On\n5 November 2013, the University of Macau (UM) held an inauguration ceremony for\nthe new campus. Officiating guests included Wang Yang, vice premier of the\nState Council; Chui Sai On, chief executive of Macao SAR and chancellor of UM;\nEdmund Ho Hau Wah, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese\nPeople\u2019s Political Consultative Conference; Tse Chi Wai, chair of UM\u2019s\nUniversity Council; and Wei Zhao, rector of UM. Over 500 guests attended the\nceremony to witness the landmark moments, including officials from the central\ngovernment, Guangdong government, and Macao SAR government; prominent community\nfigures; as well as representatives of UM staff, students and alumni.<\/p>\n\n
The\ninauguration of the new campus, which is 20 times larger than the old one,\nmarked the official end of a long chapter in the university\u2019s history where the\nlack of a decent campus had not only severely hindered its development, but had\nalso prevented the students from enjoying the full experience of campus life.\nTse Chi Wai, chair of the University Council, hopes the new campus will change\nall that.<\/p>\n\n
There\nis a Chinese saying that, \u201cIn order to attract the golden phoenix, the king of\nall birds, you must first plant the Chinese parasol tree, to create the best\nenvironment for the phoenix to thrive.\u201d UM Rector Wei Zhao hopes that the new\ncampus will help to attract more outstanding students and staff so that the\ngoal of developing UM into a world-class university can be achieved.<\/p>\n\n
The\nfamous Russian writer Nikolay Chernyshevsky once said something to the effect\nthat every tomorrow is made up of beautiful dreams of today, and one should\nlove them, embrace them, work for them, and try one\u2019s best to make them come\ntrue.<\/p>\n\n
The\nnew campus is a dream come true, and creating better tomorrows begins with hope\ntoday. Read on to learn what hopes and expectations UM members have for the new\ncampus and the university.<\/p>
The New Campus Through Students\u2019 Eyes<\/b><\/p>
\n\n<\/p>
A\nnew campus\u2014it used to seem like an impossible dream. Now it\u2019s a reality and\nwill soon be occupied. Of course the new campus belongs first and foremost to\nthe students. So what expectations do our students have for the new campus and\nfor themselves in that new environment?<\/p>\n\n
<\/p>\n\n
QUESTION 1:<\/b> What are you most looking forward\nto about the new campus?<\/p>\n\n
QUESTION 2:<\/b> How do you plan to better\nprepare yourself for future challenges?<\/p>\n\n
<\/p>\n\n
Chan Chong Hei, Paco<\/b>\u3000<\/b>Macao<\/b>\u3000<\/b>Faculty of Business\nAdministration<\/b>\u3000<\/b>4th-year undergraduate<\/b><\/p>\n\n
1. \nI most look forward to the large space and the new library. I\nhope to be accepted by the residential college of my choosing. I hope the\nresidential college can help enrich my campus life.<\/p>\n\n
2. \nI hope the new campus can help me to learn better, to make more\nfriends, and to better prepare myself for the future.<\/p>\n\n
Huo Ran, Rita<\/b>\u3000<\/b>Mainland China<\/b>\u3000<\/b>Faculty of Arts and\nHumanities<\/b>\u3000<\/b>2nd-year postgraduate<\/b><\/p>\n\n
1. \nI hope the new campus is more international, with more diversity,\na richer cultural atmosphere, and a better research environment.<\/p>\n\n
2. \nAs a PR Student Ambassador, I hope to spread UM\u2019s educational\nphilosophy to more people. I also hope to gain more experience in guiding\ntours. I hope to live and learn with my whole heart, so I can be the best I can\nbe.<\/p>\n\n
Leong Hong Ip, Jason<\/b>\u3000<\/b>Macao<\/b>\u3000<\/b>Faculty of Social Sciences<\/b>\u3000<\/b>4th-year undergraduate<\/b><\/p>\n\n
1. \nI look forward to the various new challenges! Just thinking about\nthe new experiences and challenges that will come with the new environment\nmakes me so excited!<\/p>\n\n
2. \nI hope to better prepare myself for the various future\nchallenges. What we need most in today\u2019s world is not just expertise, but more importantly\nthe ability to adapt to changes.<\/p>\n\n
Tan Minling, Ling<\/b>\u3000<\/b>Mainland China<\/b>\u3000<\/b>Faculty of Social Sciences<\/b>\u3000<\/b>4th-year undergraduate<\/b><\/p>\n\n
1. \nI look forward to a different kind of campus life. I think\nwith the residential college system, students will be able to spend more time\ntogether, to enjoy a genuine campus life, and to foster deep friendships and\nmake beautiful memories.<\/p>\n\n
2. \nReal knowledge comes from practice. I hope to apply what I\nlearn to daily life. I also hope to have more chances to exchange ideas with\nother students so I can listen to different views and know myself better. I\nalso hope to see and try as many new things as possible.<\/p>\n\n
