UM holds seminar on Constitutional Law and Theory of the Constitution

The University of Macau (UM) Faculty of Law (FLL) recently held a seminar on Constitutional Law and Theory of the Constitution (translated from the Portuguese title Direito Constitucional e Teoria da Constituição), a book for the study of constitutional law written by José Joaquim Gomes Canotilho, a professor at the University of Coimbra. FLL Senior Instructor Jiang Yiwa, as well as three advisors to the Legislative Assembly of the Macau SAR, were the speakers. During the seminar, they shared the main content and details of the book with UM faculty members and students. The event was moderated by FLL Dean Tong Io Cheng.

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/55128/

UMDF Professorial Fellow Miao Li gives talk on tourism development in post-pandemic era

The University of Macau (UM) today (15 February) held a University of Macau Development Foundation Professorial Fellowship Lecture titled ‘Post-Pandemic, Metaverse and Tourism’. Miao Li, University of Macau Development Foundation Professorial Fellow of Integrated Resort and Tourism Management and head of the Department of Integrated Resort and Tourism Management of UM’s Faculty of Business Administration, was the speaker. During the talk, she discussed the development trend of Macao’s tourism industry in the post-pandemic era. The talk attracted many UM faculty members and students, as well as members of the general public.

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/55111/

Delegation led by Mayor of Zhuhai Huang Zhihao visits UM

A delegation led by Huang Zhihao, deputy secretary of the CPC Zhuhai Municipal Committee and mayor of Zhuhai, recently visited the University of Macau (UM) to learn about the university’s history, disciplinary layout, and research achievements. The delegation was warmly received by Yonghua Song, rector of UM and director of the State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City (SKL-IOTSC); Rui Martins and Ge Wei, vice rectors of UM; Mak Pui In, interim director of the State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI (SKL-AMSV); Wong Kei, director of the Rector’s Office; and Wang Ruibing, director of the Global Affairs Office. During the meeting, Song told the guests about UM’s recent development and achievements and thanked the Zhuhai Municipal Government for its continuous support to the university. Huang spoke highly of UM’s recent development and achievements and expressed hope that both parties would continue to deepen exchanges and cooperation in various fields to jointly promote the development of the Greater Bay Area. During the visit, members of the delegation visited the University Gallery, as well as the SKL-IOTSC and SKL-AMSV to learn more about their development and research results.

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/55109/

UM scholar gives talk on how mobile communication technology can change the world

The University of Macau (UM) today (14 February) held a talk titled ‘Mobile Communication: An Amazing Magic Changing the World’ as the tenth talk of the UM Scholar Research Forum. Ma Shaodan, professor in the Faculty of Science and Technology and assistant director of the State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City at UM, was the speaker. The talk attracted many UM faculty members and students, as well as teachers and students from local secondary schools who joined the event through the internet. During the talk, Prof Ma discussed the development and evolution of mobile communication technology from the basic communication needs of human beings to both technical changes and applications. The talk covered the past 1G technology to the current 5G technology. She also discussed the applicaton of the Internet of Things and the communication needs of people in the post-pandemic era, as well as the vision and specific supporting technologies for the future era in this aspect. In addition, she gave an outlook on the evolution of communication technology in the future 6G era.

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/55105/

Delegation led by Cape Verdean minister visits UM

A delegation from the Republic of Cabo Verde, led by its Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Regional Integration Rui Figueiredo Soares, recently visited the University of Macau (UM) to learn about the university’s latest development. The delegation was warmly received by Rector Yonghua Song, Vice Rector Rui Martins and other UM representatives.

During the meeting, Rector Song introduced UM’s recent development, its cooperation with higher education institutions in Cape Verde, and the situation of Cape Verdean students studying at the university to the guests. The minister expressed his pleasure at visiting UM and mentioned the close relationship between the university and Portuguese-speaking countries. He said that UM’s law programmes are unique and have attracted many students from Portuguese-speaking countries, adding that some Cape Verdean graduates of UM who returned home took up important positions in the government.

After the meeting, the minister met with Cape Verdean students studying at UM to learn more about their studies and life at the university. Members of the delegation then visited the Faculty of Law (FLL) and learned more about its facilities such as Moot Court, the Institute for Advanced Legal Studies, and the Centre for Law Studies, in the company of FLL Associate Dean Augusto Teixeira Garcia. Members of the delegation also visited the University Gallery and the UM Wu Yee Sun Library, where Librarian Wu Jianzhong gave the guests a tour of the Rare Book Room and the Portuguese Corner.

Members of the delegation included Nuno Miguel Melo Furtado, representative of Cape Verde to the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao). UM representatives who received the guests included Tong Io Cheng, dean of the FLL; and Wang Ruibing, director of the Global Affairs Office.

