UM strengthens cooperation with higher education institutions in UK and Brazil

To strengthen cooperation in talent training and research with higher education institutions in English and Portuguese-speaking countries and promote the development of the university’s internationalisation strategy, delegations from the University of Macau (UM) have recently visited a number of top universities in the UK and Brazil and explored opportunities for cooperation with experts and scholars in related fields.

A UM delegation, led by Lai Neng, dean of the Honours College (HC), Loi Chi Ho, associate dean of the Faculty of Business Administration, and Miao Li, head of the Department of Integrated Resort and Tourism Management, visited several top universities in the UK to discuss collaboration in student exchange and research. These universities include the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, University of Bristol, University of Bath, University of Surrey, and Queen Mary University of London. The visit has not only deepened the understanding of UM’s development among UK universities, but also established academic collaborative initiatives with international characteristics and global competitiveness, which include academic activities in tourism management and financial technology, as well as executive programmes. The delegation members also met with HC students who are currently studying at the University of Bristol and Queen Mary University of London to learn about their experience with the HC Study Abroad Programme.

Another UM delegation, led by Hu Weixing, dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences, and Wang Ruibing, director of the Global Affairs Office, visited the world-renowned research-education institution and think-tank Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV) and several top universities in Brazil. These universities include the University of São Paulo, State University of Campinas, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, and Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro. Representatives of UM and the Brazilian universities expressed their intention to establish closer cooperation, optimise and expand exchange programmes for students and faculty, promote collaboration in innovative research, build bilateral or multilateral cooperation platforms, and jointly hold academic conferences and other educational activities.

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/55749/

UM’s Portuguese Language Summer Course now open for applications

The 37th Portuguese Language Summer Course, organised by the Department of Portuguese of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Macau (UM), is now open for applications. The application deadline is 18 June, and those who are interested in the Portuguese language are welcome to apply. The summer course is a key project of UM’s training of bilingual professionals.

This year’s summer course will be held on-site from 10 July to 28 July. The summer course will include language courses, thematic courses, as well as cultural clubs dedicated to various artistic expressions, which will improve the participants’ Portuguese language skills, expand their sociolinguistic and pragmatic knowledge, and enhance their sociocultural skills as well as intercultural awareness.

With reference to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), the language courses are offered at four different levels, namely, basic (A1), elementary (A2), intermediate (B1 and B2), and advanced (C). Participants will take a placement test to identify the level that best corresponds to their linguistic profile. The basic (A1) and elementary (A2) language courses will run from 9:00am to 1:00pm, with 60 hours in total; while the intermediate (B1 and B2) and advanced (C) language courses will run from 10:00am to 1:00pm, with 45 hours in total. Participants enrolled in the intermediate (B1 and B2) and advanced language courses may also choose to attend the thematic courses, which will run from 8:45am to 9:45am, with 15 hours in total.

The language courses will also be supplemented by 15 hours of guided self-study. In addition to courses aimed at developing written and oral skills, the language courses will include sessions dedicated to grammar, vocabulary, and other level-appropriate content. The thematic courses will cover literature, history, international relations, translation, and various topics related to Portuguese-speaking countries. Furthermore, participants may also participate in the evening programme, which will consist of cultural clubs dedicated to various artistic expressions associated with Portuguese-speaking countries, such as dance, music, poetry, body language, gastronomy, and oenology.

The teaching materials of the abovementioned cultural activities are free of charge. Upon completion of the summer course, participants who have attended 80 per cent of classes will receive a certificate of attendance, which will contain information about their course performance. To apply for the summer course, please visit the website at https://fah.um.edu.mo/dportsummercourse2023/.

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/55750/

UM holds 2nd Macao Humanities Roundtable

To facilities academic cooperation and exchanges among scholars and students in humanities, the Faculty of Arts and Humanities (FAH) of the University of Macau (UM) recently held the second Macao Humanities Roundtable, where professors and PhD students from the faculty and the University of Leeds presented their latest research findings. The event attracted approximately 200 faculty members and students in attendance.

In his opening speech, Li Defeng, associate dean of the FAH, said that under the pressure of the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) in today’s society, research in humanities has become even more indispensable as it allows people to understand the complex changes and the new landscape that AI has brought about socially and culturally. Quoting the famous philosopher Aristotle, ‘Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work’, Prof Li expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the speakers for their hard work and to the students and faculty members for their participation.

The roundtable was initiated and organised by FAH Dean Xu Jie and Assistant Dean Joaquim Kuong. The event featured 19 presentations that were divided into parallel sessions. They were moderated by professors from the FAH, namely Wang Mingyu, Victoria Lei, Joaquim Kuong, You Chengcheng, Zhang Yue, and Jeremy De Chavez. The presentations covered a wide range of topics, with clear and concise content and a focus on cutting-edge research. Prof Manuel Barcia from the University of Leeds joined the roundtable this year and shared his research on the history of Hong Kong and Macao in mid-19th century. At the end of each presentation, the speaker engaged and exchanged ideas with faculty members and students on the topic, providing the audience with a deeper understanding of the rich achievements of the FAH across various research fields.