Chang Kin Ian, Monica<\/b>\u3000<\/b>Macao<\/b>\u3000<\/b>Faculty of Social Sciences<\/b>\u3000<\/b>2nd-year postgraduate<\/b><\/p>\n\n
1. \nI hope the new campus can attract more outstanding international\nstudents so we can carry out more in-depth academic discussions with students\nfrom different countries and develop a global mindset.<\/p>\n\n
2. \nI hope to master the Manchu language so I can read documents in\nthis language. I also hope to find a good research subject for my PhD studies.\nI want to study with the best teacher in the New Qing History.<\/p>\n\n
Chao Lok Kio, Vicky<\/b>\u3000<\/b>Macao<\/b>\u3000<\/b>Faculty of Science and\nTechnology<\/b>\u3000<\/b>2nd-year undergraduate<\/b><\/p>\n\n
1. \nI look forward to living in a residential college with undergraduates\nfrom different faculties and departments so we can learn from one another.<\/p>\n\n
2. \nI hope to make some changes, to become more confident, to learn\ninterpersonal skills, to face difficulties bravely instead of running away from\nthem.<\/p>\n\n
Mok Wai Kin, Joe<\/b>\u3000<\/b>Macao<\/b>\u3000<\/b>Faculty of Law<\/b>\u3000<\/b>2nd-year undergraduate<\/b><\/p>\n\n
1. \nI look forward to the colourful residential college life, a\nbigger campus, better facilities, more food choices, and the chance to meet\nmore friends.<\/p>\n\n
2. \nI hope to have more time to participate in extracurricular activities.\nI hope to become wiser, to challenge myself, and to be the best I can be.<\/p>\n\n
Cheang Chi Fai, George<\/b>\u3000<\/b>Macao<\/b>\u3000<\/b>Faculty of Social Sciences<\/b>\u3000<\/b>3rd-year undergraduate<\/b><\/p>\n\n
1. \nI most look forward to living in a residential college.<\/p>\n\n
2. \nI hope to improve my interpersonal skills, because the importance\nof interpersonal communication in daily life just can\u2019t be overstated. The new\ncampus is a good opportunity, and I hope to seize this opportunity to improve\nmy interpersonal skills and to better prepare myself for future challenges.<\/p>\n\n
Eurico Pinto Marques<\/b>\u3000<\/b>Portugal<\/b>\u3000<\/b>Faculty of Social Sciences<\/b>\u3000<\/b>2nd-year undergraduate<\/b><\/p>\n\n
1. \nI look forward to studying in the excellent environment of\nthe new campus, which I think will motivate students to study more diligently. High-quality\nrestaurants are also important, because students deserve to have a variety of\nchoices. Gym equipment ought to be taken into consideration for those who wish\nto improve their fitness. The enormous space on the new campus will make it\npossible to hold more horizon-broadening activities.<\/p>\n\n
2. \nI hope to improve my communication and collaboration skills.\nInsightful learning and thinking should not be neglected. With the combination\nof these skills, students would be more methodical and mature and would be\nbetter able to cope with future challenges.<\/p>\n\n
Hoi Wa Heng, Ginny<\/b>\u3000<\/b>Macao<\/b>\u3000Faculty of Business\nAdministration<\/b>\u3000<\/b>3rd-year undergraduate <\/b><\/p>\n\n
1. \nI look forward to living in a residential college where we\ncan learn to live with others in harmony and grow together.<\/p>\n\n
2. \nI hope to be able to think and learn independently, to\nobserve and analyse more, to dare to question and ask, to not follow the crowd,\nto develop a crisis mindset, and to improve my competitive advantage.<\/p>\n\n
Gao Hong, Elisa<\/b>\u3000<\/b>Mainland China<\/b>\u3000<\/b>Faculty of Science and\nTechnology<\/b>\u3000<\/b>2nd-year postgraduate<\/b><\/p>\n\n
1. \nI hope to see more variety in the mode of education and course\nenrolment at the postgraduate level. I also hope to see summer courses which\nattract postgraduate students from elsewhere.<\/p>\n\n
2. \nThe greatest challenge for me personally is: how do I\ngraduate with a competitive edge? I also hope to interact with people from\ndifferent fields and of different personalities, to help me stay hungry for\nknowledge.<\/p>\n\n
Kwok Chun Ting, Jimmy<\/b>\u3000<\/b>Hong Kong<\/b>\u3000<\/b>Faculty of Social Sciences<\/b>\u3000<\/b>2nd-year undergraduate<\/b><\/p>\n\n
1. \nI look forward to bicycling through the footbridges, waiting for\nfriends by the lake, and going food-hunting in the University Mall.<\/p>\n\n
2. \nI hope to stay fit and healthy, to participate in more\nvolunteer activities, to improve social and communication skills, to broaden my\nhorizons, and to learn both inside and outside of class.<\/p>
The New Campus Through Tse Chi Wai\u2019s Eyes<\/b><\/p>
\n\n<\/p>
