, robotics/smart manufacturing, new materials, fintech, biomedicine/healthcare, and low-carbon technology/sustainable development. Professionals will assess the feasibility of the student teams’ business plans, paving the way for their future entrepreneurial ambitions. The competition also aims to promote the commercialisation of university research results and foster communication and business connections between higher education institutions and Macao’s industries, investors, government, and community organisations, in the hope of leveraging business and market support to increase conversion rates and create a vibrant ecosystem for innovation and research.

CIE will provide a range of incubation services to the winning teams, including office space, professional mentoring and advisory services, entrepreneurship training programmes, and visits to renowned enterprises in mainland China. In addition, CIE will recommend outstanding companies to apply for the ‘Funding Scheme for Innovation and Research of Enterprises—Matching Projects’ launched by the Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT) of the Macao SAR, to further implement their business plans and establish a platform for entrepreneurial resources and supply-demand matching.

Eligible students interested in joining the competition can apply from now until 28 April 2025 through the website: https://go.um.edu.mo/ty70blff. For further details, please visit: https://cie.ici.um.edu.mo/news/2025-ultimater-cp/. For enquiries, please contact the UM Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) at +853 8822 4619 or +853 8822 9219, or via email at ICI.Innovation@um.edu.mo.

The competition’s partners include the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Career Planning of Macau University of Science and Technology, the Ung Choi Kun Entrepreneurship and Career Centre of City University of Macau, the Macao New Chinese Youth Association, and the General Association of Chinese Students of Macau.

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/60593/

UM students win award in Huawei ICT Competition Asia-Pacific Regional Final

A student team from the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) of the University of Macau (UM) represented Macao in the Asia-Pacific Regional Final of the Huawei ICT Competition 2024-2025 and won the second prize in the Computing Track. The competition attracted over 8,000 students from more than 20 countries and regions worldwide. After rounds of competition, over 110 students from 12 countries and regions advanced to the Asia-Pacific Regional Final, and the UM team stood out for their exceptional performance.

The team comprised Tan Hongye, Lei Wai Hong, and Ho Ka Meng, students from the Department of Computer and Information Science of FST. They received high praise from the judges with their exceptional teamwork, solid professional knowledge, and strategic planning. This is also the first time that a team from UM has won an award in the computing track in the Asia-Pacific Regional Final of the competition. The student team will continue to represent Macao in the Global Final in Shenzhen in May, where they will compete against top teams from around the world.

FST is committed to providing students with cutting-edge academic knowledge and practical opportunities, encouraging them to participate in international competitions to enhance their global competitiveness. The award not only recognises the students’ professional skills but also highlights FST’s long-standing dedication to teaching quality and nurturing innovative talent. The faculty will continue to enhance its teaching quality and nurture more outstanding talent with international competitiveness, thereby contributing to the technological development of Macao and beyond.

The Huawei ICT Competition, jointly organised by Huawei and the ASEAN Foundation, aims to enhance students’ knowledge and practical skills in information and communication technology, and develop their innovation and creativity in using new technologies and platforms. Last year, a student team from FST won the second prize in the Practice Competition–Cloud Track in the Huawei ICT Competition 2023-2024 Global Final.

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/60579/

UM achieves breakthrough in bacterialbacteria-assisted biosynthesis

The research team led by Zhang Xuanjun, professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) at the University of Macau (UM), has made a breakthrough in bacterialbacteria-assisted chemical synthesis. By utilising the fermentation of Acetobacter xylinum, the team incorporated glycosylated fluorescent molecules into chiral bacterial cellulose through in situ glycosylation reactions. This innovative approach represents a new strategy for the biosynthesis of circularly polarised luminescent materials. The research, titled ‘Microbe-assisted fabrication of circularly polarised luminescent bacterial cellulosic hybrids’, has been published in the prestigious journal Nature Communications.

