The University of Macau (UM) has established the Department of Ocean Science and Technology, with its Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) holding the inauguration ceremony for the department and the first Hong Kong-Macao Ocean Forum yesterday, the public university said in a statement.
The statement noted that the ceremony marked the department’s official launch of “promoting research on regional oceans in Macau and nurturing talent in this field”. A plaque was unveiled by Huang Jing, director general of the Administrative Centre for China’s Agenda 21; UM Rector Song Yonghua (aka Yonghua Song); and Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) member Chen Dake, among others.
The statement said that UM has been promoting marine research and has made regional oceans one of its three key research areas. The statement quoted UM Vice Rector Ge Wei as saying in his speech that in order to further develop talent and research development in this field, the public university has established this new department with a special focus on ocean environment, disaster prevention and mitigation, and smart ocean technology research.
The statement added that the department has launched a master’s degree programme in coastal environment and safety, aiming to nurture professionals in the field to “meet the needs of the local community” and become integrated into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area’s (GBA) development, as well as the national ocean science and technology innovation platform.
The statement said that the master’s degree programme is open for applications, with its deadline being February 28. Applications and admission information can be found at https://bit.ly/3U4ZPCG, or visiting https://www.fst.um.edu.mo/ost/postgraduate/.
The forum was attended by a string of experts and scholars, who gave presentations that were themed marine environmental safety and sustainable development. The forum and ceremony were also attended by guests such as Huang Shengbiao, deputy head of the Economic Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Macau; and Ip Kuai Lam, a member of the Administrative Committee of the Science and Macau Technology Development Fund.
This handout photo provided by the University of Macau (UM) shows six official representatives including UM Rector Song Yonghua (third from left) unveiling the official plaque during the on-campus inauguration ceremony for the public university’s Department of Ocean Science and Technology.