On 20 December 2009, which marked the tenth anniversary of\nMacao\u2019s return to China, Hu Jintao, then president of the People\u2019s Republic of\nChina, visited Macao to attend the celebrations and officiate at the\ngroundbreaking ceremony for the University of Macau\u2019s (UM) new campus on\nHengqin Island. In his speech at the groundbreaking ceremony, Hu Jintao used\nfive \u201cworld-class\u201d designations to express his high expectations for UM\n(becoming a world-class university with world-class facilities, world-class\nfaculty, world-class graduates, and world-class achievements). Dr. Tse Chi Wai,\nUM\u2019s University Council chair, thinks that Hu\u2019s high expectations has given UM\na new mission, which is to explore a new path to becoming a world-class university\nwhich hopefully will benefit other universities in China as well.<\/p>\n\n
Exploring a New Path\nto World-class Status for Chinese Universities<\/b><\/p>\n\n
Tse Chi Wai recalls that in May 2007, at the Joint Meeting\nof the University Assembly and University Council, which was chaired by Edmund\nHo Hau Wah, the first chief executive of Macao SAR, the fact that the lack of a\ndecent campus was stifling the university\u2019s development was once again brought\nto the attention of the chief executive. In response, Ho Hau Wah suggested that\nthe university should think outside the box, that is, think outside Macao, to\nsee if a piece of land on Hengqin Island could be obtained to construct a new\ncampus. One month later, Tse Chi Wai, along with former rector Prof. Iu Vai Pan\nand several University Council members, visited Hengqin Island to examine the\nfeasibility of constructing a new campus there. When we stood in the east of\nthe island and looked back at Macao, we couldn\u2019t help but feel shocked, because\nwe might as well have been in Macao,\u201d recalls Dr. Tse. \u201cThe feeling was so\nstrong that we immediately thought, \u2018What if we build a new campus on Hengqin\nIsland, and then connect the new campus and Macao with a bridge or a tunnel?\nWouldn\u2019t that mean that technically the new campus would still be in Macao?\u2019\u201d\nUpon return to Macao, the team reported the findings of the visit to Ho Hau Wah\nand Chui Sai On, then secretary for social affairs and culture of Macao SAR,\nsuggesting that the idea of constructing a new campus on Hengqin Island was\nfeasible if a plot of land separated from the rest of Hengqin Island could be\nobtained with the approval of the central government.<\/p>\n\n
From that time on, UM and the Macao SAR government worked\nhard to gain approval for this proposal. After more than one year\u2019s\nnegotiations between the Macao SAR government, the central government and\nGuangdong government, it was decided that the proposal to construct on Hengqin\nIsland UM\u2019s new campus directly linked to Macao be submitted to the Standing\nCommittee of the National People\u2019s Congress for deliberation. When news of this\nproposal began to spread in early 2009, many in Macao and the neighbouring\nregions voiced doubts about its feasibility. As Dr. Tse points out, \u201cPeople\nexpressed concern over immigration clearance, policy issues, legal issues,\ntransport, and many other related issues. So we organised more than 20\nconsultation sessions before the proposal was deliberated by the National\nPeople\u2019s Congress Standing Committee. We consulted the opinions of our faculty\nmembers, our students, our administrative staff, our alumni, as well as Macao\nresidents and the SAR government. In other words, we consulted the opinions of\npeople from all walks of life.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
On 27 June 2009, the National People\u2019s Congress Standing\nCommittee adopted the new campus bill, which not only allowed UM to construct a\nnew campus on a piece of land of approximately 1.09 square kilometres in the\neast of Hengqin Island, Guangdong province, but also authorised Macao SAR to\nexercise jurisdiction over the new campus to be connected to Macao via an\nunderwater tunnel which is to be built in an area of water under the\njurisdiction of China but which shall be governed by the Macao SAR government.\nThis unprecedented decision ingeniously addressed, once and for all, all the\nconcerns Macao people had raised, and proved how much the central government\nvalues the opinions of Macao residents.<\/p>\n\n
