Chief Executive attends UM’s UAUC Joint Meeting and pledges full support

The Joint Meeting of the University Assembly (UA) and University Council (UC) of the University of Macau (UM) for the 2009/2010 academic year opened at UM on 12 April (Monday). Dr. Chui Sai On, Chief Executive of Macao SAR, Chancellor of UM, and Chair of UA, said at the meeting that the SAR government will carry out close cooperation with the University in various areas such as employment of UM graduates, using specialists from the University, and assisting the University with the application of research results. He expressed his hope that UM can take full advantage of the more favorable environment to make greater advances, nurture more outstanding graduates for Macao and the world, and progress towards the goal of becoming a world-class university in an incremental and systematic manner.

 

This is the first UAUC Joint Meeting since appointment of the current members of the UA and UC. Dr. Chui Sai On, Chief Executive of Macao SAR, Chancellor of UM, and Chair of UA, presided over the meeting. Dr. Chui Sai On also invited Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of Macao SAR Mr. Cheong U, Chief of the Office of the Chief Executive Dr. Tam Chon Weng, and Chief of the Office of Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Ms. Cheung So Mui to attend the meeting. Dr. Chui Sai On said since implementation of the new Judicial Regime of the University of Macau in 2006, UM has launched a series of reforms, laying a solid foundation for pushing the internationalization of the university. He said as the Chancellor of the University he feels very proud of what UM has achieved.

 

Dr. Chui Sai On said: “UM is a public university in Macao. It is also the leading comprehensive university and think tank for the local community. Therefore, it has a vital impact on the implementation of government policies as well as the realization of government objectives. The SAR government will convey the society’s expectations for the University in a clear, transparent and open manner. Last year, thanks to the effort of the SAR government, UC members and top management of the University, especially the great support from the Central Government, the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress adopted a bill to authorize Macao SAR to exercise jurisdiction over the new campus on Hengqin Island upon its completion, creating favorable conditions for the University to improve its campus facilities and increase the intake of students.” Dr. Chui Sai On further added that the SAR government will do its best to ensure that the construction of the new UM campus and the subsequent relocation will be completed according to plan. He reiterated the government’s stance on the existing campus site of UM, saying that the site will be used solely for the purpose of accommodating social and cultural activities and will not be used for developing commercial housing.

 

Dr. Chui Sai On stressed that developing UM into a world-class university is President Hu Jintao’s expectation for the University and is also a long-term goal for the University. He expressed his hope that UM can take full advantage of the more favorable environment to make greater advances, nurture more outstanding graduates for Macao and the world, and progress towards the goal of becoming a world-class university in an incremental and systematic manner while taking into consideration the unique situation of Macao. He said the SAR government will continue to provide policy-wise and financial support to the University and will carry out close cooperation with the University in various areas such as employment of UM graduates, using specialists from the University, and assisting the University with the application of research results. He also encouraged UM to step up communication with the government and try its best to build a team of teaching staff who are familiar with the social, political and legal systems of Macao and have high levels of teaching and research abilities. He said in the future UM will enter a new stage, which makes the guidance, supervision and support from UA and UC ever more essential, especially in the development of the new campus, implementation of the “whole-person” education, execution of curricula reform, and enhancement of scientific research. Dr. Chui Sai On expressed his hope that all UA and UC members can continue to provide support to the University to ensure its steady growth.

 

After Dr. Chui Sai On finished his speech, UM Rector Wei Zhao summarised the major tasks and achievements over the past year. Rector Wei Zhao said: “2009 represented the most important milestone in the history of the University. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new campus was a success, and the new campus project will bring unprecedented opportunities for the University. UM takes quality education, scientific research and social service as its mission, and its objective is to become a world-class university with distinctive regional features. To accomplish this objective, UM has established a series of strategies, including creating an ‘elite undergraduate education’ brand, building a strong faculty team through global recruitment, stepping up effort in developing characteristic disciplines, and creating an efficient and environmentally-friendly campus. Last year UM launched a series of initiatives to promote general education for undergraduate students, including the establishment and implementation of a core general education programme, the foundation of the Honours College which aims to devote all resources available to develop a select group of top undergraduate students into future pillars of the society; and the implementation of the undergraduate research programme which aims to help students lay a solid foundation for their future research. UM has also launched a series of measures to reform the teaching staff and academic affairs management systems, including                  the establishment of The Centre for Teaching and Learning Enhancement, with the aim of promoting high-quality academic research and building an internationally-recruited, high-caliber faculty team with innovative approaches to teaching and research. Through a year’s effort, UM is now progressing steadily in the quality of undergraduate education and has achieved satisfactory results in various areas such as enhancing the quality of teaching staff as well as academic and scientific research.”

 

Rector Wei Zhao said the University could not have achieved these pleasing results without the support of the SAR government, the community, and members of UA and UC. He said he hopes people from all walks of life can continue to provide support to the University to help it reform systems, develop outstanding graduates, build the new campus, raise funds, and realize greater achievements. 

 

Encouraged by the great strides UM has made, attendees enthusiastically shared their opinions and put forward many suggestions regarding ways to accelerate the University’s progress towards the goal of joining the ranks of world-class universities.

 

UA is the highest consultative organ of the University. In addition to hearing the annual work report presented by the Rector, it also provides suggestions regarding the overall guidelines and development plans of the University. UC is the highest collegiate organ of the University and is responsible for establishing guidelines for its development, supervising the implementation of such guidelines, and strengthening the links between the University and the community. In March 2010, Dr. Chui Sai On appointed the current members of UA and UC for a 2-year term.

 

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