UM releases revised macroeconomic forecast for Macao 2025

Based on the latest data released by the Macao SAR Government, the Centre for Macau Studies (CMS) and the Department of Economics of the University of Macau (UM) have revised the macroeconomic forecast for Macao 2025. The research team has adjusted Macao’s baseline GDP growth in 2025 downwards to 6.8%; while the baseline forecasts for other major economic variables are: exports of services will grow by 6.8%; private consumption expenditure will increase by 3.8%; the CPI inflation rate will be 0.7%; the overall unemployment rate will be 1.7%; the unemployment rate of Macao residents will be 2.3%; and the Macao SAR Government’s current revenue will be MOP 116.8 billion.

Visitor arrivals gradually recovered to normal levels in the post-pandemic period. The pace of recovery was still good in the first quarter of 2024, but began to slow in the second quarter. The total number of visitor arrivals in the fourth quarter was 9.01 million, an increase of only 8.7% on the previous year. Among them, the number of visitor arrivals from mainland China reached 6.27 million, up 10.4% year-on-year; the number of visitor arrivals from Hong Kong was 1.78 million, down 3.2% year-on-year; and the number of visitor arrivals from other regions was 0.96 million, up 24.9% year-on-year. In 2025, the total number of visitor arrivals in the first two months was 6.79 million, up 10.4% year-on-year. Among them, the number of visitor arrivals from mainland China was 5.04 million, up 11.9% year-on-year; the number of visitor arrivals from Hong Kong was 1.16 million, up 0.2% year-on-year; and the number of visitor arrivals from other regions was 0.59 million, up 20.1% year-on-year.

Due to the slowdown in the growth of visitor arrivals, real exports of services in the fourth quarter of 2024 were MOP 76.0 billion, an increase of 2.1% year-on-year. Among them, real gaming expenditure of non-residents was MOP 44.4 billion, an increase of 4.3% year-on-year; while real non-gaming expenditure of non-residents was MOP 22.0 billion, a decrease of 6.0% year-on-year. For the whole year of 2024, real exports of services were MOP 299.2 billion, an increase of 9.2% year-on-year, of which real gaming expenditure of non-residents was MOP 177.1 billion, an increase of 21.8% year-on-year; while real non-gaming expenditure of non-residents was MOP 87.1 billion, a decrease of 6.1% year-on-year.

In terms of domestic demand, both private consumption and investment were stable. In terms of private consumption, real private consumption expenditure in the fourth quarter of 2024 amounted to MOP 30 billion, an increase of 2.9% year-on-year. Among them, the growth of real consumption expenditure abroad showed a promising increase of 4.7% year-on-year; while the real consumption expenditure on consumer goods was weaker, decreasing by 3.0% year-on-year. For the whole year of 2024, real private consumption expenditure was MOP 116.9 billion, up 4.9% year-on-year. In terms of investment, gross fixed capital formation in the fourth quarter of 2024 was MOP 14.9 billion, down 0.2% year-on-year; while gross fixed capital formation for the whole year of 2024 was MOP 56.5 billion, up 4.6% year-on-year.

Overall, Macao’s GDP grew rapidly in the first quarter of 2024, rising by 23.0% year-on-year. The pace of growth then gradually slowed in the following quarters, with growth of 7.1% in the second quarter, 3.8% in the third quarter, and only 3.4% in the fourth quarter. For the year as a whole, Macao’s GDP grew by 8.8%.

Prices remained stable, with a CPI inflation rate of only 0.7% in 2024. Food and non-alcoholic beverages, the largest component, had an inflation rate of 1.1%; while housing and fuel, the second largest component, had an inflation rate of 0.5%. In the first two months of 2025, the overall inflation rate was 0.2%, with food and non-alcoholic beverages at 0.8%, and housing and fuel at 0.3%.

The labour market remains tight, with the unemployment rate held at a low level. From the second to the fourth quarter of 2024, the overall unemployment rate was 1.7%, while the unemployment rate of Macao residents was 2.3%. Employment earnings saw an increase. The overall median monthly employment earnings reached MOP 18,000 in the fourth quarter of 2024, which was higher than MOP 17,600 in the same period in 2023. The median monthly employment earnings of Macao residents was MOP 20,500, which was also higher than MOP 20,000 in the same period in 2023.

