UM holds training course to nurture career development facilitators

The University of Macau (UM) and the Macao New Chinese Youth Association recently jointly provided Global Career Development Facilitator (GCDF) training as part of a dual certificate course for 40 staff members working in the area of student affairs. The course aims to enable the staff to help university students plan their careers through a standardised career counselling process using professional tools. GCDF is a global credentialing programme that strives to nurture professionals in career development and career counselling. During the course, the UM staff received training both virtually and in person. They studied theories and cases of career development and learned about the requirements to become a GCDF as well as the responsibilities. They have completed the first phase of training and have obtained their certificates.

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/55081/

UM releases Macroeconomic Forecast for Macao 2023

The University of Macau (UM) Centre for Macau Studies (CMS) and Department of Economics have released the Macroeconomic Forecast for Macao 2023, estimating that the economy will grow between 20.5% and 44.1%; exports of services will grow between 35.2% and 82.8%; and the final revenue of the Macao SAR government will remain at around MOP 55.4 billion to MOP 66.1 billion, in 2023. Macao’s economic recovery is also expected to be more obvious, especially in the second half of the year.

Based on three different scenarios, the research team has obtained the following forecasts: the baseline forecast of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growths are 20.5%, to MOP 211.8 billion (47.7% of 2019’s level), in Scenario 1; 36.5%, to MOP 240 billion (54.0% of 2019’s level), in Scenario 2; and 44.1%, to MOP 253.3 billion (67.0% of 2019’s level), in Scenario 3, respectively (real growth rate, all absolute levels calculated in chained (2020) dollars). The baseline forecast of growths in the exports of services are 35.2% in Scenario 1, 64.9% in Scenario 2, and 82.8% in Scenario 3, respectively. The Macao SAR government’s current revenue in 2023 is expected to be MOP 55.4 billion in Scenario 1, MOP 62.8 billion in Scenario 2, and MOP 66.1 billion in Scenario 3, respectively.

In 2022, the economy of Macao continued to shrink as a result of the impact of the pandemic and epidemic prevention policies. In the first quarter, the year-on-year GDP fell by 10.5%. Following the relatively large-scale emergence of infection cases in the local community in mid to late June, the year-on-year GDP collapsed by 39.0% in the second quarter, returning to the level of the second quarter of 2020. From mid-June to July 2022, subject to the influence of the implementation of lockdown measures, the year-on-year GDP decreased by 33.4% in the third quarter.

As Macao has adjusted its epidemic prevention policies in December 2022, visitor arrivals are expected to increase in 2023. However, there are differences in the adaptability of the Macao society and the willingness of foreigners to visit Macao. In response to these differences, the research team has made three different scenario assumptions. Scenario 1 has more cautious assumptions: visitor arrivals are assumed to be 2.07 million in the first quarter (20% of 2019’s level), 2.48 million in the second quarter (25% of 2019’s level), 2.98 million in the third quarter (30% of 2019), and 3.22 million in the fourth quarter (35% of 2019’s level). Scenario 2 has more optimistic assumptions: visitor arrivals are assumed to be 3.11 million in the first quarter (30% of 2019’s level), 3.97 million in the second quarter (40% of 2019’s level), 4.96 million in the third quarter (50% of 2019’s level), and 5.52 million in the fourth quarter (60% of 2019’s level). Scenario 3 is even more optimistic when compared to Scenario 2, considering that visitor arrivals in the second half of 2023 will grow faster: visitor arrivals in the first and second quarters are assumed to be the same as in Scenario 2, while visitor arrivals in the third quarter and the fourth quarter are assumed to be 6.94 million (70% of 2019’s level), and 7.36 million (80% of 2019’s level), respectively. The above scenarios all assume that there will be no major changes in the epidemic situation that will lead to rapid policy adjustment.

Based on the above three scenarios, the forecasts of major economic variables are as follows:

• The baseline forecast of GDP growths are 5%, to MOP 211.8 billion (47.7% of 2019’s level), in Scenario 1; 36.5%, to MOP 240 billion (54.0% of 2019’s level), in Scenario 2; and 44.1%, to MOP 253.3 billion (67.0% of 2019’s level), in Scenario 3, respectively.
• The baseline forecast of growths in the exports of services are 35.2% in Scenario 1, 64.9% in Scenario 2, and 82.8% in Scenario 3, respectively.
• The baseline forecast of growths in private consumption expenditure are 6.3% to 6.5%.
• The baseline forecast of growths in total gross fixed capital formation are 2.4% in Scenario 1, 4.6% in Scenario 2, and 5.0% in Scenario 3, respectively.
• The inflation rate measured by GDP deflator is expected to rise by 1.6% to 1.7%, and consumer price is expected to increase by 1.7% to 2.0%.
• Median monthly employment earnings are expected to increase by 1.1% in Scenario 1, 2.0% in Scenario 2, and 2.1% in Scenario 3, respectively.
• Unemployment rate is projected to be 4.0% in Scenario 1, 3.8% in Scenario 2, and 3.7% in Scenario 3, respectively. The unemployment rate for local residents is expected to be 4.9% in Scenario 1, 4.7% in Scenario 2, and 4.5% in Scenario 3, respectively.
• The Macao SAR government’s current revenue in 2023 is expected to be MOP 55.4 billion in Scenario 1, MOP 62.8 billion in Scenario 2, and MOP 66.1 billion in Scenario 3, respectively.