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/55728/

Delegation from Bureau of Scientific and Technological Innovation of State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission visits UM

A delegation led by Wang Xiaoliang, deputy director of the Bureau of Scientific and Technological Innovation of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) of the State Council, recently visited the University of Macau (UM) and was warmly received by UM Vice Rector Ge Wei. The delegation first visited the UM Gallery, where Ge gave the guests an introduction to UM’s history, research layout, campus facilities, and development direction. Both parties also held a meeting there to discuss topics such as how state-owned enterprises can collaborate with the technology and innovation sector in Macao to jointly promote the city’s technological capacity and industrial development, how Macao can serve China’s national development strategy with its unique characteristics, and the current capacity of technology professionals at UM. Wang praised UM’s achievements in technology and innovation in recent years, adding that SASAC would further encourage state-owned enterprises to support Macao in its economic and social development. Members of the delegation also visited the State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City and the State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI.

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/55731/

UM awards long-serving staff and outstanding administrative staff

The University of Macau (UM) today (17 May) held the Long Service Award and Outstanding Administrative Staff Award Ceremony 2022, in recognition of the efforts of its staff and their contributions to the university. 201 staff members received the Long Service Award for 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, and 40 years of service respectively. The Outstanding Administrative Staff Award and the Most Creative Slogan Award were also presented at the ceremony.

UM Rector Yonghua Song expressed his happiness in witnessing two colleagues who have served the university for four decades and 199 colleagues who have worked for the university for more than ten years, adding that their loyalty and sense of belonging to the university are invaluable and highly admirable. He also congratulated the recipients of the Outstanding Administrative Staff Award and the Most Creative Slogan Award for their dedication to their work, adding that their excellent performance in the past year has not only earned the recognition of their superiors and the votes of UM colleagues, but also set an example. Furthermore, Song expressed hope that all administrative staff would continue to build an efficient team that would help the university improve the quality of its services, and that the faculty members would continue to cultivate talent and scale new heights in teaching and research.

Raymond Wong, assistant librarian of UM and a recipient of the Long Service Award for 35 years of service, says that he has worked at UM for nearly 36 years. During his career, he has witnessed the university’s development and continuous improvement, and he is particularly happy and proud to be a UM member. The most memorable moment for Wong was the university’s relocation to the new campus, which he describes as ‘a family moving to a bigger and more beautiful home, filled with hope’. He hopes that the university will provide more development opportunities for its faculty and staff to cultivate their talent so that they can further contribute to the university.

Jin Xiaoqing, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Mathematics of the Faculty of Science and Technology, is a recipient of the Long Service Award for 30 years of service. He says that his time at UM has been productive and meaningful. He also acknowledges the university’s remarkable achievements after its relocation to the new campus, adding that his academic performance has also greatly improved as the university grows. He hopes that UM will become one of the leading universities in the Greater China region in the future.

Ella Cheong, a staff member in the Communications Office who is in charge of the production of university publications and promotional videos, received the Outstanding Administrative Staff Award. She says that UM provides the opportunity for her to interview experts and scholars from different fields and gain new knowledge in various disciplines, which has broadened her horizons to achieve improvement and growth. She is grateful for these opportunities provided by the university and the long-standing support of her colleagues. She also says that the award motivates her to do better at work, and she will continue to tell the stories of UM and strive for better performance.

Esther Chan in the Faculty of Social Sciences is another recipient of the Outstanding Administrative Staff Award. She expresses her gratitude to her colleagues for their support and to the faculty for giving her the opportunity to make the most of her skills. She will continue to work hard to assist the faculty in recruiting excellent scholars from all over the world, promoting itself, telling the stories of UM, and attracting more outstanding students. In addition, the Most Creative Slogan Award went to Maggie Chan, a staff member in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.

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/55713/

UM professor Lampo Leong awarded funding by China National Arts Fund

Lampo Leong, professor in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Macau (UM), has been awarded funding by the China National Arts Fund for his proposal titled ‘The International Aesthetic Expansion of Traditional Ink Art’. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People’s Republic of China, the China National Arts Fund is the only national art grant through which the Chinese central government supports outstanding artists. Prof Leong’s proposal is the only creative art proposal from Macao to have received this funding in 2022.

Prof Leong’s contemporary ink painting incorporates Western geometric structure with the brushwork of classical ink painting from the East to attain a sensibility of postmodern art and an ethereal atmospheric quality to illustrate the dynamic forces of life. With water and ink colliding and intertwining, an array of ink splashes marches in directional movements to form a central element that works both like a planet orbiting in a mysterious cosmic space and as a surge of light or energy spurts out from within. These abstract images make viewers aware of the miraculous vitality in nature as well as the enigmatic process of creation in the universe.