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/55103/

UM research team creates breakthrough in cell replacement therapies for diabetes

A team led by Xie Ruiyu, associate professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) of the University of Macau (UM), has discovered the essential role of DNA demethylase TET1 in beta-cell specification. The discovery will help people understand TET family dioxygenases in cell fate determination, which has profound implications for beta-cell regeneration in cell based-therapies for diabetes. The study has been published in Nature Communications. It has received considerable attention in the field of pancreas research and has secured the No 1 spot of the 2022 Top Tweet Countdown in STEMCELL Tech’s Pancreatic Cell News.

Prof Xie’s team previously demonstrated that 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5hmC), a novel epigenetic modification, is positively correlated with ‘open’ chromatin at poised and active enhancers in multiple endodermal lineage intermediates. While many researchers had illustrated the importance of TET-regulated DNA demethylation homeostasis during early embryonic development and cell reprogramming, the functional relevance and mechanisms by which TETs regulate pancreatic endocrine differentiation remained obscure. For this reason, an in-depth understanding of how TETs function in beta-cell specification is important and will facilitate medical translational applications for beta-cell regeneration and reprogramming.

The research team set out to tackle this issue using a stepwise hESC differentiation system toward pancreatic endocrine fate, in which TET single-, double-, and triple-knockout hESCs were differentiated through multiple lineage intermediates into pancreatic endocrine cells. The team found that TET1/TET2/TET3 triple-knockout (TKO) hESCs could efficiently differentiate into definitive endoderm, but fail to generate functional beta-cells. Intriguingly, the team found extensive differentially methylated regions in a cell type-specific manner. In particular, the hyper-differential methylated regions specific to the pancreas displayed reduced chromatin activity and remarkable enrichment for the binding of FOXA2, a pioneer transcription factor essential for pancreatic endoderm specification. They further found that TET1 was crucial in the induction of functional beta-cell in vivo and demonstrated that FOXA2 favours TET1 deposition to facilitate local chromatin remodelling after pancreatic lineage induction.

The findings suggest that TET inactivation-induced aberrant chromatin remodelling at distinct FOXA2 binding sites contributes to defective beta-cell commitment and provides a new mechanistic clue regarding the complex crosstalk between epigenetic modifiers and pioneer transcription factors in lineage specification. The results of the exploration of how TET dioxygenases function in the pancreatic beta-cell specification can be applied to translational medicine for diabetes, such as the development of direct reprogramming of beta-cell. The study has secured the No 1 spot in the 2022 Top Tweet Countdown of STEMCEL Tech’s Pancreatic Cell News, which is a testament to its great impact and an indication of the broad reader interest.

Prof Xie is the corresponding author of the study, and FHS PhD students Wu Xinwei and Ke Jie¸ as well as bioinformatics consultant Li Jianfang share the co-first authorship. Others who have contributed to the study include Prof Sun Deqiang at Zhejiang University, who is the co-corresponding author of the study; Associate Professor Huang Yun and her research team at Texas A&M University; as well as FHS former research assistant Lan Qingping and members of the Biological Imaging and Stem Cell Core and the Animal Research Core of FHS. The project was supported by the Science and Technology Development Fund, Macao SAR (File number: 0002/2021/AKP), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (File number: NSFC 31701276). The full version of the research article can be viewed at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-31611-x.

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/55099/

UM continues to offer ‘A Day at UM’ campus tours

‘A Day at UM’ is a campus tour campaign launched by the Communications Office of the University of Macau (UM) in 2018 for the public to experience campus life at the university. As the tours have been very well received, the campaign will continue to be held this year. Participants in the campus tours will be guided by well-trained PR Student Ambassadors of UM. The tours are free, and all interested parties, including organisations and individuals, are welcome to join.

Separated from Taipa by a river, UM’s campus covers approximately 1.09 square kilometres. With the lush Hengqin Hill serving as a beautiful backdrop and designed with a ‘people-oriented’ approach, the campus aims to provide an environment conducive to scholarly pursuits. Led by PR Student Ambassadors, participants in the tours will visit different spots on campus, such as the University Gallery, the library, and various residential colleges. They can learn more about the university and its members while enjoying the beauty of the campus. In addition, the tours include interactive games and participants will have the opportunity to receive limited-edition souvenirs. After the tour, participants can also choose to dine at one of the restaurants on campus.