Macao has finally reopened after nearly three years of implementation of epidemic prevention and control measures. However, there will still be many challenges on the road to economic recovery. The labour market is likely to be affected by lag effects of the pandemic in the short term and they will hinder the growth of tourism-related industries. In general, due to the low base effect in 2022, it is expected that Macao’s economic recovery (especially in the second half of the year) will be more obvious this year.

About the Macroeconometric Structural Model of Macao

The Macroeconometric Structural Model of Macao is a quarterly simultaneous-equations econometric model which covers seven aspects of Macao’s economy: consumption, investment, the external sector, prices, government, the labour market, and the monetary sector. It includes 89 equations and 296 variables. Time series data start from the first quarter of 1998 and is updated once new data are available. Its results provide the community with a timely understanding of the state of Macao’s economy and support prudent decision-making. The model was founded by late Prof Sir James Mirrlees, winner of the Nobel Prize in economic sciences and honorary doctor of social sciences of UM, as well as faculty members in the Department of Economics of UM. Members of the research team include Dr Chan Chi Shing, adjunct lecturer in the CMS; Prof Ho Wai Hong, associate professor in the Department of Economics; and Prof Kwan Fung, assistant professor in the Department of Economics.

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/55075/

Inter-varsity Chinese classics recitation and exchange activity held at UM

The Macao edition of a Chinese classics recitation and exchange activity for university students from mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao was recently held at the University of Macau (UM). The event was co-organised by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities (FAH) of UM, the School of Linguistics Sciences and Arts of Jiangsu Normal University (JSNU), and the Faculty of Humanities of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). At the opening ceremony, Yuan Yulin, head of the Department of Chinese Language and Literature of UM; Yao Yao, associate dean of the Faculty of Humanities of PolyU; and Zhang Qiang, associate dean of the School of Linguistics Sciences and Arts of JSNU, delivered speeches on behalf of the three organisers, respectively. In 2021, UM, JSNU, and PolyU jointly held this event for the first time to provide a platform for students from Jiangsu province, Hong Kong, and Macao, who are passionate about recitation and Chinese culture, to share and demonstrate their skills.

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/55052/

UM holds first Shenzhen-Macao testing technology forum in Chinese medicine

The Macao Centre for Testing of Chinese Medicine of the University of Macau (UM) and the Shenzhen Institute for Drug Control recently co-organised the first Shenzhen-Macao testing technology forum in Chinese medicine online. More than 20 Chinese medicine testing experts and technicians attended the forum. During the event, they exchanged ideas on the development of key laboratories, cooperation in research and innovation, testing technologies and standardisation research of Chinese medicine, and talent training between both institutions. The two institutions will further leverage their strengths to deepen cooperation in different areas, in order to establish high-quality governmental mechanisms for the supervision of medicines in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and to promote the development of the medicinal industry in Macao and Shenzhen.

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/55021/

UM Faculty of Business Administration achieves AMBA re-accreditation

Following a rigorous assessment by panel members of the Association of MBAs (AMBA), the Faculty of Business Administration (FBA) of the University of Macau (UM) has officially received re-accreditation for a five-year term from the AMBA. With the AMBA re-accreditation, FBA maintains its triple crown accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), AMBA, and the EFMD Quality Improvement System (EQUIS).

As one of the world’s leading authorities on postgraduate business education, AMBA has accredited postgraduate business programmes at more than 260 business schools around the world, with a philosophy focused on impact, employability and learning outcomes. AMBA believes that accredited programmes can reflect the changing trends and innovation in the postgraduate education sector. 

‘This good news has surely reflected the FBA team’s high degree of expertise and diligence. It’s been a long time working towards accomplishing this, and I’m truly delighted to learn about the successful completion of the AMBA re-accreditation through the collaborative effort of the FBA team,’ says Yonghua Song, rector of UM.

‘With our AMBA re-accreditation, the FBA continues to be a triple-accredited business school. This confirms FBA’s dedication to pursuing continuous improvement in providing excellent business education and nurturing business talent,’ says Ge Wei, interim dean of the FBA.