Lampo Leong is currently a Distinguished Professor of UM. He is also a professor emeritus at the University of Missouri-Columbia and visiting professor at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts. His work has been featured in museums and galleries worldwide through more than 70 solo and over 410 national and international group exhibitions. He has received over 95 awards, including a Gold Medal Award at the Creative Quarterly international art competition in New York and an A’ Design Award in Italy. Leong’s works can be found in more than ten museum collections, including the Minneapolis Institute of Arts and the Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University. His achievements have been documented in various publications, including being featured on the cover of publications such as the New Art International in New York and the Creative Genius: 100 Contemporary Artists in London.

In addition, a paper co-authored by Prof Leong and his PhD student Yang Chao published in Packaging Engineering, titled ‘Glocalization Expression in International Brand Image Design’, has received a Bronze Medal in the 29th China International Advertising Festival – Great Wall Award in Advertising Academic Research Competition organised by the China Advertising Association. The Great Wall Award is the only advertising award approved by China’s State Council and is praised by the industry as the top prize in advertising research. It is a competition for academic research in advertising and entries must be papers published in domestic or international academic journals or books in the last two years. Only ten prizes were awarded in 2022.

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/55712/

UM Museum of Art officially opens

The University of Macau (UM) Museum of Art officially opened today (16 May). The 60 pieces currently on display include art works in the collection of the museum as well as those created by UM faculty and staff. Officiating guests at the opening ceremony included Ao Ieong U, secretary for social affairs and culture of the Macao SAR; Tian Xiaoping, deputy head of the department of publicity and culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao SAR; Lam Kam Seng, chair of UM University Council; and Yonghua Song, rector of UM. In his speech, Song said that the museum would regularly exhibit the educational achievements of UM’s Department of Arts and Design and organise art popularisation activities, providing a platform for faculty, students, and Macao residents to showcase and exchange ideas on artistic creations. The UM Museum of Art is located in Zone C on the first and second floor of the UM Wu Yee Sun Library. Exhibitions at the museum are open to the public, from 10:00am to 7:00pm, Monday to Sunday.

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/55709/

UM professor publishes new book about Macao

Tim Simpson, associate professor in the Department of Communication of the University of Macau (UM) Faculty of Social Sciences, has published a new book Betting on Macau: Casino Capitalism and China’s Consumer Revolution with the University of Minnesota Press. The book explores Macao’s recent transformation into the world’s most lucrative site of casino gaming and the city’s formative role in China’s own metamorphosis into the largest consumer society on the planet.

Prof Simpson’s book focuses on the past two decades of Macao’s social and economic development, during which the city became one of the world’s wealthiest territories. However, he locates his study of contemporary Macao within the city’s half a millennium of history as a Portuguese territory, and its crucial role in the emergence of global capitalism in the 16th century. This allows readers to understand Macao’s recent re-emergence on the global stage as a continuation of the city’s early economic function.

Much of the book analyses Macao’s new cityscape of massive integrated megaresorts with fantastical themed environments, including two of the largest buildings in the world. Prof Simpson also explores the pedagogical role of this built environment in the development of China’s tourism industry.

Prof Simpson has lived and worked in Macao since 2001, providing him with a unique perspective on the city’s dramatic changes. Engaging with the fields of social theory, urban studies, and economic history, the book uncovers the roots of Macao’s indigenous mode of gambling capitalism, and in turn provides a distinctive view of China’s broader project of urbanisation, the country’s economic reforms, and the rise of its consumer culture.

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/55706/

International forum on culture of Yellow River and Yellow Emperor held at UM

The University of Macau (UM) Centre for Chinese History and Culture (CCHC) and the Global Chinese Ancestral Association jointly held an international forum on the culture of Yellow River and Yellow Emperor at the UM library. The event aimed to provide a platform for participants to explore the inheritance and development of this traditional culture. During the event, Zhu Shoutong, director of the CCHC, praised the interpretations and modern values presented by experts and scholars on the culture of the Yellow River and the Yellow Emperor and stressed the importance of the forum in the dissemination of outstanding traditional Chinese culture.

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/55697/

UM to hold APAEM Demonstration Day cum Financial Innovation Symposium

The University of Macau (UM) Asia-Pacific Academy of Economics and Management (APAEM) will hold the APAEM Demonstration Day cum Financial Innovation Symposium on Friday 19 May 2023. During the event, scholars in related fields will share their research findings on the latest developments and applications in Asian economics, financial innovation, and smart tourism. All are welcome.

This event will showcase the major results of funded projects at the APAEM in the past years and their impact on academia and industry. The event also aims to provide a platform for government officials, industry practitioners, faculty members, and students to exchange ideas with top scholars in Asian economics, financial innovation, and smart tourism, and explore opportunities for collaboration.

The event will begin at 3:30pm in the Multi-function Hall of the UM Guest House (N1-G014). For more information, please visit APAEM’s website at https://apaem.um.edu.mo/. For enquiries, please contact the APAEM Office at 8822 9927/8822 8137 or email to apaem_info@um.edu.mo.

As an important platform for knowledge exchanges, APAEM attaches great importance to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration, share knowledge of industry-academia collaboration, and create an interdisciplinary dialogue. The APAEM research team consists of UM scholars in different areas, with Asian economics, financial innovation, and smart tourism being the three major research areas.

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/55695/