The government has appointed Kong Chi Meng, who is currently a deputy director of the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ), as the bureau’s director effective from next month, succeeding Lou Pak Sang who will then return to work as a public school teacher.
According to an executive order published in the Official Gazette (BO) yesterday, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Elsie Ao Ieong U, who oversees the bureau, has appointed Kong for a one-year term effective from February 1. Ao Ieong signed the executive order on January 10.
Macau’s whole education sector, namely the non-tertiary and higher education sectors, has been overseen by a single public entity, the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) since February last year, when two now-defunct entities, the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ) and the Higher Education Bureau (DSES), merged.
Lou had been the director of the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau since February 2018, and became the director of the new Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) in February last year when the two now-defunct entities merged.
According to a notice published by Ao Ieong’s office in the Official Gazette yesterday, Lou’s appointment as the bureau’s director will end on February 1, when his appointment expires, upon his personal request, i.e., Lou has requested that his appointment as the bureau’s director not be renewed when it expires. The notice did not mention why Lou made the request.
According to a notice published by the bureau in the gazette yesterday, Lou will start to work as a senior teacher for secondary school classes from February 1.
According to Ao Ieong’s executive order published yesterday, Kong holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics (specialising in International Finance) from Jinan University in Guangzhou, a bachelor’s degree in Sports Science from the Macau Polytechnic Institute (IPM), a master’s degree in Sociology of Sport from Beijing Sport University (BSU), and a doctoral degree in Education Economics and Management from South China Normal University (SCNU) in Guangzhou.
Kong started to work in the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau in 2007, before being promoted to the chief of the then school sports and extracurricular activity division in 2012. Kong became the chief of the pre-primary and primary education division in 2015, before being appointed as the chief of the then education department in the bureau in 2017. Kong was appointed as a deputy director of the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau in 2018, and continued in February last year to as a deputy director of the new Education and Youth Development Bureau.
The Education and Youth Development Bureau has three deputy directors. The now-defunct Education and Youth Affairs Bureau had two deputy directors.
Lou became a deputy director of the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau in 2011, before being appointed as its director in 2018. Lou started to work as a public school teacher in 1987.
Lou told local Chinese-language newspaper Macao Daily News yesterday that he submitted his resignation to Ao Ieong in November last year. According to the Macao Daily News online report, Lou said that he underwent surgery in October last year, adding that he believed that he would no longer be suitable to continue assuming his duty as the bureau’s director after considering his recovery and physical conditions after the surgery.
New culture chief
Meanwhile, the government has also appointed Leong Wai Man, who is currently a vice-president of the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC), as the bureau’s president effective from next month, succeeding Mok Ian Ian who became the president of the Macau Science Centre (MSC) last week.
According to another executive order published in the Official Gazette yesterday, Ao Ieong, who oversees the bureau, has appointed Leong for a one-year term effective from February 1. Ao Ieong signed the executive order on Thursday last week.
The Cultural Affairs Bureau has two vice-presidents.
According to Ao Ieong’s executive order published yesterday about her appointment, Leong holds a bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Taiwan’s Tunghai University and a postgraduate diploma in Architecture from University College London (UCL). Leong started to work in the Cultural Affairs Bureau in 2009. She became the chief of the bureau’s Cultural Heritage Department in 2016, before being appointed as a vice-president of the bureau in 2018.
During the current vacancy of the bureau’s post of president after Mok’s departure last week, Leong has been the acting president of the bureau.
Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) Director Lou Pak Sang (right) speaks during a media briefing last year as DSEDJ Deputy Director Kong Chi Meng looks on. Photo: Tony Wong
Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC) Vice President Leong Wai Man (left) and Mok Ian Ian, the then president of the bureau, address a press conference last year about the city’s new central library project. Mok left the bureau last week, while Leong will become the bureau’s new president next month. Photo: IC