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/55019/

Joint study of UM and two universities of Chinese medicine helps alleviate sepsis-induced injury

A research team jointly led by Elaine Leung Lai Han, professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) of the University of Macau (UM); Xie Ying, professor at the Second Affiliated Hospital of the Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine; and Chen Jianxin, professor at the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine has discovered that the modern herbal formula BaWeiBaiDuSan (BWBDS) can help alleviate sepsis-induced liver injury (SILI). The study has received considerable attention in the field of pharmacology and the research results have been published in the internationally-renowned journal Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B.

Sepsis is widely perceived as a life-threatening organ dysfunction caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. Antibiotics are an essential component of initial therapy in sepsis. However, the inappropriate use of antibiotics can lead to multidrug-resistant infections and death. It is necessary to discover novel targeted or combined therapeutic strategies. The gut-liver axis refers to the bidirectional relationship of microbiota, metabolic, and immune crosstalks between the gut and liver, connected in a bidirectional fashion by the portal vein and biliary tree. SILI is related to adverse clinical outcomes and gut microbiota plays a crucial role in SILI. The formula BWBDS is based on components extracted from eight medicinal herbs, namely Panax ginseng C. A. Meyer, Lilium brownii F. E. Brown ex Miellez var. viridulum Baker, Polygonatum sibiricum Delar. ex Redoute, Lonicera japonica Thunb., Hippophae rhamnoides Linn, Amygdalus Communis Vas, Platycodon grandiflorus (Jacq.) A. DC., and Cortex Phellodendri. Previous studies by the team have showed that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formulas with medicine food homology can improve intestinal microecology and enhance host immune function. Therefore, in the study, the team investigated whether the BWBDS treatment could reverse SILI by modulating the gut microbiota. The study shows that BWBDS and L. johnsonii may act as prebiotics and probiotics for the prevention and treatment of sepsis.

Although the clinical efficacy of BWBDS is significant, the pharmacological mechanism of BWBDS remains unclear. The team performed qualitative and quantitative analysis of BWBDS components with high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). Network pharmacology was applied to predict possible mechanisms of BWBDS. Cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) was employed to induce sepsis and related injuries caused by post-operative infection. Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) and 16S PacBio single-molecule real-time (SMRT) sequencing were used to validate the roles of gut microbiota. Metabolomics analysis was performed to characterise the metabolic profile. Clodronate liposome and anti-interleukin-10 receptor mouse antibody (anti-IL-10R mAb) were used to explore the potential mechanism of bacteria attenuating SILI.

In the study, BWBDS selectively promoted the growth of Lactobacillus in CLP-treated mice. Results of the FMT treatment show that gut bacteria are correlated with sepsis and are required for BWBDS antisepsis effects. The treatment with L. johnsonii significantly prevented mice from sepsis and SILI and improved the survival of mice, which is associated with enhanced gut integrity, as well as reduced intestinal and systemic inflammation. In particular, the research results suggest that the reduction of CLP-induced mortality and alleviation of liver injury by L. johnsonii depend on the promotion of the proportions of IL-10⁺M2 macrophages. Moreover, the study shows that heat inactivation L. johnsonii (HI-L. johnsonii) treatment can promote the anti-inflammatory activity of macrophages and alleviate SILI.

The team’s findings provide a novel therapeutic approach for SILI. In the foreseeable future, gut microbiota status, such as species diversity, will be used as a biomarker to predict the therapeutic effects of BWBDS in sepsis patients. In addition, BWBDS and the gut bacterium L. johnsonii can be translated to clinical use as novel prebiotics and probiotics for the treatment of sepsis patients. The study has revealed the great potential of TCM in treating sepsis by regulating gut microbiota.

Prof Leung, Prof Xie, and Prof Chen are the co-corresponding authors of the study. PhD students Fan Xiaoqing and Mai Chutian at the Macau University of Science and Technology and PhD student Zuo Ling at the Beijing University of Chinese Medicine are the co-first authors. The project was funded by the Science and Technology Development Fund, Macao SAR (File no: 0096/2018/A3, 0111/2020/A3, 0056/2020/AMJ and 2001/2020/ALC) and UM’s research fund (SRG2022-00020-FHS), and was supported by the 2020 Qi Huang Young Scholar programme of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The full version of the paper can be viewed at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsb.2022.10.016.

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/55015/

UM’s Macao Base for Primary & Secondary STEM Education selected as outstanding organiser of 2022 National Science Popularization Day

The Macao Base for Primary & Secondary STEM Education of the University of Macau (UM) has been selected by the China Association for Science and Technology as an outstanding organiser of the 2022 National Science Popularization Day. In addition, the On-the-Go Project of the BOC STEM Talent Challenge, an event organised by the base, has been chosen as an outstanding activity of the 2022 National Science Popularization Day. The activity is co-organised by the Alumni and Development Office of UM and sponsored by Bank of China (Macau Branch). The base will continue to launch various activities to promote science education and take advantage of UM’s scientific research resources to support science education and teacher training at primary and secondary schools in Macao.

