The University of Macau (UM) today (15 March) held the Presentation Ceremony for Long Service Award & Outstanding Performance Award for Administrative Staff. 63 staff received the Long Service Award. 29 administrative staff received the Outstanding Administrative Staff Award.


Ms Candy Lei Miu Mei, head of the Procurement Section, Finance Office, has served UM for 30 years. She has worked at the Accounts Section, Treasury Section, Campus Services Section and Procurement Section. She thinks the greatest thing about working at UM is the good working environment and the excellent rapport with her co-workers, adding that she feels so grateful to her dear co-workers for having kept her company for more than three decades. Candy joined the university when it was still known as the University of East Asia (UEA). Transportation back then was very inconvenient, with only one bridge connecting Macao and Taipa. She recalls how for several months she used to walk home with her co-workers, laughing and talking on the bridge, completely oblivious to the long distance they’d covered. Candy says back then there were not many staff, so everyone knew everyone else, and since UM didn’t admit a lot of students every year, so students and staff were also very close. She recalls how some students would surprise her with little gifts and cards before graduation. Looking to the future, Candy thinks the new campus is a wonderful opportunity, and she is confident that all UM colleagues will work together to embrace the opportunities and challenges ahead.

Mr Eddy Tjie Kam Thay from the Information and Communication Technology Office is another recipient of the Long Service Award for 30 Years. He is known as the “Computer King” because he is in charge of over 3,700 computers at UM. Recalling his three decades’ service at UM, he says he remembers most vividly a period when he was anxious every day. “Back when UM was still UEA, we used generators to get electricity. But the generators would often run out of power. So for a time I was anxious every day, because I didn’t know when we’d suddenly run out of power and lose everything we’d been typing on the computer. Of course that’s no longer a problem now, because we have a very reliable computer system, which would do automatic back-up in case of a power outage,” says Eddy.

Every year UM presents the Long Service Award to qualified colleagues to express gratitude for their dedication. This year 63 staff received the Long Service Award for 15 years, 20 years, 25 years and 30 years respectively. In 2003 UM also launched the Outstanding Administrative Staff Award, which comes in three categories, Outstanding Administrative Staff Award, Outstanding New Staff Award, and People’s Choice Award. Every year UM holds an award presentation ceremony to recognise colleagues’ outstanding performance and contribution to the university as well as to mobilise them to continue to work together towards the goal of developing UM into a world-class university.

Should you have any inquiries about the press release, please feel free to contact Ms. Veronica Tang at（853）8397 4323 or prs.media@um.edu.mo or visit UM webpage www.umac.mo.