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/

UM research team proposes new approach to treating muscle atrophy

A research team led by Kathy Luo Qian, professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) at the University of Macau (UM), has developed new models of muscle atrophy using sensor zebrafish. The study shows that atrophied muscles can improve overall muscle mass and strength by increasing the size of individual muscle cells, ultimately improving patients’ mobility and health. These findings offer new insights and ideas for the treatment of muscle atrophy. The research has been published in the internationally renowned journal Advanced Science.

Muscle atrophy can occur as a result of a number of conditions, including aging, prolonged bed rest, starvation, nerve injury, or diseases such as cancer, leading to reduced mobility. Over the past few decades, many methods have been used to treat muscle atrophy, including exercise, electrical stimulation, ultrasound therapy, and nutritional therapy. However, the results of these methods are not satisfactory. In muscle atrophy, the reduction in muscle mass can be attributed to either the death of muscle cells or the shrinkage of individual muscle fibres. Understanding this is therefore crucial to the treatment of diseases associated with muscle atrophy and to improving health outcomes.

To accurately detect muscle cell apoptosis, the research team developed a method for real-time tracking of muscle cell apoptosis in live zebrafish. They specifically expressed a genetically encoded fluorescent protein sensor in the muscle tissues of zebrafish. The sensor emits green fluorescence in live cells and blue fluorescence in apoptotic cells. Using these sensor zebrafish, the team found that in starvation-induced muscle atrophy, muscle cells shrank significantly but did not die. These atrophied muscle cells survived by engulfing their own cellular components, a process known as autophagy. When the zebrafish were refed, the autophagic vacuoles disappeared, indicating that muscle atrophy is reversible.

Zebrafish typically live for three to five years. To study aging-induced muscle atrophy, the research team followed zebrafish with fluorescent sensors for five years. They found that in aged zebrafish with muscle atrophy, muscle cells remained viable despite a 57% reduction in diameter. Gene expression analysis revealed a significant downregulation of apoptosis-related genes and an upregulation of autophagy-related genes.

The study found that in muscle atrophy caused by starvation and aging, muscle cells do not die but remain alive through autophagy. It also suggests that increasing the size of individual muscle cells can increase overall muscle mass and strength, ultimately improving patients’ mobility and health.

Prof Luo is the corresponding author of this study, and Jia Hao, a postdoctoral researcher in FHS, is the first author. PhD graduates Wu Renfei and Yang Hongmei also contributed to the research. The study received important support from the Animal Research Core and the Biological Imaging and Stem Cell Core of FHS. The research was funded by UM (File No.: MYRG2020-00121-FHS and MYRG2022-00025-FHS), the Science and Technology Development Fund of the Macao SAR (File No.: 0147/2020/A3, 044/2021/APD, and 0004/2021/AKP), and the Ministry of Education Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, UM (File No.: SP2021-00001-FSCPO and SP2023-00001-FSCPO). The full text of the research article is available at https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/advs.202416811.

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/60751/

Delegations from leading mainland universities visit UM to explore new cooperation opportunities

Delegations from a number of leading universities in mainland China visited the University of Macau (UM), including UM’s strategic partners such as Peking University and Tsinghua University, as well as partner institutions from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance, the Jiangsu-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance, and the Shandong-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance for Innovation. UM representatives had in-depth discussions with each delegation to explore new opportunities for future development and deepen cooperation with the mainland universities.

Fang Fang, vice president of Peking University, led a delegation to visit the Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences and the Ministry of Education Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, UM. Yang Bin, vice president of Tsinghua University, led a delegation to visit the residential colleges. Zhou Zhi-Hua, vice president of Nanjing University, delivered a speech as part of UM’s University Lecture Series. Zhou Jianghong, vice president of Zhejiang University, led a delegation to visit the State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City. Shan Zhiwei, vice president of Xi’an Jiaotong University, led a delegation to visit the Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering. During their visits to the University Gallery and meetings with UM Rector Yonghua Song, the members of each delegation gained insights into UM’s achievements in research and innovation, talent cultivation, and international development, as well as the university’s development plan for the UM campus in the Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. They all spoke highly of UM’s campus development and academic and research achievements. They also expressed hope to further strengthen their strategic partnership with UM.

Li Shucai, president of Shandong University, and his delegation had in-depth discussions with the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, with the hope of strengthening cooperation in the field of pharmacy. Zhang Junfeng, president of Ocean University of China, led a delegation to visit the State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City and the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine. Zhang expressed hope that the two universities will continue to promote cooperation in ocean research under the China-Portuguese Speaking Countries Ocean Research Alliance, so as to contribute to ocean research between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. Jiang Hong, secretary of the Party Committee of Southern University of Science and Technology, led a delegation to visit the UM Wu Yee Sun Library. Jiang expressed hope that the two universities will continue to strengthen their strategic partnership, especially in joint training of talent, to build the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area into a hub for high-calibre talent.

In addition, UM, in collaboration with South China Agricultural University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and City University of Hong Kong, established the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau University Joint Laboratory of Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, with a plaque unveiling ceremony held during the visit of Xue Hongwei, president of South China Agricultural University, to UM. Li Kejian, president of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Yao Hequan, vice president of China Pharmaceutical University, led their respective delegations to visit the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences and held in-depth discussions with UM representatives on further cooperation in Chinese medicine. Zhu Shiping, vice president of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), led a delegation to visit UM and gained insights into the university’s campus development and recent development.

