Moon Chun Memorial College, University of Macau and Legal Affairs Committee of People’s Alliance of Macao Institution co-organised two Court Hearing Experience activities for law students between March and April 2024. The activities aimed to improve the practical ability of law students, and provide a platform for law students to interact and communicate. On 17^th April 2024, a sharing session was held for participants to report on their learning and received feedback from legal professionals including:

1. Lawyer MAK HENG IP, Director of the Legal Affairs Committee of People’s Alliance of Macao Institution
2. KIN KEI LEE, Deputy Director of the Legal Affairs Committee of People’s Alliance of Macao Institution; Senior Instructor at the Faculty of Law, University of Macau; MCM College Non-Resident Fellow
3. Lawyer WANG JING XUAN, Director of the Guangdong Yingkaibang (Hengqin) Law Firm, Guest Professor at Beijing Institute of Technology
4. Lawyer LAO CHI U

In her welcome speech, Ms. Alice Hong, Resident Fellow of MCM College stated the college’s mission is to empower students to grow and glow in the pursuit of academic achievements and career advancements. She thanked the co-organiser for sharing the same vision and providing continuous support to the college’s law students. At the sharing session, Leong Weng Lam, a year-two law student represented the group and reported on analysis of the case heard in the court, as well as this unique form of learning. In addition, the sharing session featured a number of keynote speeches and group discussions, covering key issues in the legal field, analysis of practical cases, and the development direction of the legal profession. It emphasized the importance of legal knowledge and the mission of legal practitioners in social construction. Finally, participants appreciated the greater benefit to their learning and development in the legal field.

On 18 April 2024, Moon Chun Memorial College, University of Macau held an entrepreneur seminar on the development and opportunities of convention and exhibition  in the 369 Co-op Town Ltd. Before the seminar began, Mr. Otto Ieong, CEO of 369 Co-op Town Ltd. led the participants to visit this entrepreneurial incubation base and introduced the company’s facilities and services. This seminar was hosted by Ieong and Mr. Jeff Saw, the business development director of S.O. Idea Convention and Exhibition Consulting  Ltd. was invited to share with the students his 15-year entrepreneurial experience in the conference and exhibition industry.

Saw is an alumnus of University of Macau and had studied management and marketing at the Faculty of Business Administration. When he was in college, he found that he had excellent grades and passion in marketing, so he started working in the exhibition industry after graduation. Saw has planned many exhibitions in Macau in the past to assist small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in promoting their businesses and promoting SMEs’ brand development. Participants learned how SMEs can stand out in the market and how exhibitions can promote enterprise development. He said that the government’s “1+4” moderately diversified development strategy to enhance the overall economy helps develop  the convention and exhibition industry. In addition, Macao has unique development potential in the convention and exhibition industry in the future as it serves as a platform for conventions and exhibitions in Portuguese-speaking countries.

Saw said that working in the exhibition industry requires long working hours and responding to huge customer demands within limited time. On the other hand, it has a wide network contacts and rich experience, which aids personal growth and development. He encouraged everyone to practice logical thinking, organizational skills, presentation skills, and event planning skills while studying in college, to better prepare for future entrepreneurship.

Moon Chun Memorial College, University of Macau organized a guided visit to the Loving the Country, Loving Macau Education Base for Young People and Handover Gifts Museum of Macau. The objective is to cultivate patriotic spirit and strengthen “Constitutional Law” and “Basic Law”(called two laws below). Three students from a training course in the Constitution of China and the Basic Law of Macao SAR served as docents.

Jane Chen introduced the historical background of Macao Handover and the development of the Basic Law. That was followed by Roys Lam’s explanation of Basic Law education in Macao, and the importance of Basic Law dissemination and education. Finally, Kristin Li led the participants to visit the Handover Gifts Museum of Macau and briefly introduced the exhibits. Trainees also designed some question-and-answer games related to the Basic Law, stimulating participants to think about the two laws.

