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This autumn the University of Macau (UM) will implement a new, university-wide undergraduate curriculum model and will launch two new programmes, namely Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences, and Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, in an attempt to improve students’ skills in various fields and optimize their employment and further education prospects.

Yesterday (5 Jan) UM held a press conference on its student recruitment plan for the 2011/2012 academic year, in which UM vice rector Prof. Simon Ho, head of the Department of Mathematics of the Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) Prof. Qian Tao, Dr. Leong Ieng Tak, also from the Department of Mathematics of FST, interim dean of the Faculty of Education Prof. Cheng Chun Wai, director of the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences (ICMS) Prof. Wang Yitao, Prof. Lee Ming Yuen, also from ICMS, and Registrar Paul Pang provided detailed information on its student recruitment plan for the new academic year.

In order to produce erudite, well-rounded graduates, UM is constantly improving its hardware and software, as reflected in the establishment of the Honours College and residential colleges, and the stepping up of the international student exchange programme. As part of its efforts to promote the new educational model that consists of four components (discipline-specific education, general education, research and internship education, and community and peer education), UM will implement a new undergraduate curriculum model in the 2011/2012 academic year. General education (GE) courses will be incorporated in all bachelor degree programmes other than the Bachelor of Law in Chinese Language (evening) and the Bachelor of Law in Portuguese Language (evening). The GE courses will mainly cover four areas, namely Language and Communication, Science and Information Technology, Society and Culture, and Self-Development. The purpose of introducing GE courses is to develop students’ independent thinking ability, increase students’ exposure to different subjects, help them integrate knowledge in different fields, encourage them to show concern for the major issues faced by human society, and enhance their competitiveness, thereby realizing the objectives of whole-person education.

In addition to the new curriculum model, UM will also launch two new bachelor degree programmes in the new academic year, namely Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences, and Bachelor of Science in Mathematics. UM has obtained approval from the Ministry of Science and Technology to establish a state key laboratory in Chinese medicine, and in order to nurture more specialists in this field, UM’s ICMS will launch the Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Sciences. This programme consists of a range of cross-disciplinary subjects related to human health and diseases. The purpose of the programme is to impart fundamental knowledge in biology and modern medical theories, and also to develop students’ ability to carry out cross-disciplinary fundamental research, medical diagnosis and monitoring, and new drug and product development. The programme will provide students with ample opportunities to put theoretical knowledge into practice and acquire various skills in the biomedical field. The programme will cover a wide range of topics and will prepare students for jobs in various fields including education, medical service, higher education, research institutes, and pharmaceutical enterprises.

The other new programme, Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, will be co-launched by FST and the Faculty of Education. This programme offers two streams, one is Mathematics and Application and the other is Mathematics Education. The programme aims to optimize the employment and further education prospects for students. The basic training provided by the programme will effectively enhance students’ various mathematical skills such as induction, quantification, logical reasoning, and analysis, thus opening up a wider range of choices for students. Graduates from this programme, whether they wish to enter the job market or pursue further education, will enjoy a competitive edge in various fields, such as actuarial studies, insurance, information management, statistics, finance, financial management, computer software, secondary school teaching, gaming, technical data analysis, government work, and scientific management. Graduates from Mathematical Education who are interested to teach in secondary schools will be accredited by the Macao SAR government as having equivalent vocational qualifications.

UM’s bachelor degree programmes for the 2011/2012 academic year will be open for application in three stages. 3 Jan to 21 Jan 2011 is for secondary-school-principal-recommended applications. 7 Feb to 25 Feb 2011 is for admission entrance examination applications. 1 April to 29 April 2011 is for direct admission and transfer applications. For detailed rules and regulations on admission, please visit http://www.umac.mo/reg/index_tc.php during the said application periods. For inquiries, please call relevant personnel at 83974007 or email admission@um.edu.mo.