UM\u2019s new campus is approximately 20 times larger than the\nold campus. It has a building area of approximately 940,000 square metres, with\nmore than 60 buildings and various teaching, research, sports, recreational and\nresidential facilities. It completely meets former president Hu\u2019s \u201cworld-class\u201d\nexpectation, whether in terms of the architectural style or construction\nstandards, which is no mean feat to be accomplished in just a little over three\nyears, and which would not have been possible without the great support of the\ncentral government and the Macao SAR government, the close collaboration\nbetween Guangdong and Macao, as well as the hard work of UM\u2019s management team.<\/p>\n\n
Dr. Tse thinks that UM should make full use of the\nadvantages of the new campus so that students can have the full experience of\ncampus life. \u201cAfter we announced the plan to build a new campus, the first\nmajor decision we made was to adopt a residential college system,\u201d notes Dr.\nTse. \u201cEveryone\u2019s journey of growth is unique, and every university needs to\nhave its own distinctive culture. But this culture can\u2019t be built overnight; it\nneeds to be jointly fostered by our students and teachers over time. The\nresidential college system is a mode of education widely adopted by many\nworld-class universities. By arranging for teachers and students to live\ntogether, this system creates more opportunities for teacher-student\ninteraction as well as peer interaction, which in turn inspires more new\nideas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an opportunity\nthat comes only once in a thousand years.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n\n
Dr. Tse discloses that according to UM\u2019s Ten Year Development Strategy<\/i>, which was\nformulated in 2007 and updated every five years, the university will establish\none to two new faculties on the new campus, and will constantly increase\nteaching and research quality, in order to achieve the goal of becoming a\nworld-class university. \u201cThe quality and mindsets of our students as well as\nthe campus environment are, among other things, essential to achieving the goal\nof developing UM into a world-class university. As for how we will achieve that\ngoal\u2014it depends on our efforts. But our goal is clear\u2014to become a world-class\nuniversity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
For Tse Chi Wai, the new campus has been an unimaginable\nenterprise, from the time the idea was conceived, to the time preparations\nformally began, to the day the construction was finally completed. Once during\na chat with Prof. Lawrence J. Lau, former vice-chancellor and president of the\nChinese University of Hong Kong, who came to UM to give a lecture, Dr. Tse\nmentioned that the new campus project was an opportunity that came only once in\na hundred years. Prof. Lau looked at him and said, \u201cNo, it\u2019s not.\u201d Dr. Tse was\ntaken aback, but before he had time to wonder if he had perhaps exaggerated a\nlittle, he heard Prof. Lau say, \u201cIt\u2019s not an opportunity that comes only once\nin a hundred years. It\u2019s an opportunity that comes only once in a thousand\nyears!\u201d Dr. Tse says those words always stick in his mind. \u201cSo we must make the\nbest use of this opportunity, otherwise we would be letting down our students,\nour teachers, the people of Macao, and our country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Thanks to the joint efforts of the central government,\nGuangdong, and Macao, UM\u2019s new campus was officially handed over by the Fifth\nDivision of the Chinese People\u2019s Liberation Army to the Macao Customs and came\nunder the jurisdiction of Macao SAR on 20 July, in an unprecedented and\ninnovative implementation of the \u201cOne Country, Two Systems\u201d policy. Dr. Tse\nwitnessed the handover ceremony throughout. Overcome with excitement, he wrote\na poem later that day, to celebrate the joyous occasion and to wish UM a\nbrighter future.<\/p>\n\n
<\/i><\/p>\n\n
Midnight strikes, yet\nno drums roar,
Three-year dream, fond\nand dear;
The world now gasps,\nat this precious land
European flare and\nLingnan charm,
Touches from above,\nhere and there,
See how she strides,\nproud and bold,
The\nNew Campus Through Wei Zhao\u2019s Eyes<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhy does Macao need\na good university?\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n\n
