Since Moon Chun Memorial College’s inception in 2013, its musicians have been strengthening the strong town-and-gown relationship MCMC enjoys with the local Macau community.

This year, Collegium MCMC provided music for the Cocktail Reception for FMCC charity Gala “Paris Extravaganza”. Led by MCM College Resident Fellow Dr Peggy Lau and College Affiliate Dr Katy Ho Weatherly, the ensemble developed its musicianship and gained considerable confidence and valuable experience from being invited to perform live at a high-profile event, through playing a series of carefully chosen works by Bach, Haydn, Mozart, Piazolla, Pachelbel, and Music from the Movies. With their highly professional performances, the ensemble won plaudits from all attendees.

By engaging students in a diversity of events, MCM College seeks to nurture collective talent of students in Arts, Culture, Internationality, English language proficiency and Sporting prowess.

On 12^th September 2023, Moon Chun Memorial College, University of Macau held a career path seminar and invited Ms. Jacinta Ho, founder and managing director of JCHR Consulting and President of the Greater Bay Area Human Resources Association to share her journey from corporate HR to entrepreneur. As owner of multiple companies, Ho has amassed over 20 years of experience in the hospitality, gaming and retail sectors and has expertise in recruitment, outsourcing, human resource management, consulting, coaching and talent development.

The turning point in Ho’s career occurred in 2012 when she decided to get out of her comfort zone and founded JC Human Resources Consulting.  She used her own experience to introduce Ability, Interest and Reality or simply “AIR”.  She encouraged students to build their own “unique AIR” by examining their abilities, interests and realities.  Ho’s successful story inspired students to the concept of entrepreneurship.  Finally, she quoted George Bernard Shaw “Life isn’t about finding yourself.  Life is about creating yourself.” to encourage students to unlock their potentials from within and design their ultimate life.

Speaker introducing her professional background

Speaker explaining AIR concept in career planning

Resident Fellow facilitating the Q & A session

Active interaction between the speaker and participant

Certificate of Appreciation presented by College Master

Group photo with the speaker

The St. Paul’s House of Moon Chun Memorial College, University of Macau, organized its first activity of the semester on the evening of Wednesday, September 6th, 2023, to the Ruins of St. Paul’s and its surrounding historic sites.

This activity serves as the cultural excursion program of St. Paul’s House, providing participants with an opportunity to explore and appreciate the historical and cultural richness of the Ruins of St. Paul’s. Additionally, historic sites like the Senado Square, Se Cathedral, St. Dominic’s Church and Mount Fortress that are located near the Ruins of St. Paul’s, are also included in the tour. During the tour, a freshman participant took the lead to explain to others the historic and cultural importance of one of the sites. Furthermore, participants have the chance to taste local cuisines of the East and West, allowing them to experience the Portuguese influences on the region’s historical stage.

By the end of the activity, participants gained insight into the historical significance and artistic values of these various world heritage places, demonstrating an interpretive understanding of the relationship between Macau and the Western world.

Text: Zhi LI

On September 5, 2023, Dom Pedro V House of University of Macau Moon Chun Memorial College organized a meet-up event to foster connections among its members and promote house culture. The gathering aimed to bridge the gap between freshmen and senior students, allowing them to bond and feel a stronger sense of belonging to both the college and the House. The event provided an opportunity for students to improve their interpersonal communication skills and prepare them for their university life.

Student leaders and house members helped in the organization of the event.

During the two-hour gathering, attendees enjoyed food and engaged in meaningful face-to-face conversations to better acquaint themselves with one another. Some shared their experiences of adjusting to university life, including the challenges of adapting to new teaching methods and the English language. Others formed friendships based on shared interests and planned future outings. A game called Time Bomb was played, where students passed a “bomb” around until the music stopped. Some students danced, told jokes, or sang. The rules were later changed to include question rounds. For instance, students discussed what impressed them the most about the University of Macau, with answers ranging from the beautiful campus to the warm and welcoming people in the College. Some mentioned that they were still adjusting to the climate in Macau.

Students begin to get to know each other and communicate with each other in depth.

Gradually opening up to each other during the interactive game.

During the gathering, students find like-minded partners and talked about their new life at UM and how they are looking forward to life at UM and MCMC.

The event concluded with a group photo taken with the Interim College Master, Prof. Kwok-cheung CHEUNG, and the Dom Pedro V House Mistress, Dr. Peggy Lau. Through this activity, participants gained a deeper understanding of their house’s culture and strengthened their teamwork and mutual understanding. Although they were reluctant to part ways, they looked forward to future meetings. It is believed that this event helped everyone become more familiar with Moon Chun Memorial College, Dom Pedro V House, and each other.