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/545002/

UM holds online Open Day to showcase characteristics of academic programmes

To enable students, parents, and friends from Macao and around the world to gain a better understanding of the University of Macau (UM), the university held the Open Day 2023 online today (15 January). Offering a number of live streaming events and various activities, the Open Day attracted many people with an interest in applying to or knowing more about UM. They joined the annual event through the internet to learn about the latest admission information, educational features, and research results of the university.

In his speech at the opening ceremony, UM Rector Yonghua Song said that the university in recent years has been optimising its disciplinary layout and academic programmes and has stepped up efforts to promote interdisciplinary research between different fields of arts (including humanities and social sciences) and science (including engineering and medicine). By creating and enhancing interdisciplinary programmes and establishing interdisciplinary research platforms, the university aims to foster innovation in teaching and research. In addition, the university has launched programmes in areas such as data science, cognitive neuroscience, artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, biomedical sciences, and public health, with the goal of promoting economic diversification of Macao and supporting the development of emerging industries. Through interdisciplinary integration, the university strives to nurture high-calibre interdisciplinary professionals required by the high-tech industry.

During the Open Day, students, parents, and friends from Macao, other parts of China, and overseas visited UM’s faculties, residential colleges, laboratories, and library virtually. They joined the online opening ceremony; various admission talks, programme consultations, academic/science talks, and exhibitions, including ‘Interactive Area for Information about Admission and Residential Colleges’, ‘Blockchain and Financial Technology’, ‘Moot Court’, ‘What is Carbon Neutral? How to Realise it?’, ‘Model Organism Science Exhibition and Games’, ‘How to Choose Your University Major’, ‘Intelligent Disinfection Robot Exhibition’, and ‘What is Sociology?’; as well as online tours of the UM campus, among other activities. With a number of live streaming events, the Open Day showcased UM’s achievements in teaching and research and gave the public a peek into the educational features and campus facilities of the university. During the admission talks, students and parents were able to interact directly with UM representatives to acquire first-hand information on academic programmes and admission, and received instantaneous answers to their questions.

For more information about the online UM Open Day, please visit https://openday.um.edu.mo/en/

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/54989/

UM signs MOU with Renmin University of China and holds plaque presentation ceremony for two academic alliances

A delegation from the Renmin University of China (RUC), led by its Party Secretary Zhang Donggang, visited the University of Macau (UM) and was warmly received by UM Acting Rector Michael Hui. During the visit, both parties signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on collaboration in education and science. A plaque presentation ceremony was also held for UM’s participation in two alliances initiated by RUC, namely the Academic Association for International Cultural Exchange and the Social Sciences Universities Network. Both universities aim to deepen collaboration and combine resources to promote higher education development in Beijing and Macao, as well as contribute to international cultural exchange and the global development of humanities and social sciences.

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/54988/

UM scholar elected fellow of Royal Society of Biology

Chen Xiuping, professor in the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS) of the University of Macau (UM), has been elected fellow of the Royal Society of Biology for his distinguished contributions to the field of biomedical sciences. The achievement of fellow status of Prof Chen is also testament to the leading role of the ICMS in driving innovations and generating impactful research results recognised by the international academia.

As one of the most influential biological organisations in the world, the Royal Society of Biology is committed to promoting educational and academic activities related to life sciences, as well as the development of biotechnology. The society awards fellowships every year to influential scientists with outstanding contributions to their fields of research or to society around the globe.

Prof Chen has been dedicated to pharmacology research for years, with a focus on the development of new drugs for the treatment of cancer, inflammatory, and cardiovascular diseases. He proposed a novel non-apoptotic programmed cell death method, Noptosis, which has opened up a new subfield in the research of programmed cell death. Prof Chen is ranked No 53 among the 175 top scholars in the pharmaceutical discipline in China by Elsevier and No 64 among the top 100 pharmaceutical leaders of China in the Global Scholars Database in 2022. He has published more than 150 SCI papers in top pharmacological journals such as the British Journal of Pharmacology, Medicinal Research Reviews, and Pharmacology & Therapeutics, with more than 11,000 citations and an h-index of 57. In 2013, Prof Chen received the SERVIER Young Pharmacologist Award from the 17^th Chinese Pharmacological Society. He has been awarded three projects from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and a number of projects from the Macao Science and Technology Development Fund. In addition, Prof Chen is a project reviewer for NSFC and the Hong Kong Research Grants Council, as well as a council member of the Chinese Pharmacological Society.

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/54963/