On 27 June 2009, the Standing Committee of the National\nPeople\u2019s Congress adopted a bill that authorises Macao SAR to exercise\njurisdiction over the University of Macau\u2019s (UM) new campus on Hengqin Island.\nAfter that the construction of the new campus began. It\u2019s been three years now\nand the new campus has been built. Rector Wei Zhao notes that the new campus is\na cross-border project. It not only provides fresh impetus to higher education development\nin Macao; it is also a groundbreaking event within the framework of the \u201cOne\nCountry, Two Systems\u201d policy, and shows that this policy has the potential for\nfurther development and enrichment.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cPeople ask me why Macao needs a good university. There are\nthree reasons. First of all, if a place wants to realise sustainable\ndevelopment, it must have a university that provides a steady supply of talent,\nespecially given that people are always talking about how imperative it is for\nMacao to become more economically diversified,\u201d says Wei Zhao. \u201cThe greatest\nobstacle to realizing economic diversification in Macao is the lack of talent.\nThat\u2019s why UM must aim higher and go beyond serving just the 500,000 people of\n[Macao]. Secondly, is it possible for UM, under the current system, to aim\nhigher?\u2014say, towards becoming a world-class university, which some might think\nis a bit too ambitious for a young university like UM. Well, I say, we\u2019re going\nto have to find a way to make it possible, aren\u2019t we? And the experience we\ngain in the process will not only benefit Macao, but also China as a whole. We\ncould try to explore a new path to increasing the quality of higher education\nin China. Third, higher education is developing very fast in mainland China,\nHong Kong, and Taiwan. For example, Peking University, Taiwan University, and\nthe University of Hong Kong are all excellent universities that are ranked\namong the top 100 in the world. But no universities in Macao have made it into\nthe top 100. If Macao is to realise sustainable development under the \u2018One\nCountry, Two Systems\u2019 policy, it can\u2019t afford to be marginalised in higher\neducation.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
UM Rector Wei Zhao stresses that the function of a\nuniversity should not be limited to education inside the classroom; a\nuniversity should try to provide a multifaceted education. \u201cOur educational\nphilosophy consists of four components. The first is discipline-specific\neducation,\u201d explains Wei Zhao. \u201cWe hope our graduates are among the best, so\nwe\u2019ve also got general education, and these two forms of education take place\ninside the classroom. What about outside the classroom? Knowledge is boundless.\nA lot of things you learn from college classes become obsolete before you even\ngraduate, so it\u2019s imperative that one learns to discover new knowledge, and\nthat\u2019s where the third component\u2014research and internship education\u2014comes in.\nThe fourth component is community and peer education, and we emphasise\ninteraction within the campus. UM will be the first university in the world to\nhave explicit requirements for the students in all these four areas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Wei Zhao hopes that after moving to the new campus, the\nuniversity can speed up the progress of several things that are high on the\nagenda. \u201cWe have a very clear goal, which is to become a first-class\nuniversity, and the new campus provides an excellent foundation for achieving\nthis goal. So building on this foundation, there are several things we will\nneed to do,\u201d notes Wei Zhao.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cFirst, we need to expand our disciplines, especially\nfoundation disciplines, because all good universities have strong foundation\ndisciplines. We also need to vigorously develop certain disciplines like microelectronics\nto keep in line with the international trend and to meet the demand of society.\nSecondly, our university needs to fulfill its responsibilities to the local\ncommunity, and to this end, we will increase the scope of our service to Macao\nand even the neighbouring regions. For example, we will share some of our\nresources, such as the library, with Macao residents and other universities.\nOur scientific research base also welcomes universities from the neighbouring\nregions. If they don\u2019t have the necessary facilities or space, they could come\nhere and we could do research together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Conventional wisdom holds that, \u201cThe success of a university\nrelies not on facilities but on faculty.\u201d But Wei Zhao thinks that while having\nexcellent faculty is important, facilities are important too. \u201cNow we have\nexcellent facilities on the new campus, which are much better compared to the\nold campus,\u201d says Wei Zhao. \u201cAlthough it\u2019s not easy to attract the best talent,\nwe do have our advantages, and that\u2019s why we have obtained a lot of talent.\nWhat are our advantages? First, our educational philosophy is comparatively\nadvanced. For example, we have the residential college system. Second, our new\ncampus is large and well-equipped. Third, our financial position is improving constantly.\nThese advantages, combined with the fact that we are stepping up our\npromotional efforts, have attracted a lot of media attention and have helped\nthe public to see the potential of our university.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