Text: Ngan Long CHAN

On 6th September, 2023, Moon Chun Memorial College, University of Macau was delighted to invite Mr. Wong Tin Chon, Director of Macau Comickers Association to offer an insight regarding the biography of Zheng Guanying through his educational comic, entitled: “Macao Zheng Guanying”.  This comic literature represents Zheng’s life experiences in Zhongshan City, Macao and Shanghai. The talk aimed to enhance students’ understanding of Zheng’s thoughts, as well as promoting education in local history and humanities. 

Mandarin House of MCM College is denominated after UNESCO’s iconic World Heritage – Mandarin’s House and leverages on patriot, Zheng Guanying as its learning model.  It further endeavors to promote the concept of “Loving Motherland Loving Macao” through  its daily activities. 

The talk attracted twenty participants who were interested in understanding more about the life and works of Zheng, and Mandarin’s House.  The speaker further explained that Zheng was a pioneering thinker and industrialist in modern China. He compiled his masterpiece “Words of Warning to a Prosperous Age” during his residence at Mandarin’s House, which had a profound impact on the modern Chinese history.

Speaker introducing Zheng Guanying’s biography

Speaker explaining the family teachings of Zheng Guanying

Certificate of Appreciation presented by College Master

Speaker taking picture with Mandarin House representatives

Group Photo

On 6th September, 2023, Moon Chun Memorial College, University of Macau  held a student gathering in Master’s Dining Room to warmly welcome a new cohort of international students from Brazil, France, Malaysia, Russia, Norway and Portugal. While having lunch together, Prof. Kwok-cheung Cheung, College Master, delivered a welcome speech and introduced the concept of Residential College Education.  Then, Ms. Alice Hong, Resident Fellow introduced the functions of the Pastoral Care Support Unit and the support provided by the  “Buddy Programme” to exchange students.

The “Buddy Programme” was launched in 2014 to enrich the exchange students’ learning experience at the University of Macau.  The college pairs current students with their new “buddies” to help exchange students adapt and settle into their new surroundings. On the other hand, the “Buddy Programme” facilitates local students in developing a deeper understanding of different cultures and traditions beyond Macau.

As the international students introduced themselves, they also engaged in conversation and quickly forging new friendships.  Resident fellows interacted with students to understand their needs and provide assistance.  Finally, everyone raised their glasses and wished the new academic year a good start.

Cãmoes House, one of five houses at MCM College, held its first activity for this semester on Saturday morning 9^th September, 2023. The gloomy downpour did little to dampen the enthusiasm and excitement of 25 international participants (and college affiliates) representing the Lusophone community, S.E. Asia (Malaysia, Japan and Myanmar) and the Caribbean: British Virgin Islands.

The activity, co-organised by UM’s International Students’ Association, focused on promoting and developing social and cultural diversity at MCMC: enriching students’ interpersonal communication skills, and above all, bringing new ideas and expertise to help strengthen students’ sense of belonging, contribution and service to college and UM.

During the two-hour ‘meet and greet’ session over a heart-warming breakfast of freshly baked waffles with fresh fruit toppings, and diverse pastries, freshmen and senior students engaged in conversations: learning about the challenges they initially faced after arriving on campus. Some topics were light, while others spoke more seriously about the benefits of an education here in Macau – far from their homes, and getting out of their comfort zones. The breakfast meeting, the first of its kind, leveraged on more educational opportunities for unique cross-cultural experiences. This included interaction with and mentorship from college affiliates: Messrs. Mark Wong and Ricardo Ribeiro, as well as Associate Master, Dr. Manuel Noronha. The session also created chances for students to experience a new culture, learn and connect with each other. It enabled students to confront different interpersonal and communication styles, making them better active listeners and critical thinkers.

The final part of the activity included a virtual ‘walking tour’ of the famous Grotto of Camões (filmed by college fellow, Kevin Maher (ELC)) hence: the name attributed to Camões House.

In order for freshmen to better understand UM Library’s rich resources and high-quality services, Moon Chun Memorial College, University of Macau and UM Library jointly held three orientation sessions on library resources and services on 23^rd August 2023, attracting over 50 freshmen participated.

Librarians Dr. Henry Yang and Mr. Norman Lo delivered talks regarding “Getting Started with UM Library” and “Ten Smart Things to Do at UM Library” respectively.    Participants indicated that the orientation helped them learn more about the library, and were interested in further participation in library training and events.

MCM College has been committed to providing support for students’ academic pursuits.  Students are encouraged to make full use of the efficient, convenient and diverse information services of UM Library to improve the efficiency of learning and scientific research.