Members of UM and Peking University join exchange programme in Macao

A delegation of students and faculty from Yuanpei College of Peking University visited Cheng Yu Tung College (CYTC) of the University of Macau (UM). Members of the two colleges participated in a series of exchange activities under the theme of ‘A Historical and Cultural Journey to Macao’, including lectures, visits, and workshops. The activities aimed to promote exchanges and mutual understanding between members of both parties, enhance academic exchanges, and improve their understanding of Macao’s history and culture.

The delegation was led by Sun Feiyu, vice dean of Yuanpei College, and Liu Rui, a representative from the Office of Academic Affairs of the college. The delegation expressed their gratitude to CYTC for its warm reception and arrangement. They also expressed hope that the exchange programme could deepen the friendship and cooperation between the two colleges and create more opportunities for academic exchanges for the students to pursue excellence and innovation together.

Led by UM members, the delegation visited the UM campus and learned about the university’s history and achievements in science and teaching. Members of the two colleges also shared and exchanged views on their respective special courses, college operations, and community activities, which increased their academic enthusiasm and sparked their innovative thinking. In addition, CYTC also arranged a string of exchange activities, including academic lectures, visits to famous scenic spots in Macao, as well as workshops on Macanese cuisine, Portuguese azulejos, coffee, and so on. These interesting activities gave the students of both colleges an opportunity to explore Macao’s unique cultural charm, enhance friendship, and promote mutual growth.

Wong Seng Fat, interim college master of CYTC, said that the exchange programme, which offered students more opportunities for academic development and an international exchange platform, was an important step in deepening cooperation between the two colleges. He also expressed hope that the exchange programme would enable students to inspire each other and grow together, thereby contributing to the development of the two colleges.

UM’s CYTC and Peking University’s Yuanpei College have been organising student exchange activities since 2015. The aforementioned activities are part of Yuanpei College’s return visit to CYTC, which aimed to give the members of Yuanpei College a deeper understanding of UM and Macao.

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/56505/

Delegation from CPPCC Shanghai Municipal Committee visits UM

A delegation led by Zhang Endi, vice chairman of the Shanghai Municipal Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), visited the University of Macau (UM) and was warmly received by Rector Yonghua Song and Vice Rector Claudia Xu. At the University Gallery, Song introduced to the guests the university’s history, developments, and its four unique advantages. The delegation presented 100 books to the UM library. Currently, the ‘Window of Shanghai’ exhibition area of the UM Library has received over 600 books from Shanghai.

During the visit, the delegation also learned about the university’s efforts in the areas of sustainable smart city development, smart transformation and technological innovation, as well as the innovative research and development of Chinese medicine and the commercialisation of the relevant research results. Zhang praised UM for its achievements and expressed hope that the university would strengthen its cooperation with Shanghai universities and businesses to promote exchanges between Shanghai and Macao.

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/56411/

UM recruits new batch of top international scholars

The University of Macau (UM) today (23 August) held the Welcome Reception and Orientation for New Academic Staff 2023/2024 to welcome a new batch of faculty members. As UM’s international reputation and influence continue to grow, more and more of the world’s outstanding academic staff are joining the university. For the new academic year, the university has recruited 71 top scholars from around the world.

The new academic staff include outstanding young scholars and internationally renowned academics. They come from a variety of cultural backgrounds. Some were born and raised in Macao, and some come from overseas. They are engaged in cutting-edge research in various fields, including different disciplines of humanities and social sciences, neurobiology, optoelectronics, smart construction, and big data analysis. Many of the new faculty members are top-notch professionals from their respective disciplines, such as Li Jun, chair professor and head of the Department of Arts and Design in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities (FAH); Zhang Jian, chair professor in the Department of Chinese Language and Literature in the FAH; Gui Changfeng, chair professor and head of the Department of Mathematics in the Faculty of Science and Technology; Zhang Wenyang, chair professor in the Department of Accounting and Information Management in the Faculty of Business Administration (FBA); Wong Ip Kin, professor in the Department of Integrated Resort and Tourism Management in the FBA; Sun Handong, Distinguished Professor at the Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering; and Liu Xinsheng, professor in the Department of Government and Public Administration in the Faculty of Social Sciences.