In recent years UM is developing quickly in research. There\nis a research base on the new campus which will house the two state key\nlaboratories as well as the newly-approved research centre for applied physics and\nengineering, with focus on the most cutting-edge research areas. There is a\nChinese saying that, \u201cIn order to attract the golden phoenix, the king of all\nbirds, you must first plant the Chinese parasol tree, to create the best environment\nfor the phoenix to thrive.\u201d Now with the beautiful new campus serving as the\n\u201cChinese parasol tree\u201d, it shouldn\u2019t be difficult for the university to attract\n\u201cgolden phoenixes\u201d from around the world. However, Rector Wei Zhao stresses\nthat the university\u2019s long-term goal is to nurture local talent. \u201cWe need to\nhave more home-grown talent, and that\u2019s why we are stepping up our efforts to\nattract young scholars. We will provide the best possible conditions for them,\nand hopefully 20 years from now when their names become well-known, our\nuniversity will also become well-known. Of course, the quality of our graduates\nis also very important, perhaps even more important. The day our graduates\nbecome well-known is the day our university truly becomes a well-known\nuniversity.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cWe hope the campus\nitself is educational.\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n\n
Wei Zhao has insisted from the outset that the campus should\nreflect the university\u2019s educational philosophy. \u201cI believe environment plays a\nmajor role in education,\u201d notes Wei Zhao. \u201cIt\u2019d be a waste of such a wonderful\nopportunity if we didn\u2019t incorporate our educational philosophy in the design.\nI once talked to Mr. He Jingtang, who is the chief designer of our new campus\nand also a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. I told him that we\nwant to have a campus which is in and of itself educational\u2014a campus from which\nthe students can learn something simply by walking in it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Wei Zhao points out that ideas like \u201cdiversified\u201d,\n\u201cinteractive\u201d, \u201cunassuming\u201d, and \u201ctolerant\u201d are reflected in many of the design\ndetails. \u201cTake the square in front of our library for example,\u201d explains Wei\nZhao. \u201cPerhaps you think it\u2019s very different. It\u2019s got tall trees and it\u2019s\nshaped like a bowl. It\u2019s rectangular on the outside and circular on the inside,\nwhich makes it a great place to take a leisurely walk. Actually the whole\ncampus is very walking-friendly because of the covered walkways, which is a\ndeliberate design that takes into consideration the frequent rainy days in\nsouth China. Our buildings are connected by covered walkways, so the students\ncan easily walk from their classrooms to their dormitories or any teacher\u2019s\noffice, even on rainy days. You can talk with your friends, coworkers, teachers\nor students while walking through the covered walkways. The campus is an\ninteractive campus only when people in it can interact with one another easily,\nwhich you can\u2019t do if you are cooped up in your classroom or office all day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Wei Zhao says that during the early phase of design the\nuniversity maintained close liaison with He Jingtang\u2019s team to make sure the\nuniversity\u2019s educational philosophy is embedded in the design of the campus.