A delegation led by Wu Weibin, party secretary and director of the Human Resources and Social Security Department of Zhejiang Province and director of Zhejiang Provincial Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, visited the University of Macau (UM) and was warmly received by UM Rector Yonghua Song.

During the meeting, Song said that UM is committed to nurturing talent who love the country and Macao to help the Macao SAR promote economic diversification and contribute to the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. He expressed hope that, by building on the close relationship between Zhejiang and Macao, young people of the two places will engage in deeper exchanges and integrate into national development. In addition, the Zhejiang delegation had in-depth discussions and exchanges with Mok Kai Meng, vice rector of UM and interim college master of Henry Fok Pearl Jubilee College, and Pang Chap Chong, dean of students, on the development of residential colleges and student affairs. Members of the delegation spoke highly of the efforts made by UM in related areas.

The presentation ceremony of the book series A Comprehensive Collection of Ancient Chinese Paintings and the inauguration of an exhibition on Song dynasty paintings were held at the Exhibition Hall of the University of Macau (UM) Wu Yee Sun Library today (13 March).

At the book presentation ceremony, Zhao Cheng, member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee; Yonghua Song, rector of UM; and Zhu Hui, deputy party secretary of Zhejiang University (ZJU), delivered a speech respectively. The book series A Comprehensive Collection of Ancient Chinese Paintings, presented by ZJU to UM, is jointly compiled and published by ZJU and the Cultural Relics Bureau of Zhejiang Province. It is a national cultural project approved by President Xi Jinping when he was serving in Zhejiang, encompassing a total of 12,405 pieces (sets) of ancient Chinese paintings on paper, silk, and linen from 263 museums and cultural institutions at home and abroad. The book series is by far the most comprehensive and largest catalogue of Chinese paintings ever published.

In addition, the exhibition on Song dynasty paintings, jointly organised by the Information Office of the People’s Government of Zhejiang Province, the Department of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism of Zhejiang Province, ZJU, and UM, was inaugurated concurrently. The exhibition showcases about 80 high-fidelity reproductions of Song dynasty paintings, along with Zhejiang’s intangible cultural heritage items, including Longquan celadon, Huzhou writing brush, and Xiling seal. Interactive experiences such as Zhejiang VR, Song dynasty tea culture, and block printing are also available on site. The exhibition is open from 10:00am to 7:00pm daily, including public holidays, until 30 March 2024. Admission is free.

At the invitation of the University of Macau (UM), two-time Olympic gold medallist Huang Xu shared his experiences in gymnastics at the ‘Olympic Gold Medalists at UM’ Sharing Session. The event attracted the participation of more than 300 UM students and faculty.

During the sharing session, Huang shared with the audience his journey of recovering from injuries, triumphing over setbacks, and ultimately winning his second Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. After retiring from competitive sports, he obtained a doctoral degree from Beijing Sport University. He then embarked on his career as the deputy director of a gymnastics centre in his hometown Jiangsu, and as the team leader and coach of the provincial gymnastics team. Throughout the years, Huang has been dedicated to promoting gymnastics to the public through various initiatives. Thanks to his efforts, Jiangsu currently boasts one of the largest numbers of registered gymnasts nationwide. Huang encouraged the students to embrace failure as a stepping stone to success, to confront challenges, and to persevere in achieving their goals. In addition, he provided guidance and instruction to the UM Cheerleading Team during their training session and exchanged ideas with the team members.

A delegation led by Pal Ahluwalia, vice-chancellor and president of the University of the South Pacific (USP), visited the University of Macau (UM) and was warmly received by UM Rector Yonghua Song and Vice Rector Rui Martins. The two parties held a meeting to discuss research collaboration, student and faculty exchanges, and talent cultivation.

During the meeting, Song gave the delegation an overview of UM’s history and development. He said that UM has been committed to enhancing its level of internationalisation and expanding its cooperation with world-renowned universities, while actively supporting the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and nurturing talent for China and the international community. Ahluwalia said that USP has been working closely with universities in Australia and New Zealand, and has expanded its cooperation network in the Asia-Pacific region in recent years. He looks forward to establishing research cooperation with UM in fields such as ocean sciences and business, and student exchanges. In addition, the delegation visited the Rare Book Collection Room and the Museum of Art of UM Library to learn about the university’s rare book research and management. Ahluwalia spoke highly of UM’s research development and talent cultivation.

Students of the 2021 intake of the Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) programme at the University of Macau (UM) attended a residential workshop titled ‘Achieving a Resilient and Sustainable Future’ in Singapore. The workshop was jointly organised by the DBA programme and the wealth management team of China International Capital Corporation Limited (CICC). During the one-week workshop, the students visited several top universities and enterprises, including Fullerton Fund Management Company Ltd, Singapore Exchange, China International Capital Corporation (Singapore) Pte Ltd (CICC Singapore), Sembcorp, Google headquarters in Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, and Singapore Management University. The workshop enabled the students to learn about the latest developments and practices of leading international organisations in environmental protection, social responsibility, and corporate governance (ESG). They also gained deeper insights into how outstanding entrepreneurs develop sustainable corporate strategies and business models while achieving resilient growth.