Since taking office in mid-January this year, the Trump administration has implemented a number of tariffs and trade protection measures, leading to volatility in global trade. This has also created potential inflationary pressures in the US, making it difficult to lower interest rates, which has had a negative impact on global economic growth. The US government’s tariff measures target countries around the world, but many of its trade policies target China. In addition, mainland China is experiencing a slowdown in growth due to structural adjustments, and how it responds to this will have a significant bearing on its economic growth in the near future. Mainland China is the main market for Macao’s exports of services and its economy will have a direct impact on Macao’s economic growth. As various unstable factors continue to affect Macao’s economic growth, the research team has revised the baseline forecasts for major economic variables for 2025:

• Macao’s GDP will grow by 6.8%.
• Exports of services will grow by 6.8%.
• Private consumption expenditure will increase by 3.8%.
• Gross fixed capital formation will increase by 2.9%.
• The inflation rate (measured by the GDP deflator) will be 0.2%, and the CPI inflation rate will be 0.7%.
• Median monthly employment earnings will increase by 1.5%.
• The unemployment rate will be 1.7%, and the unemployment rate of Macao residents will be 2.3%.
• The Macao SAR Government’s current revenue will be MOP 116.8 billion.

About the Macroeconometric Structural Model of Macao

The Macroeconometric Structural Model of Macao is a quarterly simultaneous-equations econometric model which covers seven blocks of Macao’s economy: consumption, investment, external trade, prices, government, labour market, and monetary sector. It includes 87 equations and 304 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 the late Prof Sir James Mirrlees, winner of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences and honorary doctor of social sciences of the University of Macau (UM), and faculty members in the Department of Economics of UM. The research team is led by Kwan Fung, with members including Chan Chi Shing, Ho Wai Hong, and Gary Wong Ka Kei. The project is currently managed by the Centre for Macau Studies of UM.

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/60835/

President of Jinan University leads delegation to visit UM

A delegation led by Xing Feng, president of Jinan University, visited the University of Macau (UM) today (10 April). The two parties held in-depth discussions on promoting joint talent cultivation.

During the visit, Xing was accompanied by Kong Chi Meng, director of the Education and Youth Development Bureau of the Macao SAR Government, and was warmly received by Yonghua Song, rector of UM. Song highlighted UM’s commitment to nurturing talent who love the country and Macao and to contributing to the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. He expressed hope that UM and Jinan University, which have maintained a partnership for more than two decades, will continue to complement each other’s strengths, and make use of the higher education platforms such as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Universities Online Open Course Alliance to deepen cooperation in various disciplines, promote joint talent cultivation, develop the Greater Bay Area into a hub for high-calibre talent, and promote the high-quality development of higher education in the Greater Bay Area.

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/60825/

UM holds Sixth Language and Culture Day

The Faculty of Arts and Humanities (FAH) of the University of Macau (UM) held the Sixth UM Language and Culture Day on 26 March 2025. Themed ‘Cherish Mother Tongues, Embrace All Cultures’, the event aimed to promote the preservation of language and culture and bridge the gap of intercultural communication. Students and faculty from different countries and regions showcased UM’s cultural diversity through a series of performances and workshops, attracting over 200 UM members.

The Language and Culture Day is a signature event of FAH. It aims to promote the preservation of various mother tongues and develop students’ critical thinking by presenting different cultures. In his speech, Xu Jie, dean of FAH, said, ‘Macao is a natural laboratory for many languages and a living museum of multiculturalism. Cherishing our mother tongues is a way of respecting our nations. Embracing multiculturalism allows us to see the world in a multi-dimensional and dynamic way through the unique perspectives of different cultures.’

At the opening ceremony, UM students and faculty presented a cultural showcase, including performances of folk songs and pop songs, instrumental recitals, and Tai Chi demonstrations, to highlight the distinctive cultures of China, Japan, Europe and America, leaving a lasting impression on the audience. The event also featured the ‘Cultural Treasure Hunt’, various handcraft workshops, and presentations of the traditional cultures of different countries, allowing participants to experience the charm of different languages, cultures, ideas, and histories.

