The name of the University of Macau (UM) appears five times\nin the Master Plan of the Development of the Guangdong-Macao Intensive\nCooperation Zone in Hengqin. Hailed as a great gift from the central\ngovernment, the document creates new opportunities for the university and all\nUM members. In this issue, we interview several UM members to understand their\nthoughts about the Master Plan.<\/p>
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Helping the University Reach New Heights <\/p>
In 2009, the central government announced its decision to\ndevelop Hengqin Island and approved the construction of a new UM campus on the\nisland, bringing an unprecedented opportunity for the university. In September\n2021, the Master Plan was released, creating favourable conditions for the\ndiversification of Macao\u2019s economy. The university\u2019s name appears five times in\nthe document, as in \u2018creating a high-quality industry-academia collaboration\nbase for higher education institutions including UM\u2019, \u2018accelerating the\nconstruction of a dedicated passage connecting UM\u2019s Hengqin campus and Hengqin\nPort\u2019, \u2018exploring the feasibility of establishing an intelligent check point\nbetween UM\u2019s Hengqin campus and the cooperation zone\u2019, and \u2018facilitating UM\nmembers\u2019 access to the cooperation zone\u2019. These new measures will not only help\nthe university reach new heights, but will also bring new opportunities for UM\nmembers.<\/p>
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UM Rector Yonghua Song is very pleased with the Master Plan,\nsaying that it is not only a significant initiative to promote the development\nof the Greater Bay Area; it is also a great gift from the central government to\nsupport the sustainable prosperity and development of Macao, which will help\nMacao better integrate into the national development strategy. \u2018We will seize\nthe opportunity to work more extensively and closely with Hengqin in terms of\ntalent development, innovative research, and other areas, in order to create\nmore results in industry-academia collaboration and to realise a quantum leap\nof the university,\u2019 says Rector Song. <\/p>
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Promoting Industry-Academia Collaboration<\/p>
In order to promote the economic diversification of Macao,\nthe Master Plan identifies some emerging industries to be given priority, which\ninclude integrated circuits, electronic components, new materials, new energy,\nbig data, artificial intelligence, the internet of things, and biomedical\nsciences. It also highlights the need to create a microelectronic industrial\nchain for chip design and testing, and to promote the development of Macao\u2019s\nsignature industries such as the Chinese medicine industry. These industries\noverlap with several key UM research fields, whose research results in these\nareas are being commercialised in Hengqin. Prof Xu Chengzhong, dean of the\nFaculty of Science and Technology, says that the R&D and high-end\nmanufacturing industry is placed at the top of the four new industries in the\nMaster Plan, which will create favourable conditions for UM to accelerate its\nR&D projects and their applications, a notable example of which is the\nautonomous vehicle project conducted by the university\u2019s State Key Laboratory\nof Internet of Things for Smart City.<\/p>
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The Chinese medicine industry is key to realising economic\ndiversification in Macao. Prof Wang Yitao, director of the State Key Laboratory\nof Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, says the Master Plan provides a blueprint\nfor the development of the Chinese medicine industry in the cooperation zone.\n\u2018The Master Plan sets out a clear direction for the development of the Chinese\nmedicine industry in Macao and the deep integration of industry-academia\ncollaboration in the field between Guangdong and Macao,\u2019 says Prof Wang. \u2018Our\nstate key lab and the research institute for Chinese medicine will follow the\nMaster Plan and start with research, development, and manufacturing in Chinese\nmedicine. We will enhance industry-academia collaboration and create a platform\nfor innovative drug research, development, and transformation with independent\nintellectual property rights and Chinese characteristics.\u2019<\/p>
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Attracting Top-notch International Talent <\/p>
UM is now at the forefront of chip design in the world. Prof\nElvis Mak Pui In, deputy director of the State Key Laboratory of Analog and\nMixed-Signal VLSI and the Institute of Microelectronics, says the construction\nof the cooperation zone will create more space for UM to conduct cutting-edge\nresearch in microelectronic chips, and will make it easier for UM researchers\nto liaise and work with organisations, universities, and chip companies in\nmainland China. <\/p>
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The Master Plan outlines policies designed to attract\ntalented people from around the world to the cooperation zone, especially\ntop-notch talent in great demand. It also mentions the creation of a\ncomfortable working and living environment that is similar to that in Macao.\nCommenting on these policies, Prof Mak says they will attract and retain the\nbest people, which will in turn help to foster a chip design and manufacturing\nindustry in the Greater Bay Area. <\/p>
Career Opportunities for UM Alumni and Students<\/p>
Danny Chau, an alumnus of the Faculty of Business\nAdministration, says the Master Plan is another perfect example that shows how\nmuch the central government cares about Macao and its residents, and it also\nreflects the central government\u2019s vision of an integrated future for Macao and\nHengqin. Chau believes the implementation of the document will create a bigger\nstage for young people in Macao, including UM members, to achieve their full\npotential. \u2018I work in Sino-Portuguese commerce. I think the document will make\nit more convenient for me to import products from Macao and Portuguese-speaking\ncountries through Hengqin,\u2019 he says. <\/p>
Dennis Iao, a postgraduate student in the Department of\nElectrical and Computer Engineering, says the Master Plan mentions fostering\ndiverse industries and launching various employment policies in the cooperation\nzone. He hopes this will create more job opportunities in the science and\ntechnology industry in the cooperation zone for UM graduates. \u2018In recent years,\nUM has been actively training local talent and promoting the innovation and\nindustrialisation of science and technology,\u2019 he says. \u2018Our generation is very fortunate to be\nliving in the best time in Macao\u2019s history in terms of economic development and\nthe quality of life. As a UM member, I must prepare myself and contribute to\nthe development of the cooperation zone to make it better and stronger. This is\na historic mission placed on our shoulders!\u2019<\/p>
Mark Lam, a second-year student in the Department of Finance\nand Business Economics and a member of the Moon Chun Memorial College, believes\nthe Master Plan will create a large number of new jobs for Macao, which means\nthat UM graduates will have more employment options. \u2018The financial services\nindustry in Hengqin has enormous potential, and I hope I can find a job there\nafter graduation,\u2019 says Lam. \u2018The central government will invest generously in\nHengqin to attract talented people, which means there will be a lot of\nopportunities for me and other UM students.\u2019<\/p>
Connie Ren, a fourth-year student in the Department of\nEnglish and a member of the Henry Fok Pearl Jubilee College, says that she, her\ncollege friends, and her family all feel very excited about the Master Plan.\n\u2018This makes me and my friends feel more confident about studying at UM, because\nwe believe the Macao SAR government, the Greater Bay Area, and the central\ngovernment will provide great support to us,\u2019 she says. \u2018My family are also\nvery happy, saying that they made a very wise choice three years ago to support\nmy decision to apply to UM.\u2019<\/p>
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Wang Jintao, a fourth-year student in the Department of\nComputer and Information Science, feels elated at the news about the\ncooperation zone. \u2018I feel so lucky that the Master Plan was announced right\nbefore my graduation, which gives me and other UM students an opportunity to\nfind a job in the cooperation zone,\u2019 says Wang. \u2018I believe that the new\npolicies will lead to an increased influx of people into the zone, especially\nfresh college graduates.\u2019 <\/p>
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