The University of Macau (UM), at the invitation of Zhejiang University (ZJU), held a Chinese music concert jointly with Tsinghua University, Peking University (PKU), and ZJU. The concert aimed to implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, and to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the National People’s Congress, the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and the 25th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland.

Held at the Beijing Concert Hall, the concert brought together more than 180 performers from the four universities’ ensembles, including Chinese students and international students from Malaysia, Singapore, the United States, and South Korea. They presented a repertoire of eight folk music pieces featuring Chinese string, woodwind, and percussion instruments and won rounds of applause. Yan Tong, president of UM Chinese Orchestra (UMCO) and section head of ruan (a Chinese plucked string instrument), said that the concert was a valuable and memorable experience, which enabled students from the four universities to develop friendships and promote cultural exchanges. Fong Hio Tong, section head of suona (a Chinese double-reeded instrument), said that the concert allowed UMCO members to interact with students from different universities and she looked forward to taking part in more exchange activities.

The Faculty of Law (FLL) of the University of Macau (UM) and the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon (ULisboa) jointly held a seminar to commemorate the 31st anniversary of the promulgation of the Basic Law of the Macao SAR. Experts and scholars in the legal sector presented papers on legal developments in Macao and Portugal.

In his speech, Tong Io Cheng, dean of FLL, said that UM is committed to nurturing bilingual legal professionals and talent for the governance of Macao, as well as developing Macao into a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. He expressed that the two universities will strengthen their exchanges and organise more similar academic exchange activities. Speaking at the event, Fernando Loureiro Bastos, professor and president of the Institute of Legal Cooperation of ULisboa’s Faculty of Law, said that with the centuries-old historical and cultural relationships between Macao and Portugal, as well as the comparability between their legal systems, the event was significant for both universities. During the seminar, experts and scholars gave presentations on various legal topics. Participants agreed that the promulgation of the Basic Law has played a crucial role in ensuring the prosperity and stability of the Macao SAR. They also believed that cooperation between the two universities will have a positive effect on the promotion of the relationship between Macao and Portugal and the establishment of a model for regional cooperation.

A delegation led by Yang Zhongmin, president of South China Normal University (SCNU), visited the University of Macau (UM) and was warmly received by UM Rector Yonghua Song. The two parties engaged in in-depth discussions and exchanges, with a view to jointly promoting the development of higher education in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and fostering cooperation in teacher training between the two universities.

Song said that with the development positioning of ‘being firmly rooted in Macao, jointly developing the Greater Bay Area, integrating with the nation, and going global’, UM is committed to nurturing talent who love the country and Macao and facilitating the development of the Greater Bay Area. He expressed hope that UM and SCNU will continue to leverage their complementary advantages to jointly promote deeper cooperation in various fields, particularly in teaching training, and to foster closer exchanges between the members of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance. During the visit, the delegation also engaged in in-depth discussions and exchanges with Michael Hui, vice rector of UM and interim dean of the Faculty of Education (FED), and other FED representatives on fostering cooperation in teacher training between the two universities.

The 10th Cambridge Librarians’ Day Forum, jointly organised by the University of Macau Library and Cambridge University Press, was held at the University of Macau (UM). The event brought together more than 70 librarians and experts from Singapore, Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan regions to discuss library development and other topics.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Rui Martins, vice rector of UM, gave an overview of the achievements of UM and UM Library in recent years. He expressed hope that the forum and related discussions could inject new impetus into library transformation and innovation. Chris Bennett, commercial director of Cambridge University Press, expressed gratitude to UM for its assistance in hosting the forum. He emphasised the importance of libraries in higher education and research, and looked forward to achieving a win-win situation for universities, researchers, and publishers by promoting more open research and high-quality publications.

The theme of the forum was ‘The Future of Research and Learning: Influence, User Support, and Opportunities in AI’. During the forum, attendees from various places explored how to meet the needs of future researchers and learners by increasing influence, supporting users, and identifying opportunities in the field of artificial intelligence. Wu Jianzhong, university librarian of UM, and Adam Der, head of Scientific Information Provision of Max Planck Digital Library in Germany, delivered keynote speeches on how academic libraries and research institutions can support open research, and the opportunities and challenges involved in open research transformation. The sharing of the two speakers attracted great attention from the attendees, who expressed appreciation for the work and efforts of the speakers’ respective institutions.

In addition, Caroline Black, publishing director of science, technology, and medicine journals of Cambridge University Press; Priscilla Pun, functional head of the Technical Process Unit of UM Library; Flora Ng, university librarian of the University of Hong Kong; and Xu Lifang, director of the Digital Publishing Institute of Wuhan University, and other experts engaged in in-depth discussions on transformative agreements for open access, covering various aspects such as development status, individual experiences, business models, problems and challenges, and possible solutions.