The University of\nMacau (UM) today (23 November) held the Ceremony for the Conferment of Higher\nDegrees 2024. Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Ao Ieong U, acting as\nthe representative of the chief executive of the Macao SAR and chancellor of UM,\nsaid that UM is committed to reflecting new trends in international higher\neducation development in its teaching and research activities, and its\neducational quality has gained international recognition, further highlighting\nthe strength of Macao\u2019s higher education. This year, over 1,900 students\ngraduated from UM with doctoral degrees, master\u2019s degrees, or postgraduate\ncertificates\/diplomas.<\/p>\n\n
Secretary Ao Ieong\nofficiated at the ceremony in the company of UM University Council Chair Lam\nKam Seng Peter, Rector Yonghua Song, Vice Rectors Michael Hui and Ge Wei.\nMembers of the University Assembly, University Council, and Senate, as well as\ngovernment officials, representatives of the agencies of Portuguese-speaking\ncountries in Macao, prominent members of the community, UM faculty and staff,\nand student representatives also attended the ceremony. In addition, live stream\nviewing areas were set up on campus and live streaming was available on the\ninternet for families and friends of the graduates to watch the ceremony.<\/p>\n\n
Secretary Ao Ieong\nsaid in her speech: \u2018The SAR government is working to expand the development\nplatform for higher education in Macao in multiple dimensions. We will continue\nto harness Macao\u2019s distinctive strengths under the \u201cone country, two systems\u201d policy\nto highlight the international feature and resource advantages of Macao\u2019s higher\neducation institutions. We will continue to bring in world-class educational\nresources and innovative elements to optimise the talent cultivation system.\nMeanwhile, we will continue to promote industry-academia integration and\ninnovation through the platforms of the state key laboratories to solidify\nhigher education\u2019s role in providing talent and technology for high-quality\nsocial development. UM is committed to reflecting new trends in international\nhigher education development in its teaching and research activities. In recent\nyears, the university has actively explored innovative educational models in\nthe Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. Through measures such\nas establishing a research and education base and the Hengqin University of\nMacau Advanced Research Institute, UM seeks to further advance research and\ninnovation. The university has also been actively engaged in the inauguration\nof the Macao Centre for Testing of Chinese Medicine to support the development\nof the Chinese medicine industry. In the meantime, UM has worked with\nPortugal\u2019s science and technology department to build a Sino-Portuguese science\npopularisation platform. The university has joined professional alliances such\nas the Association of University Presidents of China to continuously expand its\ninternational cooperation network with prestigious universities at home and\nabroad. This year, UM successfully completed its institutional quality\naccreditation. The university\u2019s educational quality and operational\neffectiveness have once again gained international recognition. Moreover, in\nthe Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings 2025, UM has risen\nto 180th place, further highlighting the strength and influence of Macao\u2019s\nhigher education. The SAR government will continue to support the high-quality\ndevelopment of local higher education institutions, contributing to Macao\u2019s\ngoal of becoming an international hub for high-calibre talent.\u2019<\/p>\n\n
Rector Song said in\nhis speech: \u2018This year marks the 10th anniversary of UM\u2019s relocation to the\nHengqin campus, and the university has made substantial progress over the past\ndecade. As UM has continued to improve the quality of its education and\ninternational collaboration, its reputation has been significantly enhanced,\nand its competitive advantage and attractiveness to high-calibre talent continues\nto grow. This year, UM made a major breakthrough in cross-border teaching and\nexperimentation in the Cooperation Zone. Today, more than 15,000 students are\nstudying at UM.\u2019 Rector Song also expressed his delight that UM alumni have gained\ninternational recognition for their achievements in technology and innovation, and\nhave commercialised their research outcomes in the Cooperation Zone. He added\nthat UM will continue to strengthen strategic coordination and high-level\nplanning, pursue excellence, seek breakthroughs, and strive to reach new\nheights. He also gave three pieces of advice to the graduates: \u2018First, keep\nlearning and develop interdisciplinary skills. Second, foster resilience in\ntimes of adversity and thrive amidst challenges. Third, pursue\ninnovation and shoulder responsibilities.\u2019<\/p>\n\n
In her speech, Un Su\nKei, representative of the graduates, expressed her gratitude to the professors\nand parents for their guidance, care, and love. She said that she found her\ndirection at UM and that her decision to study at UM is one of the best\ndecisions she has ever made. Un also shared how she has managed to maintain a\nbalance between her studies and work, while still having some time to develop her\npersonal interests. She highlighted the importance of setting achievable goals\nand turning challenges into opportunities, as dreams can only be realised\nthrough concrete actions. She also encouraged other graduates to remain\npersistent, determined, and enthusiastic, and looks forward to meeting them at\nthe pinnacle of success in the future.<\/p>\n\n
This year, a total of\n1,910 postgraduate students graduated from UM\u2019s Faculty of Arts and Humanities,\nFaculty of Business Administration, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Health\nSciences, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Science and Technology, Faculty of Social\nSciences, Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering, Institute of\nChinese Medical Sciences, Institute of Collaborative Innovation, and Institute\nof Microelectronics. Among these graduates, 309 were awarded doctoral degrees,\n1,551 received master\u2019s degrees, and 50 obtained postgraduate certificates\/diplomas.<\/p>