The opening ceremony was officiated by Yang Liu, college master of Ma Man Kei and Lo Pak Sam College; Wong Ka Ki, director of the Centre for Teaching and Learning Enhancement; and Pang Chap Chong, dean of students.

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/60826/

Founder of New Oriental to give talk on life’s challenges and opportunities at UM next Monday

The University of Macau (UM) will hold a talk titled ‘The Silver Lining of Struggle: Embracing Difficulties and Failures as Life’s Greatest Opportunities’ on 14 April (Monday) as part of the University Lecture Series and Guia Lecture. The speaker will be Yu Minhong, chairman of New Oriental Education & Technology Group and chairman and CEO of East Buy Holding Limited, who will share his personal experiences and insights on how to turn challenges into drivers of growth.

The talk will begin at 4:00pm in the Multi-function Hall, UM Guest House (N1-G014) and will be conducted in Mandarin. All are welcome to attend. To register for the talk, please visit: https://isw.um.edu.mo/evmapp/register/ULSmhyu. For enquiries, please call +853 8822 8878 or email uls@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/press-release/detail/60819/

UM establishes Greater Bay Language Circle

To advance research in neuroscience, neurolinguistics, and psycholinguistics in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Institute of Collaborative Innovation (ICI) of the University of Macau (UM) established the Greater Bay Language Circle (GBLC) and held its inaugural meeting. The meeting brought together over 40 brain and language researchers from the region to present cutting-edge research in areas ranging from the neural correlates of language processing to the cognitive mechanisms of bilingualism.

Speaking at the meeting, Andriy Myachykov, professor in the Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences of UM ICI, said that GBLC creates an important platform for interdisciplinary collaboration in language sciences in the Greater Bay Area. By bringing together experts in neurolinguistics, psycholinguistics, and cognitive neuroscience, the consortium aims to address the complex scientific questions raised by multilingual environments. Li Ping, dean of the Faculty of Humanities at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, expressed hope that GBLC will promote the development of international language sciences by bringing together researchers from different universities in the Greater Bay Area. During the meeting, attendees discussed potential collaboration in language processing research using methods such as fMRI, EEG, and MEG in the unique multilingual context of the region.

Members of GBLC include UM, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, City University of Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Hong Kong Baptist University. The consortium will pursue several strategic objectives, including facilitating research exchanges through the sharing of neuroimaging data, experimental paradigms, and computational models of language processing; supporting the development and grant application of collaborative projects in large-scale neurolinguistic research; increasing opportunities for students to receive cross-institutional training in advanced neuroscientific methods; creating a collaborative space to brainstorm innovative approaches to the study of brain and language cognition; and seeking institutional support for academic activities such as seminars on emerging neurotechnologies and visits by international experts in language neuroscience.

The vision of GBLC extends beyond basic research to include the enhancement of language education, neurocognitive rehabilitation, and the preservation of the region’s rich linguistic heritage, as well as the promotion of multilingual development in children, adults, and clinical populations. The consortium is committed to establishing the Greater Bay Area as a global hub for brain science and neurolinguistic research, leveraging the area’s linguistic diversity as a natural laboratory for the study of language and cognition.

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/60815/

CAS academician to give talk on interface mechanics and intelligence-based biomimetics at UM

The University of Macau (UM) will hold a talk titled ‘Interface Mechanics and Intelligence-Based Biomimetics’ on 11 April (Friday) as part of its University Lecture Series. The speaker will be Duan Huiling, academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Boya Chair Professor and dean of the College of Engineering at Peking University, who will discuss the integration of interface mechanics with artificial intelligence (AI) and the trends in AI development.

The talk will begin at 10:00am in the Multi-function Hall (N1-G014) of the UM Guest House, and will be conducted in Mandarin. All are welcome to attend. To register for the talk, please visit: https://isw.um.edu.mo/evmapp/register/ULShlduan. For enquiries, please call +853 8822 8878 or email uls@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/press-release/detail/60795/

UM makes new discoveries in biomimetic finger for tactile perception

A research team led by Zhou Bingpu, associate professor in the Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering (IAPME) at the University of Macau (UM), has designed a flexible tactile sensor based on the principle of electromagnetic induction. The sensor can simulate the ‘stick-slip’ phenomenon experienced when a human finger scans across a surface, providing significant insights for the design of tactile feedback systems and emerging biomimetic devices such as soft robots. The research has been published in the internationally renowned journal Advanced Materials.