Chirality is ubiquitous in nature, observable in phenomena ranging from cosmic nebulae and atmospheric vortices to the snail shells and morning glory vines, and even in the core molecules that make up living organisms. Circularly polarised light (CPL), as an expression of optical chirality, has applications in fields such as information encryption, data storage, 3D displays, and biomedical imaging. However, unlike fluorescence signals, the intensity of CPL signals is proportional to the difference between the left- and right-handed luminescence of molecules, leading to very weak CPL signals for most luminescent molecules. Enhancing the luminescence dissymmetry factor is thus crucial for developing effective CPL materials.

Currently, these materials are mainly prepared through two approaches: organic chemical synthesis and molecular assembly. The chemical synthesis route involves complex and lengthy synthesis steps, including chiral separation, while the molecular assembly route places luminescent molecules in a chiral environment through weak intermolecular interactions. However, the latter method often results in poor product stability. Biosynthesis, catalysed by various enzymes, is spontaneous, green, and efficient. The abundance of chiral molecules such as L-amino acids and D-glucose in organisms provides distinct advantages for biosynthesis in preparing CPL materials. Nevertheless, challenges remain in the controlled biosynthesis of CPL materials due to the lack of bioactive luminescent precursors and suitable bioreactors, as well as the need for improved methods to confirm the covalent embedding of bioactive luminescent precursors.

Qimin Yaoshu (literally: Essential Techniques for the Welfare of the People), an ancient book on Chinese agriculture, documents the formation of a gel-like bacterial membrane (i.e. bacterial cellulose) on the surface of the fermentation liquid during the vinegar brewing process. Inspired by this, the research team designed a series of glycosylated molecules with different luminescent colours. Using the bacterial fermentation of Acetobacter xylinum, the glycosylated molecules were incorporated into chiral bacterial cellulose through in situ glycosylation reactions within the bacteria. This strategy achieved a breakthrough in the circularly polarised luminescence of glycosylated molecules, increasing the luminescence dissymmetry factor by up to 39 times. In addition, the research team developed a method for the enzymatic hydrolysis of bacterial cellulose, confirming the occurrence of this biosynthesis and providing a reliable characterisation method for verifying the biological polymerisation of glycosylated fluorescent molecules. More importantly, this strategy demonstrates strong universality and has been successfully extended to the development of a series of circularly polarised luminescent materials, which have been effectively utilised for information storage and dual-mode detection of metal ions using both fluorescence and circularly polarised luminescence.

The corresponding authors of this study are Prof Zhang, Chris Wong Koon Ho, associate professor in UM FHS, and Wu Changfeng, professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Southern University of Science and Technology. The first author is Sun Yongjie, a PhD student from UM FHS. The project was funded by the Science and Technology Development Fund of the Macao SAR (File No.: 0085/2020/A2, 0047/2023/RIB2, 0099/2022/A2, 0142/2024/AFJ), UM (File No.: MYRG2024-00162-FHS, MYRG2022-00036-FHS), and the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basic Research Foundation (File No.: 2022A1515010616, 2023A1515012524). The full text of the research article is available at: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-56253-7.

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/60566/

UM inaugurates UM-TIB Joint Laboratory for Synthetic Biology and Chinese Medicine

The Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS) and the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine of the University of Macau (UM) and the Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology (TIB) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences jointly held the Macao Forum on Synthetic Biology and Traditional Chinese Medicine and the agreement signing and plaque unveiling ceremony for the UM-TIB Joint Laboratory for Synthetic Biology today (11 March). The event aimed to promote the interdisciplinary integration of Chinese medicine and synthetic biology, and explore new pathways for the modernisation and internationalisation of Chinese medicine.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the forum, UM Rector Yonghua Song said that synthetic biology, as an emerging discipline, provides new technological means for the modernisation of Chinese medicine. He expressed hope that the forum would further strengthen cooperation between Macao and research institutes in mainland China, and drive innovative development in the field of synthetic biology for Chinese medicine.

In his speech, TIB Director-General Xiang Hua highlighted the vast application prospects of synthetic biology in fields such as biomanufacturing and drug research and development. He looks forward to close cooperation between the two parties to advance the research and industrialisation of synthetic biology for Chinese medicine.

