The University of Macau (UM) held the Joint Meeting of the University Assembly (UA) and University Council (UC) (大學議庭及校董會聯席會議) on Monday, where Chancellor Sam Hou Fai set forth five key expectations for the university to support Macau’s strategy as a global hub for high-calibre talent, according to a UM press release yesterday.
The statement highlighted that the joint meeting was attended by O Lam, secretary for social affairs and culture, members of UA and UC, and representatives from relative departments of UM.
According to the statement, Macau SAR Chief Executive, Chancellor of UM and Chair of the UA Sam emphasised that Macau’s higher education sector is experiencing an “unprecedented period of development,” and underscored the government’s commitment to integrating education, technology, and talent.
The statement noted that Sam’s first expectation is for UM to seize opportunities arising from the integration of Macau and Hengqin by advancing the “Macao-Hengqin international education town project”, ensuring oversight of construction, funding, and research-industry synergies.
Secondly, Sam urged the university to enhance its talent attraction and development strategies by aligning academic programmes with national development needs and focusing on industries relevant to Macau’s economic diversification.
The third expectation, according to the statement, is to foster in-depth industry-academia collaboration through innovative partnerships with the business sector, aiming to commercialise research outcomes and contribute to productive forces in Macau and Hengqin.
In the fourth expectation, Sam called for the university to elevate its internationalisation efforts by deepening cooperation with Portuguese-speaking and English-speaking countries and regions as well as Asia, while expanding pragmatic and sustainable student exchange programmes, the statement said.
The fifth expectation, he encouraged UM to closely align with national education strategies and Macau’s policy goals, contributing to Chinese mainland’s education leadership and Macau’s economic transformation, the statement noted.
The statement added that UC Chair Peter Lam Kam Seng highlighted that UM has made progress in governance, curriculum planning, and the establishment of the Hengqin campus. He affirmed the institution’s commitment to quality education and national development integration.
Meanwhile, UM Rector Yonghua Song (aka Song Yonghua) added that the university is expanding its student intake, strengthening its curriculum, and refining its domestic and global cooperation networks in line with its Five-Year Development Plan, the statement concluded.
This handout photo provided by the University of Macau (UM) shows the Joint Meeting of the University Assembly (UA) and University Council (UC) in the Ho Yin Conference Hall on Monday.