In daily life, humans often scan surfaces with their fingertips to perceive basic properties such as roughness, adhesion, wetting, and friction, where the ‘stick-slip’ behaviour plays an important role. This phenomenon arises from the difference in dynamic and static friction between the skin and the surface as the finger slides over a surface, resulting in periodic tangential deformation and rapid recovery of the skin. The tactile neurons further encode this dynamic process into neural signals and transmit them to the brain. As the skin deformation during sliding is closely related to the interfacial properties, the brain can interpret the ‘stick-slip’ phenomenon based on these signals, thereby enabling the perception of surface properties. However, it remains a challenge to fully replicate the shear deformation as the fingertip scans across the surface and convert it into recognisable information.

In this study, the research team designed a novel ‘ridge-based’ flexible sandwich structure based on the principle of electromagnetic induction, which can simulate the tangential deformation and dynamic recovery process of the skin when fingertips sweep across a surface. By embedding soft magnetised materials, the dynamic deformation produces rapid changes in spatial magnetic flux, thereby exciting an induced current (pulse signals) in a flexible conductive coil to provide real-time feedback on the deformation state of the device. On one hand, the study simulated and reproduced the effects of parameters such as pressure and speed on perception during fingertip scanning. On the other hand, the research team systematically explored the intrinsic connections between the dynamic behaviour of ‘stick-slip’ and surface information such as roughness, topological structure, and surface wetting. This flexible sensing platform is not only invaluable for further understanding ‘stick-slip’ behaviour in daily life, but also has important implications for the design of tactile feedback systems and emerging biomimetic devices such as soft robots.

The corresponding author of this study is Prof Zhou, and the first author is Fang Dan, a PhD student in IAPME. The research was funded by the Science and Technology Development Fund of the Macao SAR (File No.: 0057/2023/RIB2), Department of Science and Technology of Guangdong Province (File No.: 2022A0505030024), and UM (File No.: MYRG-GRG2024-00090-IAPME). The full text of the research article is available at: https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202417867.

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/60772/

UM Macao Humanities Forum discusses literary interpretation and allegorical traditions in Chinese and Western literature

The Faculty of Arts and Humanities (FAH) of the University of Macau (UM) held the Macao Humanities Forum on 10 March 2025, where Zhang Longxi, Li De Chair Professor at Yenching Academy of Peking University and Xiaoxiang Chair Professor of Comparative Literature at Hunan Normal University, delivered a lecture titled ‘Meaning Beyond the Text and Allegorical Interpretation’. The lecture attracted a large audience of students and faculty.

Speaking at the event, Joaquim Kuong, assistant dean of FAH, highlighted Macao’s role as a hub for exchange and cooperation where Chinese culture is the mainstream and diverse cultures coexist. He noted that the theme of the forum was related to the comparison of Eastern and Western cultures and involved various disciplines of the humanities, which was in line with Macao’s important role in the cultural exchange between the East and the West. Zhang Jian, associate dean of FAH, introduced Prof Zhang Longxi’s academic background and achievements, as well as his long-standing dedication to the comparative study of Chinese and Western literature and culture. With over 20 monographs published in both Chinese and English and hundreds of academic papers, Prof Zhang Longxi is also known as ‘the ferryman between Chinese and Western cultures’. His academic journey exemplifies the perseverance of intellectuals in difficult times, and serves as an inspiration to students and faculty.