Following the speeches, representatives of UM and TIB signed an agreement and unveiled the plaque for the UM-TIB Joint Laboratory for Synthetic Biology and Chinese Medicine. The joint laboratory will focus on synthetic biology research for Chinese medicine, new drug development, and industrial applications.

The forum also featured a roundtable discussion on ‘The Current Status, Opportunities, and Challenges of Developing Synthetic Biology and Biomanufacturing for Chinese Medicine in Macao’ and presentations by professors from ICMS and TIB. It brought together experts and scholars from academia, industry representatives, and government officials.

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/60526/

International experts gather at UM to discuss TNFR2 immunoregulation and innovative drug development

The International Symposium on TNFR2 Immunobiology and Immunopharmacology was held at the University of Macau (UM) from 3 to 4 March 2025. The event brought together renowned experts and scholars from prestigious institutions worldwide, including Harvard University, University of Oxford, Yale University, and Johns Hopkins University, as well as R&D professionals from the pharmaceutical industry. The two-day symposium provided a valuable platform for exchange and cooperation among experts in life sciences from Macao and mainland China, allowing young researchers to interact with internationally renowned scientists.

The symposium was co-organised by Professor Chen Xin, director of the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences and director of the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine at UM, and Professor Denise L. Faustman from Harvard University. In his opening remarks, UM Rector Yonghua Song highlighted UM’s commitment to advancing research and education on the frontline of biomedicine and promoting international academic cooperation. Chen noted that Macao’s research achievements in TNFR2 (tumour necrosis factor receptor type II) have become an important part of global efforts in the field, showcasing Macao’s contributions to contemporary science and technology. He also thanked the Science and Technology Development Fund of the Macao SAR for its significant support of conducting TNFR2 research in Macao.

The event brought together researchers from Harvard University, University of Oxford, Yale University, Johns Hopkins University, Leiden University, National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm), University of Toulouse, University of Würzburg, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT University), University of California, San Diego, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science, University of Groningen, Ghent University, University of Southern Denmark, University of Florida, University of Miami, Duke-National University of Singapore (NUS) Medical School, Universiti Sains Malaysia, University of Macau (UM), and renowned academic and research institutions from Hong Kong and mainland China. Representatives from pharmaceutical companies worldwide, including BioNTech-resano GmbH, Boston Immune Technologies and Therapeutics (BITT), HiFiBiO Therapeutics, Simcere Pharmaceutical Group, and Adlai Nortye, reported on the latest research on the development of innovative drugs targeting TNFR2.

The symposium also featured 21 poster presentations from different countries and regions, providing more opportunities for academic exchange. Moreover, the symposium was an event officially endorsed by the US-based Society for Leukocyte Biology (SLB), which presented the Poster Award with prize of USD 1,000 to outstanding young researchers. The selection committee comprised of Professor Benoit L. Salomon from the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm), Professor Harald Wajant from the University of Würzburg, and Assistant Professor Nathan Archer from Johns Hopkins University. After a rigorous selection process, UM doctoral students Chen Zhonghao and Wang Yiru, along with Zhou Xiaofei, a researcher from Biocytogen Pharmaceuticals (Beijing) Co Ltd, received the awards.

Nearly 300 students, scholars, and professionals from renowned universities, research institutes, pharmaceutical companies, and innovation funding agencies worldwide also attended the symposium and engaged in in-depth discussions on the potential applications of TNFR2 in the treatment of autoimmune diseases and cancer. In her closing remarks, Faustman said that TNFR2 is now considered a promising target in the treatment of tumours and autoimmune diseases. In-depth research into its immunobiological mechanisms is crucial for driving innovative drug development. She added that exchanges and discussions at the symposium have laid a solid foundation for future breakthroughs.

Also present at the opening ceremony of the symposium were Ip Kuai Lam, member of the Administrative Committee of the Science and Technology Development Fund of the Macao SAR and Carlos Roberto Xavier, head of the Department of Higher Education of the Education and Youth Development Bureau of the Macao SAR Government.

