Set Sail Anew on the Ruby Jubilee
The year 2021 marks the 40th anniversary of the University of Macau (UM). It has been an extraordinary four decades, which all began with the creation, in 1981, of the University of East Asia (UE), the first Chinese-founded institution of higher learning in Macao and the first modern university in Macao since the city became a trading port 400 years ago. UEA was acquired and restructured by the government in 1988 against the backdrop of the signing of the Sino-Portuguese Joint Declaration in 1987, and was officially renamed the University of Macau in 1991, becoming the only comprehensive public university in Macao.
After Macao’s return to the motherland, with the support of the central and SAR governments, the care and assistance of all sectors of the community, and the joint efforts of staff and students, UM has entered a period of rapid development. In 2014, the new UM campus in Hengqin was officially opened, becoming an example of the successful implementation of the ‘One country, Two systems ‘policy in Macao. It also marked the end of UM’s history of ‘being a university without a campus’ and the beginning of a new chapter of development. Since then, the university has truly embarked on the road of modern higher education development.
In recent years, the university has been actively implementing President Xi Jinping’s instructions to nurture more patriotic and Macao-loving talent, produce more scientific research results, and contribute to moderate diversification and sustainable development of Macao’s economy. It closely follows major development strategies of the country and fully cooperates with the policies of the Macao SAR government. The university’s management team continues to strengthen educational philosophy and characteristics, optimise and improve the teaching mode, launch new degree programmes to meet the needs of Macao’s development, promote interdisciplinary collaboration, and nurture innovative, patriotic, globally minded, and internationally competitive graduates. At the same time, by focusing on the Greater Bay Area, UM is actively creating and improving a ‘5-in-1’ technology innovation and transfer system, and is in the process of establishing a high-level industry-academia platform. UM has made initial progress in the establishment of a centre for industry-academia collaboration in Hengqin. It also continues to improve its social service platform, giving full play to its ability and role in serving the community. Its cooperation with local primary and secondary schools in technology practice and education in Chinese history and culture has been effective, and the promotion of education in the constitution and the Basic Law has been recognised by the community. The quantity and quality of faculty and students as well as the university’s international reputation are all increasing steadily. Whether nationally, regionally, or even internationally, UM is now a high-quality influential university with distinctive characteristics.
In 2020, when the pandemic spread across the world, UM worked with all sectors of society to overcome the various difficulties. With the joint efforts of all students and staff, we have demonstrated our ability to respond to crises, our sense of responsibility, and our dedication during testing times. By adhering to the principle ‘keep learning amid class suspension’, we have not only continued our teaching and research in an orderly manner, but have also cooperated with the SAR government in the implementation of a series of epidemic prevention measures.
2021 marks the 40th anniversary of UM, and the beginning of China’s ‘14th Five-year Plan’. As Macao integrates into the development of the country, new opportunities beckon. With an open and confident mindset, and an innovative and enterprising attitude, UM takes stock of past achievements on the milestone of its 40th anniversary and sets sail for new horizons.
Looking ahead, UM will continue to fulfil its social responsibility and align with the SAR government’s policies and directions in higher education and technological innovation, through quality education, technology transfer, and service to society, in order to promote the diversification and sustainable development of Macao’s economy. We are full of confidence. We shoulder a new mission. We are embarking on a new journey. We will embrace new challenges with a new mindset, in order to attain new achievements.
Yonghua Song
Rector of the University of Macau