On 12 April 2024, Moon Chun Memorial College, University of Macau (UM) held a school tour screening of the short film “The Invisible Self” at Pui Ching Secondary School to arouse everyone’s attention to mental health and encourage everyone to care about the people around them.  After the film screening, the production team held a post-screening discussion with 160 senior high students. The short film producer, Ms. Alice Hong (Resident Fellow of Moon Chun Memorial College), and the director, Mr. Steven U shared the background of short film creation and short film shooting experiences with students. Mr. Henry Lao, Clinical Supervisor of UM Department of Psychology, shared some psychological knowledge with the students. College student, Jason Zhang shared his own experience on how to support friends in need of emotional support through appropriate companionship. The production team and students exchanged views on the creation of short film scripts, short film shooting techniques, and how to seek help when encountering mental health problems. Finally, Vice Principal, Mr. Chan Keng Lim shared with the students the meaning behind the screening. He hoped that students will understand that there are ups and downs in life, and they should learn to allow themselves to be imperfect, and seek help from trustworthy people when encountering problems.

“I feel a bit like the main character in the short film, looking lively and cheerful, but sometimes I am unhappy due to the influence of my studies, friends and family, and I habitually suppress negative emotions. For me, having someone trustworthy to talk to is a useful way to relieve emotions.” – Lo Tin Ut (Student)

“This is a very good film that made me reflect on the different aspects of oneself. Sometimes I present myself as an extrovert, and sometimes I present myself as introvert. In any case, the most important thing is that we accept every aspect of ourselves, including our happy self, unhappy self, and even angry self.” – Hong Weng Lam (Student)

“This short film conveys a good message to students, letting them know that they are not alone in life. When you or those around you encounter psychological problems, as long as you bravely take the first step to seek help, you can gradually get out of the haze.” – Mak Chi Kei (Teacher)

On 14 April 2024, Moon Chun Memorial College, University of Macau held a workshop titled “A Wispy Delight of Dragon’s Beard Candy” – a collaboration with Frost Ice Snow Creative Experimental Theatre to promote culture preservation and innovation. Dragon’s beard candy is an iconic traditional snack in Macao.  In 2020, it was attributed to the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Macao.

Yau Kei Dragon’s Beard Candy was founded in 1986 by “Uncle Yau” and his persistence of making sweets for Macau people endured 40 years. During the workshop, the second- generation owner of Yau Kei Dragon’s Beard Candy, Mr. Kenny Yuen was invited as the instructor. He shared the story of the changes in the shop and Macao, and how people’s changes to the old shop have led the store to survive through innovations and become a cultural icon of Macao. This was followed by Yuen’s demonstration of making Dragon’s Beard Candy.  After countless pulls, the millet glue slowly amalgamated into a “dragon’s beard” like silk quilt. After several pinching, the slender dragon beard turned into a ball of cotton. Participants were invited to wrap up the fillings and taste the candy.  Each soft, white, and long dragon’s beard candy embodies the emotions of the Macao people, and the layers of simplicity preserved in city’s history and culture.

On 15 April 2024, Moon Chun Memorial College, University of Macau held an academic research seminar on “Uncovering the Secrets of Aging” to view aging from a scientific research perspective. In this academic seminar, Professor Liu Lulu and her research team (Sun Meng Han, Chen Ze Jian, Shang Yu Rong, and Dai Li Juan) from the Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Macau were invited to share their latest research findings in the field of aging.

Prof. Liu served as the keynote speaker of the seminar, focusing on sharing her research achievements in the field of Dementia. She delved into the changes in cognitive functions during the ageing process and spoke briefly about risk factors, prevention, diagnosis and intervention of Dementia. Other team members shared their specific research projects and results, topics included elderly memory, personality and intertemporal decision-making behavior. After participating in this academic research seminar, participants not only learned about the research team’s latest research findings in the areas of health, cognition, decision-making and emotional well-being of older adults, but they were also able to distinguish between healthy aging and abnormal aging.

Text: Dai Li Juan (MCM College RT)

On April 21st at 6:00 PM, the University of Macau’s Moon Chun Memorial College hosted a captivating concert featuring two distinguished guests: violinist Ms. Elizabeth Chang and pianist Mr. Jiayan Sun. Ms. Chang, a Professor of Violin at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a faculty member of the Pre-College Division of the Juilliard School, and a graduate of Harvard University, joined forces with Mr. Sun, the Iva Dee Hiatt Visiting Artist in Piano at Smith College and a DMA graduate from the Juilliard School. Together, they delivered a remarkable performance in MCMC Musicales’ “An Evening of Violin and Piano,” featuring sonatas by Ludwig van Beethoven and César Franck.　This event showcased their exceptional musicality and the intricate teamwork they have developed through years of performing together.