In addition, many of the new academic staff are graduates of world-renowned universities, such as Harvard University, University of Cambridge, Columbia University, ETH Zurich, Tsinghua University, Peking University, National University of Singapore, University of Hong Kong, University of California San Diego, Chinese University of Hong Kong, and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. They are expected to bring more diverse and international perspectives and experiences, which will help UM produce more outstanding graduates and take its teaching and research to new heights.

At the event, UM Rector Yonghua Song said that positioning itself as a university firmly rooted in Macao, UM will continue to take part in the development of the Greater Bay Area, integrate into national development, and reach out to the world. The university will continue its commitment to providing high-quality education and advancing key research initiatives with international influence. He also wished the new faculty members a fruitful academic life and happiness at UM. In addition, UM Vice Rectors Michael Hui, Ge Wei, Mok Kai Meng, and Claudia Xu, along with Wang Ruibing, director of the Global Affairs Office, and Victoria Lei, representative of the Committee on Gender Equity and associate professor in the FAH, shared the university’s latest developments in academic, research, student affairs, administration, and global affairs, as well as the university’s initiatives for gender equity, respectively.

In the future, UM will continue its efforts to cultivate and recruit high-calibre talent, and create favourable working conditions for its faculty members to help them leverage their strengths and achieve academic breakthroughs. By developing a faculty with international influence, the university aims to make greater contributions to Macao’s education and social development.

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/56337/

Nobel laureate Shuji Nakamura shares background story and development of LED with UM members

The University of Macau (UM) today (2 August) held a Doctor honoris causa Lecture, with Prof Shuji Nakamura, who received a Doctor of Science honoris causa degree from UM in 2020 and the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics, as the keynote speaker. Prof Nakamura gave a talk titled ‘Background Story and Development of High Efficiency Blue InGaN LEDs and Laser Diodes’, and shared with UM members his experience in the invention of high efficiency blue LEDs and laser diodes, as well as his perspectives on their future applications. He also met with UM’s management and researchers to discuss the development of cutting-edge research.

Vice Rector Michael Hui, representing the rector of UM, said in his speech that Prof Nakamura is a pioneer of sustainable energy technology and a great physicist of solid-state materials. He, along with two other scientists, were awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for the invention of high efficiency blue LEDs. Another accomplishment of Prof Nakamura is the development of blue laser diodes, which led to its significant application in data storage. His inventions have not only revolutionised the lighting industry, but have also made a significant contribution to human well-being. UM is committed to promoting research development, and its Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering (IAPME), which places equal emphasis on infrastructure and applied research, aims to develop real-world solutions to future technological challenges. One of IAPME’s core research areas is optoelectronic materials and devices, which is in line with the theme of the talk.

During the talk, Prof Nakamura shared his experience and explained how, despite limited resources, he broke away from traditional and conventional thinking and chose the gallium nitride system as his research direction, which led to breakthroughs in the field of LEDs and blue and green semiconductor lasers, and contributed greatly to society’s advancement. He also shared his perspectives on the future applications of LEDs and laser diodes. In terms of intelligent lighting, both can be used in agriculture and gardening, artistic decoration, vehicle, interior lighting, and more. In terms of display technology, they can be used for virtual reality and augmented reality. In terms of communication, they can be used for wireless communication, underwater communication, and satellite communication. The Q&A and exchange session was moderated by Sun Handong, Distinguished Professor in the IAPME. Prof Nakamura encouraged young people to develop innovative thinking, to think outside the box when choosing research direction, and to dare to take a research path different from others.

After the talk, Prof Nakamura visited UM’s research facilities, including the State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City, the IAPME, and the library. He exchanged views with the management and researchers of the university and learned about UM’s latest developments in academic layout, research layout, and industry-academia collaboration. He praised the university for its research achievements in the fields of photovoltaic materials and devices as well as luminescent materials and devices, and had discussions with UM researchers on topics such as the development of disciplines and future planning, hoping that the two sides will strengthen exchanges and cooperation, make full use of their strengths, and jointly contribute to the development of applied physics and materials science.