\n\u201cYou see, the Central Teaching Building looks more impressive than the\nAdministration Building, right? That\u2019s because we want to convey to the\nstudents the message that the rector is not the emperor of a university. The\nuniversity isn\u2019t run by administration. Teaching is the core here. You could\nalso see that not only is the Central Teaching Building taller than the\nAdministration Building, it also has an extra structure on the top, whereas the\nAdministration Building doesn\u2019t. Also, there are no stairs leading up to my\noffice or the offices of our vice rectors. These are deliberate designs through\nwhich we hope to convey the message that we are all born equal. We may play\ndifferent roles in society\u2014be they rector, professor, or student, but we are\nall born equal. We want to make sure that the Student Activity Centre and the\nAdministration Building each has its distinctive character, instead of one\novershadowing the other. Other buildings like the Central Teaching Building and\nthe residential buildings all have their own distinctive character. All these\ndesign details are a reflection of the ideas of \u201cunassuming\u201d and \u201cequality\u201d.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cThere are a lot of places on the new campus where we can\nuse our creativity,\u201d says Wei Zhao. \u201cFor example, we have a road called Alumni Avenue.\nWe hope each of our future graduates can leave something on this road as a gift\nto his or her alma mater. It could be a tree or a statue\u2014anything they think\ncan best represent their memories of the campus. And when they come back 20 or\n30 years after their graduation, this road will be full of memories in the form\nof flowers, trees and the like. We have many such places on the new campus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
The New Campus Through He Jingtang\u2019s Eyes<\/b>
\n\n<\/p>
\u201cI love the University of Macau\u2019s (UM) new campus,\u201d enthuses\nHe Jingtang, chief designer of the campus and member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.\n\u201cIt is a student-oriented campus, with beautiful scenery and a rich cultural\natmosphere. We hope to design a campus where teachers and students can study\nand teach while at the same time enjoying the beautiful scenery.\u201d Silver-haired\nbut looking hale and hearty, He Jingtang explains his design ideas in a\nsonorous voice, with a warm smile on his face. Having designed many famous\nbuildings, including the China Pavilion at the Expo 2010 Shanghai China, He\nsays he loves his design of UM\u2019s new campus very much.<\/p>\n\n
He points out that there are four characteristics in the\ncampus design. \u201cFirst, the design incorporates many natural elements typically\nfound in the riverside towns in Lingnan region,\u201d explains He Jingtang. \u201cThere\nare several islands (three big islands, and one big peninsula) surrounded by\nwater. And there are brooks, lawns, footbridges and hip-roofed buildings by the\nislands, which are all typical elements of a riverside town. Such an\nenvironment is communicative, combines the styles of Lingnan architecture and\nsouthern European architecture, and has a rich cultural atmosphere. Environment\nplays an important role in education. We hope the campus can fulfil that role.\nWe hope the beautiful campus provides inspirations for UM teachers and students\nand helps them to come up with many creative ideas.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
\u201cThe second characteristic concerns the layout of the\ncampus. Both the residential colleges and the faculties are organised in the\nform of clusters, or islands,\u201d He Jingtang says. \u201cResidential colleges are\ncommonly found in old European universities. We visited the University of\nCambridge and the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom, as well as the\nIvy League schools in the United States. The residential college system is in\nessence a way of life. Each residential college is a learning and living\ncommunity. The greatest benefit of such a layout is that it facilitates interaction,\nnot just within the same cluster, but also across different clusters, because\ndifferent clusters are within 300 metres\u2019 walking distance of one another,\nconnected by covered walkways on the second level, with study areas on the\nupper level, and green space on the lower level.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
\u201cThird, the campus is walking-friendly, with separate routes\nfor pedestrians and vehicles. Vehicle lanes are on the ground level, while the\nstudent activity space is on the upper level. Fourth, in terms of architectural\nstyle, the campus is a mix of Lingnan architecture and southern European\narchitecture. Many details are reminiscent of southern European architecture,\nlike the ratios of the arched corridors, hip roofs and windows. We didn\u2019t use a\nlot of modern elements such as glass walls for the buildings. Even the stone\nmaterials have a classical feel. But on the other hand we also borrowed the\nrelatively free and flexible elements of Lingnan architecture to suit the local\nconditions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n