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/60474/

UM vice rector attends AULP’s Board of Administrators meeting

Rui Martins, vice rector of the University of Macau (UM), recently attended the Board of Administrators meeting of the Association of Portuguese Speaking Universities (AULP) held in Lisbon, Portugal, on behalf of UM. The meeting was attended by representatives of 13 higher education institutions from Portuguese-speaking countries and regions, all of whom hold positions as the president and members of the Board of Administrators and the Board of Supervisors of AULP. UM currently serves as one of the vice-presidents of AULP.

The meeting was chaired by José Arlindo Barreto, rector of the University of Cape Verde, who also serves as the president of AULP. During the meeting, the Board of Administrators approved the activity and account reports for 2024, and the budget report for 2025. Additionally, the Board of Administrators unanimously confirmed that UM will host the 35th AULP annual meeting in Macao in June 2026 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of AULP and the 45th anniversary of UM. The agenda also included presentations on AULP publications and statistical data on exchange programmes such as the AULP Exchange Programme and the Erasmus+ Programme.

Martins expressed support for AULP’s initiatives and suggested that the journal Revista Internacional em Língua Portuguesa (RILP) be published in both Portuguese and English in 2026, so that it can be indexed by Scopus in the future.

In addition, Bettencourt Capece, rector of Zambeze University in Mozambique, reported on their preparations for the 34th AULP annual meeting, which will take place from 16 to 18 June 2025 in Beira, Mozambique. The event will be jointly organised by local universities including Zambeze University (UniZambeze), Licungo University (UniLicungo), Catholic University of Mozambique (UCM), ISCED Open University (UnISCED), and Alberto Chipande University (UniAC).

AULP is comprised of more than 200 higher education institutions from Portuguese-speaking countries and regions, with the mission of promoting communication among its members and advancing the development of Portuguese language education. UM currently serves as vice-president of AULP for the term 2024-2027.

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/60449/

O Vice-Reitor da UM participa na reunião do Conselho de Administração da AULP

O Professor Rui Martins, vice-reitor da Universidade de Macau (UM), em representação dessa instituição, participou recentemente na reunião do Conselho de Administração da Associação das Universidades de Língua Portuguesa (AULP) realizada em Lisboa, Portugal. A reunião atraiu representantes de 13 instituições de ensino superior de países e regiões de língua portuguesa, Treze instituições participaram desta conferência, sendo membros da presidência, do Conselho de Administração e Conselho Fiscal da AULP. A UM está atualmente a servir como uma das vice-presidências da AULP.

A reunião deste ano foi presidida pelo Professor José Arlindo Barreto, presidente da AULP e reitor da Universidade de Cabo Verde. Durante a reunião, o Conselho de Administração aprovou o relatório de atividades e contas de 2024, bem como o orçamento para 2025. Além disso, afirmou mais uma vez a disponibilidade da UM para organizar o XXXV Encontro Anual da AULP em junho de 2026 em Macau, no âmbito da celebração dos 40 anos da AULP e dos 45 anos da Universidade de Macau, o que foi unanimemente aprovado pelo Conselho. A agenda também destacou as edições publicadas da AULP e apresentou os dados estatísticos dos Programas de Mobilidade, incluindo o Programa Mobilidade AULP e os Programas Erasmus+.

O Professor Rui Martins elogiou os devidos programas da AULP e propôs que a RILP (Revista Internacional em Língua Portuguesa) de 2026 fosse publicada em português e inglês para que seja possível a indexação pela SCOPUS no futuro.

Além disso, o Professor Bettencourt Capece, reitor da Universidade Zambeze (Moçambique), deu conta dos preparativos para o XXXIV Encontro AULP que terá lugar de 16 a 18 de junho de 2025 na Beira, Moçambique sob o acolhimento da Universidade Zambeze (UniZambeze) em conjunto com: Universidade Licungo (UniLicungo), Universidade Católica de Moçambique (UCM), Universidade Aberta (UnISCED) e Universidade Alberto Chipande (UniAC).

