With\nthe steady increase of its international reputation and the quality of its\nteaching and research, the University of Macau (UM) in this academic year\n(2019\/2020 academic year) received more than 13,000 applications for its\nundergraduate programmes, up nearly 30 per cent from last year, hitting a new\nhigh in the university\u2019s history. With the goal of recruiting outstanding\nstudents, UM this year admitted 2,041 students, with a record number of\noutstanding students. Why do top students choose UM?<\/p>
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Following in Her Father\u2019s Footsteps<\/b><\/p>
A\nrecord number of 348 outstanding students were admitted this year through the\nPrincipals\u2019 Recommended Admission Scheme. Among them, 37 are ranked No 1 in\ntheir secondary school classes. Lam Lam, a first-year student of\nelectromechanical engineering, is one of these students. According to Lam,\nthanks to the rapid development of science and technology, artificial\nintelligence (AI) is attracting more and more attention worldwide, and UM has\nits unique strengths in AI research. She believes that against this backdrop,\ngraduates of electromechanical engineering will have many career opportunities\nafter graduation. In the Essential Sciences Indicators (ESI) rankings, UM is\namong the top 1 per cent in six subjects, namely Engineering, Chemistry,\nPharmacology & Toxicology, Computer Science, Clinical Medicine, and Social\nSciences, General.<\/p>
Lam\u2019s\nfather is an electromechanical engineer. Since her childhood, Lam has learned a\ngreat deal about electromechanical engineering from him, and gradually developed\na strong interest in this field. Lam hopes to become an outstanding\nelectromechanical engineer just like her father. She says she applied to UM\nbecause UM\u2019s undergraduate programme in electromechanical engineering has\nreceived full accreditation from the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers (HKIE),\nso she will be qualified to apply for HKIE membership after graduation. In\naddition, UM\u2019s English-teaching environment is also one of the reasons why she\nchose UM. \u2018Studying at UM will not only improve my English; it will also\nfulfill the English requirements for the profession of electromechanical\nengineering, which will in turn prepare me for studying overseas in the\nfuture,\u2019 says Lam.<\/p>
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Integrating Big Data into Business Education<\/b><\/p>
Many\noutstanding students from mainland provinces and cities applied to UM this\nyear, up 58 per cent from last year. The 351 mainland students admitted by UM\nscored an average of 18.6 per cent higher than the admission marks required by\ntier-one universities for their respective provinces and cities, hitting a new\nhigh in the university\u2019s history. Ma Jingkun, a first-year student from Beijing,\nwho studies in the Faculty of Business Administration, achieved marks that were\n20 per cent higher than the admission marks required by tier-one universities\nin Beijing. As a top scorer from the High School Affiliated to the Renmin\nUniversity of China, she had many options in terms of college choice. It was\nduring a higher education fair that she learned of the international\nrecognition of UM\u2019s academic and research results and the fact that UM is an\noutstanding young university. \u2018UM enjoys great renown, both at home and abroad,\nfor its business education,\u2019 she says. \u2018This year, the university launched the\nBachelor of Science in Business Intelligence and Data Analytics programme,\nwhich I believe will help enhance my international competitiveness.\u2019<\/p>
She adds: \u2018Big data analysis is a hot new topic in\nrecent years. Everybody is talking about how to apply big data technology in\ntheir fields. In recent years, UM is actively integrating advanced technology\n(such as data mining, blockchain, artificial intelligence ) into business\neducation in order to equip students with the newest knowledge. Also, Macao is\na place where diverse cultures co-exist, and UM is like a microcosm of the\nMacao society. Studying at UM can help me develop a global mindset and grow as an\nindividual.\u2019 She looks forward to participating in an exchange programme\noverseas in her third year to experience a different culture. (currently, UM\nstudents can choose from more than 150 higher education institutions around the\nworld for exchange programmes or overseas studies) <\/p>
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A Stage for\nShowcasing Your Talent<\/b><\/p>
UM is dedicated to recruiting more international\nstudents. This year sees an increase in both the number of applicants and the\ndiversity of their backgrounds. A total of 570 students from 31 countries and\nregions applied to UM this year. Foong Chan Kok, a first-year student in the\nDepartment of Psychology, is from Malaysia. He received A1 in six subjects in\nthe UEC (Unified Examination Certificate) examination. He says he considers UM\nto be an ideal university, adding that he learned about UM and its unique\nresidential college system from a senior female student in his high school who\nhighly recommended UM and who herself is now a student at UM. Foong likes\ndancing, and he feels that UM provides a perfect learning environment and\nsufficient resources to sustain his determination to continue dancing. He says,\n\u2018There is a cheerleading team in every residential college. UM places an\nemphasis on team spirit and encourages students to make good use of their spare\ntime to practise various skills. This place feels like a home. Every day, when\nI am not studying, I am dancing.\u2019<\/p>
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Foong says he chose psychology mainly because he\nwanted to learn how to release emotions as someone who is not very good at\nexpressing himself. \u2018One day, I just lost it,\u2019 he says. \u2018That was the first\ntime I went to see a counsellor, which made me realise the importance of\nreleasing emotions. I hope that through studying psychology, I can learn how to\nobserve and understand myself better, and then I hope to be able to help\nothers. I also believe that UM teachers and students will inspire me.\u2019 Foong\nintends to combine dancing and psychology to help people express their emotions\nthrough dance moves. He explains, \u2018This is just a preliminary idea. I hope to\nput my knowledge into practice, and interpret psychological theories into body\nlanguage, so we can release our emotions through dancing.\u2019<\/p>
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Source: Communications Office<\/p>
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Media Contact Information:
Communications Office, University of Macau<\/p>
Albee Lei Tel\uff1a(853) 88228004
Kelvin U Tel\uff1a(853) 88224322
Email\uff1aprs.media@um.edu.mo
UM Website\uff1awww.um.edu.mo<\/p><\/div>
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