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The University of Macau (UM) today (30 November) held a consultation on the master plan of the new campus to solicit suggestions from the educational circle. Principles, teachers, and students from local secondary schools, as well as representatives from the Chinese Educators Association of Macau (CEAM) and the Union of Catholic Schools of Macau (UCSM), attended the consultation.
The consultation was chaired by UM’s Vice Rector (Academic Affairs) Prof. Simon Ho Shun-Man. UM Rector Wei Zhao notes in his speech that the new campus with a spacious and beautiful environment will bring new programmes, new facilities, a new culture and new management models that will allow the University to realize elite undergraduate education, develop an outstanding faculty team, achieve research excellence, and build an eco-friendly campus. The ideal environment of the new campus will allow the University to introduce the residential college system widely adopted by the world’s top universities to enable students of different majors and backgrounds to interact and learn from each other. Three open scientific research bases (one for Information and Electronics, one for Chinese Medical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, and one for Energy and the Environment) will be established to facilitate technological transfer of research achievements and development of innovative industries and create opportunities for Macao-Guangdong cooperation and industrial diversification of Macao.
Mr. He Jingtang, a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a world-renowned architect, will be the chief designer for the new campus. The design will emphasize the principle of building a people-oriented, sustainable, modern, IT-based, garden-style, efficient, and energy-saving campus that integrates Chinese and western cultural elements and provides a comfortable and liberating environment. New technologies, new techniques and new materials will be adopted. The new campus will feature four striking characteristics, namely “a blend of Chinese and western cultural elements”, “a combination of mountain and sea views”, “a reflection of the cultural characteristics of Southern China”, and “an architectural style of South European flavor”.
During the consultation, attendees were informed on the design drawing and architectural style of the new campus, after which a video presenting the master plan of the new campus and one of Mr. He’s masterpieces (the China Pavilion for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo) was played. Attendees had a heated discussion about the master plan of the new campus and put forward many valuable and feasible suggestions regarding various issues such as the master plan, the teaching environment, campus facilities, and residential colleges, etc. Rector Wei Zhao said the valuable suggestions would be taken into serious consideration during the design process.
CEAM President Ho Sio Kam and UCSM President So Ying Suen as well as principles, teachers and students from more than 20 secondary schools attended the consultation.