The ‘A Day at UM’ campus tours are available Monday through Saturday, with two sessions per day, each lasting about 1.5 hours, from 10:00am to 11:30am and from 3:00pm to 4:30pm, respectively. The tours will be conducted in Cantonese, Mandarin, or English. A minimum of ten people are required for each tour. To make a registration, please visit the Visitors webpage on UM’s website and click ‘A Day at UM’ Campus Tour Campaign under ‘Campus Tour’, or directly visit the Campus Tour webpage at shorturl.at/glr58. For enquiries, please call 8822 4335 or email to prs.campus_tour@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/campus-news/detail/55096/

UM expert to give talk on tourism industry development in post-pandemic era next Wednesday

The University of Macau (UM) will hold a University of Macau Development Foundation Professorial Fellowship Lecture titled ‘Post-Pandemic, Metaverse and Tourism’ on Wednesday 15 February. Miao Li, University of Macau Development Foundation Professorial Fellow of Integrated Resort and Tourism Management, will be the speaker. During the talk, she will discuss the development trend of Macao’s tourism industry in the post-pandemic era.

Prof Miao is also the head of the Department of Integrated Resort and Tourism Management of UM’s Faculty of Business Administration. During the talk, she will explore the meaning and manifestation of travel and tourism in the post-pandemic era, as well as envision future travel experience in a metaverse context in the case of Macao. The talk will begin at 3:30pm and will be conducted in English. It will be available both online and in a physical setting, and the physical lecture will be held in the Multi-function Hall of the UM Guest House (N1-G014). All are welcome. To register for the physical lecture, please visit https://bit.ly/3DH44ir. To register for the online lecture, please visit https://bit.ly/3wXpNyV. For enquiries, please call 8822 4504.

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/55092/

UM holds Exhibition of Master Hsing Yun’s Works

In tribute to the memory of Master Hsing Yun, honorary doctor of the University of Macau (UM) and founder of the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist order in Taiwan, the UM Library has launched the Exhibition of Master Hsing Yun’s Works, which will take place in the library lobby from 8 February to 8 March. About 50 books written by Master Hsing Yun, including autographed copies, and related videos will be on display at the exhibition.

Master Hsing Yun was a long-time supporter of the development of UM. In 2011, he gave a lecture at the university to encourage everybody to obtain happiness from doing the right thing. The lecture benefited UM students tremendously. In 2013, UM conferred an honorary doctorate in humanities on him in recognition of his outstanding contributions to cultural affairs and education. His contribution to the enhancement of UM’s academic standards and influence will be long remembered by the university.

The items on display include the Complete Works of Venerable Master Hsing Yun, Humanistic Buddhism: Holding True to the Original Intents of Buddha (English edition), Humanistic Buddhism: Journal, Arts, and Culture, and Humanistic Buddhism’s 100 Paths to Happiness. The Complete Works of Venerable Master Hsing Yun is a book collection of 365 volumes, symbolising the 365 days in a year and the perfection of the existence of all beings in the world. The collection is a comprehensive account of the master’s early writings, his later teachings and lectures, as well as his advice on the development of Buddhism and vision for the country. It is also a valuable record of the history and development of the philosophy of Humanistic Buddhism. For more details about the exhibition, please call 8822 8170 or email to lib_ref@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/campus-news/detail/55091/

UM student wins 1^st prize in China Postgraduate Mathematical Contest in Modelling

Huang Hongliang, a postgraduate student in the Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science and Technology (FST), University of Macau (UM), recently won a first prize at ‘Huawei Cup’ — the 19^th China Postgraduate Mathematical Contest in Modelling. The competition attracted a total of 17,970 teams from more than 400 universities and research institutes around the world, with only 1 per cent of the teams winning a first prize.

Each team in the contest had three members. Huang was the leader of his team, which was formed by two other university students from Macao. During the contest, they were required to answer questions and submit papers within a limited time. The students demonstrated their ability to solve practical problems by building mathematical models and using information technology. After two months of rigorous assessment by the judging panel, Huang’s team was awarded a first prize.

The 19^th China Postgraduate Mathematical Contest in Modelling placed an emphasis on cutting-edge and practical problems in various disciplines. Held for the first time in 2003, the competition has attracted students from hundreds of universities worldwide over the years. The event aims to foster team spirit and a creative mindset among postgraduate students, promote talent development in science and technology, facilitate the development of postgraduate education, and strengthen exchange and cooperation between universities and enterprises.

With an international education setup, UM is committed to producing talent with innovative thinking skills, a global mindset, and international competitiveness. The university has established cooperation platforms with its counterparts around the world to provide diverse opportunities for learning and academic exchange for its students. The university also encourages and supports students to participate in international competitions to broaden their horizons and enhance their competitiveness. Prof Lei Siu Long in the Department of Mathematics of the FST is Huang’s supervisor. He and other professors in the department have been encouraging students to actively participate in mathematical modelling competitions. The professors also provide pre-competition counselling to help students consolidate their knowledge and stimulate their interest in pursuing mathematical knowledge.

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/55082/