A AULP reúne mais de 200 instituições de ensino superior de países e regiões de língua portuguesa e tem como missão promover a comunicação entre os seus membros, bem como o desenvolvimento do ensino da língua portuguesa. A UM está atualmente a servir como vice-presidente da AULP para o mandato de 2024-2027.

Para ler a notícia no sítio Web oficial da UM, visite a seguinte ligação:
https://www.um.edu.mo/pt-pt/news-and-press-releases/press-release/detail/60449/

BGI Group Chairman leads delegation to visit UM

A delegation led by Wang Jian, chairman of the Board of Directors and co-founder of BGI Group, visited the University of Macau (UM) today (28 February) and was warmly received by UM Rector Yonghua Song. The two parties had in-depth discussions on promoting industry-academia collaboration, laying the foundation for future research collaboration.

The delegation visited the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and the Faculty of Health Sciences and was impressed by the state-of-the-art research facilities and rigorous approach to research. The two parties also had a meeting to discuss industry-academia collaboration, joint student training, sharing of research platforms, and future cooperation.

The delegation expressed interest in providing internship and employment opportunities for UM students and access to its research platforms for the university, thereby promoting research collaboration and talent cultivation between the two sides. Song said that UM and BGI Group will leverage their complementary strengths to jointly foster the commercialisation and application of research results. He also introduced the delegation to the construction of the UM campus in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.

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/60426/

UM delegation visits top universities in Ireland to promote higher education cooperation

To further expand the University of Macau’s (UM) international cooperation network and strengthen academic partnerships with universities in English-speaking countries, UM Vice Rector Rui Martins led a delegation to several top higher education institutions in Ireland to explore cooperation, with consensus reached on several collaborative projects.

Martins said that the visit has not only strengthened UM’s relationship with universities in Ireland, but also opened up broad prospects for future cooperation in teaching, research, and talent cultivation. UM is committed to enhancing its educational standards and promoting the internationalisation of its campus. Establishing partnerships with top universities in Ireland will further strengthen UM’s ties with institutions in the English-speaking world and give a new impetus to UM’s internationalisation efforts.

The UM delegation visited Trinity College Dublin and met with Anil Kokaram, director of global engagement and head of the Department of Electronic Engineering, and representatives of the School of Engineering. The two parties held in-depth discussions on student and faculty exchange programmes, dual degree programmes, and joint research projects. They also reached a consensus to strengthen cooperation in areas such as power engineering and Internet of Things for smart city, with a view to leveraging the complementary strengths of the two universities and establishing long-term cooperation.

The UM delegation also visited Griffith College, where they met with President Diarmuid Hegarty to exchange views on enhancing teaching and research collaboration between the two institutions. Both institutions expressed interest in exploring cooperation on degree programmes in fields such as international relations and electronics, as well as promoting cooperation in materials science, microelectronics, and electrical engineering to develop innovative and globally competitive talent.

At University College Dublin (UCD), the UM delegation was warmly received by Tom Curran, vice principal of the College of Engineering & Architecture. They also had a meeting with UCD representatives from disciplines including engineering, mechanical and materials science. Both sides agreed to promote research exchanges between the two universities through student and faculty exchanges, joint research projects, and academic seminars. Martins and Sin Sai Weng, deputy director of the UM Institute of Microelectronics, also held discussions with UCD scholars and students and presented UM’s research outcomes of industry-academia collaboration in microelectronics in recent years. The participating UCD members spoke highly of UM’s achievements and expressed hope for future opportunities to study and conduct research at UM.

The UM delegation also visited Dublin City University (DCU), where they met with Daire Keogh, president of DCU, Conor Brennan, associate dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Computing, Charlotte Holland, dean of global relations, and several faculty representatives. The two parties discussed the promotion of student and faculty exchanges and explored cooperation in engineering, microelectronics, computer science, and smart city. They also reached a consensus on establishing dual degree programmes.

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/60424/