On 22 November 2024, Dr. Allison WITT, Director of the Office of International Programs from College of Education, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign visited the Faculty of Education (FED) at the University of Macau (UM) and sincerely welcomed by Prof. Lianghuo FAN, Dean of FED, Prof. Mingming ZHOU, Associate Dean (Research) of FED, Prof. Ping-Cheng WANG, Assistant Dean (Student Affairs) of FED and Prof. Shulin YU, Programme Coordinator of Bachelor of Education Programme (English) and Programme Coordinator of Master of Arts in TESOL of FED.

During the exchange meeting, Dean Fan expressed his warm welcome to Dr. Witt and expected that this visit would be a solid foundation for future academic exchanges and mutual cooperation between the two sides. Prof. Zhou provided a detailed introduction of the current status and future plans of FED. Dr. Witt introduced the IGlobal project of the College of Education at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, hoping to develop in-depth collaboration with FED in various fields. After the meeting, both parties exchanged souvenirs and took group photos to commemorate the occasion.

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On 19 November 2024, a delegation led by Prof. Lin WENG, Associate Dean and Head of the Preschool Education Major at the School of Education, South China Business College (SCBC) of Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, visited the Faculty of Education (FED) at the University of Macau (UM). The delegation received a warm welcome from Prof. Zhaowei KONG, Associate Dean (Teaching) of FED, Prof. Ping-Cheng WANG, Assistant Dean (Student Affairs) of FED, Prof. Keang-ieng VONG, Programme Coordinator of Bachelor of Education Programme (Pre-Primary) of FED and Prof. Jin SUN, Associate Professor of FED.

During the exchange meeting, Prof. Kong introduced the delegation to the basic situation and latest developments of FED, emphasizing the faculty’s commitment to cultivating educators capable of meeting the demands of 21st-century education. Prof. Weng shared the goals for talent cultivation, majors offered, student demographics, and distinctive teaching activities of the School of Education at SCBC, and expressed a desire for closer exchanges to share experiences in education development. Both sides also discussed challenges related to student sources in pre-primary education and explored potential collaboration in co-developing courses. After the meeting, the delegation toured the FED building to gain a deeper understanding of the various teaching facilities.

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To celebrate the 25th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland, CGTN organized a roundtable event on 09 December 2024 by inviting guests from Macao to share their perspectives and personal stories during the rapid development in education, culture and economy in Macao in the past decades.

Prof. Mingming  ZHOU, Associate Dean (Research) of FED joined the sharing session in the education segment and introduced the uniqueness of education system in Macao. She also shared successful cases and experiences of educational exchange and cooperation between the mainland and Macao, such as the three national key laboratories in the University of Macau, the exchange programs between elite teachers in Macao and the Chinese mainland. Prof. Zhou also shared her perspectives on how we could develop an organizational structure that supports cooperation in educational programs within the Greater Bay Area. Now it perhaps is a good moment to take the road of industry-education integration and innovation. Universities need to think about the development characteristics of the Greater Bay Area’s pillar industries and strategic emerging industries, as well as the academic disciplines and emerging research areas. By combining them, we can build a discipline structure that is compatible with the Greater Bay Area’s industrial structure, and cultivate professional talents that meet the needs of industrial upgrading.

Last, when looking forward, Prof. Zhou expressed her optimism about the future of Macao and her cooperation with the mainland. One of the central government’s new directive is to transform Macao into an international hub for top-tier talent. To achieve this objective, Macao should leverage her distinct advantages and policy incentives to attract and retain external talent, while strengthening mechanisms for nurturing local talents. For the interview, please click the following the link for reference:

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-12-17/Watch-Youth-Talk-Macao-s-next-chapter–1zp4flSvdhC/p.html

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From October 24 to 25, 2024, Prof. Bruce John MACFARLANE, Dean of the Faculty of Education and Human Development at the Education University of Hong Kong, visited the Faculty of Education (FED) at the University of Macau (UM) for academic exchanges and to deliver a seminar, deepening the ties between the two institutions.

Prof. Lianghuo FAN, Dean of FED, along with Prof. Mingming ZHOU, Associate Dean (Research) of FED, Prof. Pey-Tee OON, Director of the Educational Research Centre of FED and Prof. Biying HU warmly received Prof. Macfarlane and held an exchange meeting in the meeting room of FED. The discussions focused on teaching and research, institutional structure, and future research collaboration. Both sides agreed on the importance of prioritizing quality over quantity in teaching and research, emphasizing the need to continuously improve teaching standards and research innovation capabilities.

The following day, Dean Fan, Prof. Macfarlane, and Prof. King Man HUI, Vice Rector (Academic Affairs) of UM, met to explore the possibility of further collaboration. Lastly, Prof. Macfarlane delivered a seminar on “Re-examining the Use of the Term ‘International Academic’: Challenging Post-colonial Assumptions” in Lecture Hall, Cultural Building, UM. He proposed an expanded definition of “international scholar” that emphasizes global influence and diverse perspectives. The seminar covered topics such as colonization and decolonization, as well as cross-cultural frameworks, provoking deep reflections among the participating staff and students.

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Jointly organized by the University of Macau (UM) and the Chinese Society of Education (CSE), the “Macao Training Programme for Primary and Secondary School Principals and Teachers” was successfully held from 17 to 21 October 2024. A total of 38 primary and secondary school principals and teachers from Mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao converged in Macao and participated in the five-day intensive training programme. The objective of this programme was to help school principals and teachers gain a deeper understanding of the latest developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) in education. Furthermore, it fosters cooperation and communication among educators from Mainland, Hong Kong, and Macao.

During the programme, the participants attended a series of lectures presented by UM professors, covering various topics related to AI and K-12 education. They also visited several local schools in Macao, including the Affiliated School of the University of Macau, Hou Kong Middle School, Pui Ching Middle School, and Pui Va Middle School, to delve into practical experiences and achievement in these schools in AI and education. Additionally, they toured the State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City at UM and the Macao Science Center, gaining exposure to and understanding of cutting-edge technologies and their applications in K-12 education. Furthermore, participants visited the Education and Youth Affairs Department of Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the Macao Special Administrative Region to gain further insights into the current development and characteristics of education in Macao.

At the graduation ceremony on Oct 21, each group representative summarized and reported on the learning outcomes and insights gained from the programme, acknowledging that the belief of “Technology leads the future, and education embraces changes,” was further strengthened and they were prompted to ponder over new directions for school development and new needs for teacher professional development. It also provided a valuable platform for thought exchange, inspiring them to promote teaching reforms in their schools. The participants also specially praised the innovation and enthusiasm demonstrated by Macao schools in STEM education, expressing their hope to apply these experiences to the development of their own schools. Prof. Lianghuo FAN, Dean of Faculty of Education issued graduation certificates to all participants, encouraging them to apply what they had learned to future educational practices and hoping to maintain exchanges with various schools for future cooperation in academic research and teaching practices.

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