Walk around the new campus and one will notice that while\nthe whole campus is of a consistent architectural style, each building has its\ndistinctive character, which He Jingtang says is a deliberate arrangement\nbecause he wants to create the effect of \u201charmony in diversity\u201d.<\/p>\n\n
From the day he undertook the responsibility for the design\nof the new campus to the day the construction was complete, He Jingtang often\nvisited the new campus, and every time he did, he felt like staying here\nforever. \u201cYou feel so comfortable here, with the beautiful environment, lake,\nbreeze, and the rich cultural atmosphere,\u201d He says. \u201cThis is the kind of place\nthat quiets your mind and helps you focus on study.\u201d<\/p>
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New Campus Figures<\/b><\/p>
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| \n \n Campus size<\/p>\n <\/td>\n | \n 1.09km2<\/sup><\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n Total building area<\/p>\n <\/td>\n 940,000m2<\/sup><\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n South-north length<\/p>\n <\/td>\n 1,600m<\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n East-west length (Axis of the library)<\/p>\n <\/td>\n \u2248 650m<\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n No. of buildings<\/p>\n <\/td>\n > 60<\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n Underwater tunnel (vehicle lanes)<\/p>\n <\/td>\n 1,570m<\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n Underwater tunnel (pedestrian lane)<\/p>\n <\/td>\n 500m<\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n No. of dry labs, wet labs, electronics and computer labs<\/p>\n <\/td>\n > 280<\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n Parking spaces for light vehicles<\/p>\n <\/td>\n \u2248 2,500<\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n Parking spaces for motorbikes<\/p>\n <\/td>\n \u2248 1,300<\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n Parking spaces for bicycles <\/p>\n <\/td>\n 12<\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/p><\/td>\n <\/tr>\n Green spaces<\/p>\n <\/td>\n 430,000m2<\/sup><\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n Bodies of water<\/p>\n <\/td>\n 110,000m2<\/sup><\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n Varieties of seedlings<\/p>\n <\/td>\n \u2248 180<\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n No. of trees<\/p>\n <\/td>\n > 22,000<\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n No. of Lifts<\/p>\n <\/td>\n > 200<\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/p><\/td>\n <\/tr>\n Building area of the buildings serviced by the air-conditioning system<\/p>\n <\/td>\n > 260,000m2<\/sup><\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/p><\/td>\n <\/tr>\n No. of other types of air-conditioning units<\/p>\n <\/td>\n > 11,000<\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/p><\/td>\n <\/tr>\n Municipal roads inside the campus 5,588m<\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/p><\/td>\n <\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table>\n\n <\/p> \n\n\n\n<\/p> New Campus Construction Figures <\/b><\/p>\n\n Concrete <\/p>\n <\/td>\n \u2248 1,000,000m3<\/sup><\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n No. of design drawings<\/p>\n <\/td>\n \u2248 100,000<\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n Reinforcing bars<\/p>\n <\/td>\n \u2248 150,000<\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n No. of support piles and foundation reinforcement piles<\/p>\n <\/td>\n > 95,000<\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n No. of construction units involved<\/p>\n <\/td>\n > 20<\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n No. of construction workers during peak period<\/p>\n <\/td>\n \u2248 10,000<\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n Phase-1 works (land levelling)<\/p>\n <\/td>\n > 26,000 truckloads & 1,000 shiploads of sediments<\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n No. of dredgers, bulldozers, earth movers, and\n excavators<\/p>\n <\/td>\n \u2248 200<\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n Cement from outside Macao (tons)<\/p>\n <\/td>\n 77,400<\/p>\n (2009-12\/2011)<\/p>\n <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n<\/tbody><\/table>\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n |