UM Department of Communication holds 24th UM CommFest

The Department of Communication of the Faculty of Social Sciences (FSS) of the University of Macau (UM) held the UM CommFest 2025 from 22 to 25 April. This year’s edition focused on the mental well-being of young people. The opening ceremony featured former table tennis world champion Zhu Yuling as the guest of honour, who shared her insights with the attendees. The event attracted hundreds of participants, including students, faculty, industry professionals, and members of the public.

The UM CommFest was organised by fourth-year students from the three specialisations of the Department of Communication. This year’s edition was themed ‘Feeling Emo, Just Chill’ and aimed to create a spiritual haven for young people to explore self-worth and the meaning of life in today’s fast-paced society. The theme emerged from the students’ observations of the pressures and emotional challenges faced by young people today and their expectations for their future lives. Students from different specialisations demonstrated their academic achievements in different ways: Students of public communication gave an in-depth explanation of this year’s CommFest, demonstrating innovative applications of communication theory in real-world practice; students of journalism and mass communication launched their campus publication, showcasing their professional skills through in-depth reporting and editing; students of creative media held preview screenings of their final year production, presenting the creativity and artistic vision of the new generation through a distinctive visual language and narrative style.

Former table tennis world champion Zhu Yuling was the guest of honour at the opening ceremony. She also held a sharing session titled ‘How to face the ups and downs of life’ to share her insights on overcoming setbacks in her professional career. Zhu highlighted the importance of a positive mindset for personal development and encouraged students to cultivate positive stress coping strategies. When asked about her view on winning and losing in competitions, Zhu said, ‘One should have the desire to win, but not be obsessed with winning and losing’. She also encouraged students to take everything in stride and focus on enjoying the process.

Zhu Mingwei, student representative of UM’s Department of Communication, said that over the past four years, they have learned communication theories in class and implemented media innovation in course projects. The UM CommFest was a living portfolio of what they have learned at the university—it was not only a showcase for their graduation projects, but also a platform for them to express their views on social issues.

The four-day UM CommFest was planned and executed by fourth-year students from UM’s Department of Communication, who oversaw all administrative and management aspects of the event. Their involvement not only demonstrated their professional competence in communication practices but also reflected their strong sense of social responsibility. The organising committee aspired to enable participants to find both resonance and inspiration through the fusion of academic rigour and creative expression, and to re-examine the profound role of communication in shaping the human experience.