UM rector leads delegation to Australia and signs agreements with several universities

To further expand the international cooperation network of the University of Macau (UM) and strengthen its level of internationalisation, Yonghua Song, rector of UM, led a delegation to visit several leading universities in Australia. During the visit, several cooperation agreements were signed to promote exchanges and cooperation in teaching and research, as well as to explore joint efforts to cultivate innovative talent with global competitiveness.

The UM delegation visited the University of Newcastle, where they were warmly received by the university’s vice-chancellor and president, Alex Zelinsky, and other representatives. The two parties signed a student exchange agreement and a memorandum of understanding, and exchange views on further collaborations in several areas, including exchanges of faculty and students, research collaboration, and the development of joint training programmes for civil engineering talent. At Macquarie University, Song held in-depth discussions and exchanges with Eric Knight, member of the university’s  executive group and executive dean of Macquarie Business School, and Simon Handley, pro vice-chancellor, on the establishment of a dual PhD degree programme in Business Administration. The two parties also signed a memorandum of understanding.

During their visit to the University of Technology Sydney, the UM delegation had a meeting with the university’s pro-vice-chancellor, Leo Mian Liu, and other representatives, to discuss potential cooperation in strengthening exchanges of faculty and students, co-hosting academic conferences, and promoting joint research projects. The two parties also signed a memorandum of understanding. At Western Sydney University, the UM delegation was warmly received by the university’s interim vice-chancellor and provost, Clare Pollock. The two parties signed a student exchange agreement, established a visiting student researcher programme in the field of traditional medicine, and signed a memorandum of understanding. The UM delegation also visited the university’s NICM Health Research Institute, where Dennis Chang, director of the institute, provided an overview of the latest research developments in the fields of innovative research and clinical applications of traditional medicine, and regulatory science. The two parties also agreed on further strengthening research collaboration and talent cultivation in these areas.

At the University of Wollongong, Song met with the university’s vice-chancellor and president, Patricia Davidson, and agreed on setting up a student exchange programme. They also discussed in depth potential research collaboration in the fields of engineering, information technology, and business administration. The UM delegation also visited the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), where Song and Merlin Crossley, the university’s deputy vice-chancellor, discussed the promotion of reciprocal visits between faculty and students, the establishment of joint research projects, and the enhancement of the transfer of scientific and technological achievements as well as industry-academia collaboration. Furthermore, the UM delegation visited the University of Sydney and held discussions with its representatives on potential research collaboration in areas such as pharmaceutical sciences and artificial intelligence. Both parties agreed to jointly hold research workshops and send PhD student researchers to each other’s institutions.

During their stay in Australia, the UM delegation also met with Wang Chunsheng, acting consul-general of the People’s Republic of China in Sydney, and Lin Xiaoqing, consul for education affairs. During the meeting, the delegation presented an overview of the development of UM, its international strategic layout, as well as its cooperation with higher education institutions in Australia and future outlook. Wang spoke highly of UM’s rapid development and achievements in internationalisation over recent years. He also expressed the consulate-general’s strong support for fostering collaboration and exchanges between UM and institutions in Australia. The two parties engaged in in-depth exchanges and discussions on ways to enhance cooperation between higher education institutions in the Macao SAR and Australia.

Members of the UM delegation also included Yu Jun, dean of the Faculty of Business Administration; Xu Cheng-Zhong, dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology; Pang Chap Chong, dean of students; and Wang Ruibing, director of the Global Affairs Office.