The Macao University of Tourism (UTM) and Macao Polytechnic University (MPU) have officially launched the 2025/2026 academic year, welcoming nearly 4,000 new students across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes through their respective orientation ceremonies, according to recent statements from both public universities.
UTM held its student orientation ceremony on Friday on its Taipa Campus, marking the largest intake in its history with about 1,000 new undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students from Macau, the Chinese mainland and other countries and regions, the UTM statement said, adding that Rector Fanny Vong Chuk Kwan welcomed the new cohort, highlighting the recent renovation of the Yiu Tung Building and Educational Residence, which now provide expanded teaching and activity spaces, and confirmed that all degree programmes will mainly be conducted on the Taipa Campus.
The UTM statement added that Vong stressed that UTM’s continued campus development strengthens the public university’s regional and global standing, aligning with its mission to nurture world-class professionals in tourism, culture and related fields.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, MPU hosted its student orientation, welcoming 3,000 new bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral students from Macau, other Greater Bay Area (GBA) cities, Portuguese-speaking countries, and around the world, according to the MPU statement. The ceremony began with the raising of the national flag and the singing of the national anthem in a solemn atmosphere, the MPU statement said.
The statement added that Rector Marcus Im Sio Kei delivered the opening lecture in which he encouraged students to uphold patriotism, embrace innovation, and collaborate in the advancement of human society, setting three key expectations: to set ambitious goals, to pursue innovation, and to work together with a spirit of responsibility.
According to UTM, the ceremony also included its first national flag-raising at the start of the academic year, complemented by seminars conducted by the Macau Customs Service on intellectual property rights, the Judiciary Police (PJ) on cybercrime and fraud prevention, and the Labour Affairs Bureau on labour law awareness.
Meanwhile, at MPU, the orientation featured addresses by faculty and student representatives, including Olympic champions Jiao Liuyang and Zhang Yangyang, who expressed their determination to bring the spirit of perseverance and teamwork into their academic journey, the MPU statement added.
These handout photos provided by UTM and MPU show students and staff members posing during the respective 2025/2026 orientation ceremonies of both public universities last week.
