 |
| Master plan of the new campus |
|
|
|
Residential college system introduced into the new campus |
|
|
| Landscape of the campus central zone |
The groundbreaking ceremony for the new campus of the University of Macau (UM) on Hengqin Island took place on December 20, 2009. Construction of the new campus is expected to be completed within three years. Once constructed, the campus will be governed in accordance with the laws of the Macao SAR. With more acreage and a picturesque landscape, the new campus will bring to UM new academic programmes, new facilities, a new campus culture and new management models. These will help UM realize elite undergraduate education, outstanding faculty, research excellence, and environmental efficiency. Under these favorable conditions, the University will surely nurture more outstanding graduates for Macao, the Pearl River Delta, China and the whole world. The new campus will not only have a far-reaching impact on the future development of Macao’s higher education, but will also deepen the cooperation between Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in the field of higher education and contribute to the moderate industrial diversification of Macao.
The new campus, connected with Macao by a waterway, is located in the east of Hengqin Island, Guangdong Province, with Hengqin Mountain forming a beautiful backdrop. Covering a plot of land of 1.0926 km2 and with a total floor area of approximately 820,000 m2, it will be nearly 20 times larger than the existing campus and will be able to accommodate approximately 10,000 students. An underwater tunnel will be built to connect the new campus with Macao. People will be able to conveniently access the campus from the Macao side at any time without going through any immigration control.
The ideal environment of the new campus will enable UM to introduce the residential college system adopted by some of the world’s top universities. Indeed, the establishment of approximately ten residential colleges, the largest number in Asia, will constitute one of the highlights of the new campus. With this system in place, each undergraduate student will belong to a faculty which will deliver academic programmes, and simultaneously to a residential college which will be responsible for organizing other activities. Students from different majors and classes will study and live together in a college and participate in various competitions and recreational activities. Through these events, they will have more opportunities for communication, teamwork, service and leadership. Furthermore, through peer encouragement and cooperation, they will be able to acquire self-discipline, develop the ability to act independently and promote self-development.
Three open scientific research bases will be established in the new campus, in such areas as medical and pharmaceutical sciences, electronics and information technology, and energy and environmental protection. Special effort will be made to develop some new cross-disciplinary research areas and to boost the technological transfer of research outcomes and the incubation of innovative industries. These research bases will help enhance joint research efforts between UM and other universities in Macao, in the Pearl River Delta and beyond, thus creating opportunities for Macao-Guangdong cooperation and the industrial diversification of Macao.
Mr. He Jingtang, a world-renowned architect, is the chief designer of the master plan. The new campus planning will emphasize the following five principles and concepts: “people-oriented,” “sustainable development,” “modern and IT-based,” “garden-style,” and “integration of Chinese and western cultures,” geared towards building an efficient, comfortable and energy-saving campus. A tranquil, beautiful and culturally-rich campus with multi-level garden views will be built to ensure a harmonious coexistence of people and nature and bring a positive environmental influence on students and staff.
UM Rector Wei Zhao says that the implementation of the new campus project would be impossible without the unstinting support from the Central Government and the governments of Zhuhai and the Macao SAR, as well as the Macao community. Compared with the current campus, the new campus will see a significant improvement in both hardware and software. It will be equipped with better conditions to strengthen interaction between students and provide an ideal environment to cultivate high-caliber graduates. Moreover, it will also allow UM to step up its effort in pursuing excellence in research innovation. All these characteristics will exert a profound impact on the development of higher education in Macao and beyond.