All the delegations look forward to fostering deeper cooperation with UM, especially in seizing the development opportunities presented by the UM campus in the Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. Together with UM, they aim to promote the development of higher education in China, produce more research achievements and cultivate more outstanding talent for the country, and contribute to the establishment of an international centre for innovation and technology and an international hub for high-calibre talent, thereby promoting the development of world-class universities with Chinese characteristics.

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/60731/

UM receives donation from Dr. Stanley Ho Medical Development Foundation for AI development

Following the donation of MOP 10 million to establish the ‘Set Sail for New Horizons, Create the Future’ Grant in 2021, which aims to support researchers at the University of Macau (UM) in their scientific pursuits and international exchanges, the Dr. Stanley Ho Medical Development Foundation has made a further donation of MOP 10 million this year to support the university in conducting research on artificial intelligence (AI) applications to further drive innovation and development in related fields.

The signing ceremony of the donation agreement was held at UM. Yonghua Song, rector of UM, Lau Veng Lin, chair of the Executive Committee of the University of Macau Development Foundation (UMDF), and Huen Wing Ming Patrick, chairman of the Board of Trustees and the Board of Directors of the foundation, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective parties, under the witness of Lam Kam Seng Peter, chair of the Trustees Committee of UMDF, and Tse Chi Wai Daniel, vice chair of the Trustees Committee of UMDF.

Rector Song thanked the foundation for its long-standing support of UM. The university will leverage its strengths to advance the research, application, and popularisation of AI, enhance the role of AI in promoting frontier science and interdisciplinary research, continuously improve its research and innovation capabilities, and provide solid support for social progress and technological development.

Also present at the ceremony were Rui Martins, Ge Wei, and Mok Kai Meng, vice rectors of UM; Leung Kai Chun Chris, secretary of the University Council of UM; Carol Wong, director of the Rector’s Office of UM; Cindy Lam, director of the Alumni and Development Office of UM; members of the Trustees Committee of UMDF; and members of the Dr. Stanley Ho Medical Development Foundation.

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/60718/

UM Career and Internship Fair offers over 3,000 job opportunities

The University of Macau (UM) held the Career and Internship Fair 2025 today (26 March). More than 110 companies and organisations from different sectors in Macao and other cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area participated in the fair, offering over 3,000 job opportunities. The university also organised a series of career guidance activities to help graduating students find jobs.

Speaking at the event, UM Vice Rector Mok Kai Meng thanked the participating companies and organisations for their continued support of UM and their recognition of UM graduates. He encouraged the students to seize the opportunities presented by the development of Macao and Hengqin and industrial transformation, to uphold and carry forward UM’s motto ‘Humanity, Integrity, Propriety, Wisdom, and Sincerity’, and to pursue their goals and aspirations with innovative thinking and professionalism.

Lao Pak Fai, a fourth-year student in the Faculty of Business Administration at UM, said that the Career and Internship Fair offered job opportunities in a variety of sectors, including those provided by companies in the Greater Bay Area. He believes that the fair can help students plan their future development. Mio Weng Kei, a fourth-year student in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at UM, said that she had attended recruitment talks and workshops organised by UM before looking for a job. She agrees that these activities have helped her improve her job hunting skills and gain confidence in her job search.

According to UM’s Further Studies and Employment Survey of 2023/2024 Graduates, nearly 85% of graduates secured employment or pursued further studies within three months of graduation. The median monthly income of employed graduates is MOP 15,000. In terms of employment distribution, the top five sectors are education (20%), hotel and catering (18.2%), banking, finance and insurance (9.9%), trade, wholesale and retail (9.6%), and entertainment and gaming (7.9%). Graduates who pursued further studies attended prestigious institutions such as the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, University College London, the University of California, Berkeley, Columbia University, the University of Melbourne, the University of Sydney, the University of New South Wales, the National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Peking University, Tsinghua University, and the University of Hong Kong.

The Career and Internship Fair is an annual recruitment event at UM that aims to help graduating students seek job opportunities and provide a platform for current students to find summer internships. This year’s fair offered job vacancies in different sectors, including banking and finance, information technology, hospitality and tourism, and retail and trade, enabling UM students from different academic backgrounds to secure job offers that align with their qualifications. In addition, UM organised a series of career guidance activities, such as recruitment talks, career training workshops, ‘Resume Clinic’, and mock interview sessions, to help graduating students hone their job hunting and interview skills.

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/60709/

13th CPPCC National Committee Vice-chairperson and China Soong Ching Ling Foundation Chairperson Li Bin visits UM

A delegation, including Li Bin, vice-chairperson of the National Committee of the 13th Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and chairperson of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation, visited the University of Macau (UM) on 21 March 2025 and was warmly received by UM Rector Yonghua Song. Li gave full recognition of UM’s development and expressed hope that the university will produce more research results and nurture more outstanding talent.

Song expressed gratitude for the country’s continued support of UM, and gave the delegation a detailed overview of the university’s current development and the vision for the UM campus in the Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. He also highlighted UM’s commitment to nurturing talent who love the country and Macao and building China into a leading country in education.

The delegation also visited the University Gallery, the Rare Book Collection Room of the Wu Yee Sun Library, and the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine to gain insight into UM’s latest achievements, talent cultivation, research advancements, and the construction of the UM campus in the Cooperation Zone in Hengqin.

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/60693/