During the lecture, Prof Zhang Longxi began by discussing his motivation for writing the book A History of Chinese Literature, highlighting the historical dominance of Western literature in the global literary landscape in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He pointed out that with China’s rising global influence, international interest in Chinese literature has grown, but there remain significant gaps in its reception and interpretation. Prof Zhang also criticised the long-standing Western academic tendency to contrast Chinese and Western cultures, which often leads to an inadequate understanding of Chinese literary traditions. He noted that Western scholars often perceive traditional Chinese literature as primarily documentary, lacking the imaginative and fictional qualities central to Western literary traditions. This misconception, he argued, disregards the Chinese aesthetic ideal of ‘meaning beyond texts’. Prof Zhang then explored the philosophical roots of this concept in Confucian and Taoist thought, tracing how the scepticism of classical scholarship towards language shaped literary criticism and made ‘meaning beyond texts’ a key concern of Chinese literati. Drawing on the arguments of the Qing dynasty poet Shen Deqian, Prof Zhang pointed out that both Eastern and Western traditions recognise the role of the reader in rendering multiple interpretations. However, unlike the absolute relativism found in Western literary theory, traditional Chinese literary criticism recognises differences in the depth and quality of readers’ interpretations. By comparing Western criticism of the Homeric epics with Chinese literary criticism of the poetry of the Tang dynasty poet Li Bai, Prof Zhang highlighted the similarities between Chinese and the Western poetic criticism.

During the Q&A session, UM students and faculty engaged in in-depth discussions with Prof Zhang Longxi on issues such as whether non-phonetic writing systems can inherently avoid logocentrism and the notion of ‘deyi’ (literally, apprehending the ideas of words) in the chapter ‘External Things’ of the Zhuangzi. Prof Zhang emphasised that literary interpretation, regardless of perspective, must be grounded in the textual and historical context and supported by substantial evidence.

This was the fifth lecture of the Macao Humanities Forum for the 2024/2025 academic year. Each year, the forum invites prominent scholars in different fields of the humanities to share their latest research findings with students and faculty members in Macao. Previous lectures of the forum have covered a wide range of topics, including literature, linguistics, history, translation, and 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/60773/

New cohorts of UM Reporters and PR Student Ambassadors inaugurated

The University of Macau (UM) held the inauguration ceremony for the 13th cohort of UM Reporters and the 15th cohort of PR Student Ambassadors on 2 April 2025. This year, a total of 74 UM Reporters and PR Student Ambassadors were inaugurated, with 20 students awarded certificates as the ‘Top 10 Outstanding UM Reporters’ and ‘Top 10 Outstanding PR Student Ambassadors’. The 15th anniversary of the PR Student Ambassador Programme was also celebrated at the event, with former PR Student Ambassadors in attendance.

UM Vice Rector Mok Kai Meng, as well as heads and representatives of various faculties, residential colleges, and administrative units attended the ceremony. In his speech, Mok highlighted the long-standing efforts of the UM Reporter and PR Student Ambassador programmes in training students from different disciplines to tell UM’s good stories, and in enhancing students’ communication, teamwork, and leadership skills. He also encouraged the participating students to seize opportunities, rise to challenges, and make the most of their talents.

During the ceremony, Mok presented press passes and name badges to the new cohort of UM Reporters and PR Student Ambassadors respectively, while Katrina Cheong, director of the UM Communications Office, presented certificates to the ‘Top 10 Outstanding UM Reporters’ and ‘Top 10 Outstanding PR Student Ambassadors’. Additionally, UM Reporter Ei Thazin Tun and PR Student Ambassador Tiffany Sun also shared their experiences from the programmes.

This year also marks the 15th anniversary of the PR Student Ambassador Programme. Former PR Student Ambassadors were invited to attend the ceremony to celebrate the programme’s achievements and share their insights.

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/60766/

UM National Flag Team promotes national flag culture in local secondary school

The National Flag Team of the University of Macau (UM) held an outreach activity at Escola Keang Peng (Secondary Section) on 12 March 2025 to promote the national flag culture and foster secondary students’ affection for the country and Macao.

During the event, members of the UM National Flag Team introduced the organisational structure, responsibilities, and development of the team to the students of Keang Peng School (Secondary Section). They also explained the functions of different roles within the team, and demonstrated how to hold a sword under different drill commands, how to hold a flag, and how to raise a flag. In addition, the students from Keang Peng School (Secondary Section) had the opportunity to hold a sword and hold a flag under the guidance of the UM National Flag Team members.

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/60753/