Prof Nakamura is currently the research director of Solid State Lighting and Energy Electronics Center and the Cree professor in Solid State Lighting and Display at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He received the 2006 Millennium Technology Prize for his invention of revolutionary new energy-saving light sources and the 2014 Nobel Prize in Physics for his invention of high efficiency blue LEDs. He also received a Doctor of Science honoris causa degree from UM in 2020.

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/56174/

Congratulations to UM student Wong Sam In on winning Macao’s first gold at World University Games

Wong Sam In, a student from the University of Macau (UM), won a gold and a bronze medal in the women’s Nanquan and Nandao of the Wushu event respectively at the 31st FISU World University Games in Chengdu, Sichuan. They are the first gold medal and the first medal for the Macao delegation at this year’s event. UM expressed congratulations to the athlete on her outstanding performance, which earned international honours for Macao and the university. Ao Ieong U, secretary for social affairs and culture of the Macao SAR government, sent her congratulations to the athlete. She also praised student athletes in Macao’s higher education institutions for their perseverance and expressed hope that they will achieve good results while enjoying the competition. Yonghua Song, rector of UM, said that Wong’s outstanding performance is the pride of UM and the glory of Macao, adding that the university will continue to support students’ development in sports and sports science research. Wong is a fourth year student in the Department of Computer and Information Science of the Faculty of Science and Technology. She expressed her gratitude to UM for its support in both academics and sports, which has enabled her to cultivate creative thinking in her academic studies and pursue her dreams in martial arts.

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/56165/

UM Rector Yonghua Song attends World University Games Opening and visits Sichuan University

Yonghua Song, rector of the University of Macau (UM), attended the opening ceremony of the 31st FISU World University Games and the FISU World Conference in Chengdu, Sichuan. UM sent 25 students to participate in seven sports events, including badminton, taekwondo, and table tennis. UM student Wong Sam In won a gold and a bronze medal in the women’s Nanquan and Nandao of the Wushu event respectively, which are the first gold medal and the first medal for the Macao delegation at this year’s event. Song congratulated the UM students of the Macao delegation for their achievements. He also stressed that the university will continue to support students’ development in sports and sports science research and contribute to building China into a sporting power and an education power.

During his time in Chengdu, Song also visited Sichuan University and had a discussion with its president Wang Jinsong on strengthening cooperation between the two universities in teaching, research, and talent cultivation. Wang spoke highly of UM’s development and achievements in recent years. He also expressed hope that the two universities could make full use of their respective strengths to achieve win-win cooperation and more fruitful results.

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/56154/

UM holds Macao Qi-Huang Scholar Forum

The University of Macau (UM) held the Macao Qi-Huang Scholar Forum 2023, with the aim of implementing the Macao SAR government’s ‘1+4’ strategy for economic diversification and promoting the development of the Chinese medicine industry in Macao. During the forum, experts and scholars had discussions on the adoption of an evidence-based evaluation system that combines Chinese medicine theory, human experience, and clinical trials to comprehensively assess the safety, efficacy, and quality control of Chinese medicine. At the event, Wang Qi, member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and national medicine master, presented a plaque written by him to the forum. The overseas liaison office of Wang Qi College was also inaugurated.

During the opening ceremony, Wang gave a speech on the status and role of Macao in the development of Chinese medicine in the country. He pointed out that Macao has three characteristics: first, Macao has close connections with the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin and the Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Industrial Park of Cooperation between Guangdong and Macao, and has the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine; second, Macao serves as a platform for cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries as well as a bridge between Chinese and Western civilisations; third, Macao has a deep foundation in the culture of Chinese medicine and can develop Chinese medicine with modern science. Followed by the opening ceremony were presentations given by local and mainland experts and scholars.

Guests attending the opening ceremony included government officials, representatives of local higher education institutions, UM scholars, and industry representatives. Chinese medicine practitioners from Wang Qi College, Qi-Huang scholars, students and scholars from Macao, students and faculty members of UM’s Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, and members of the Macau Chinese Traditional Chinese Medicine Association attended the forum.

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/56006/