Professional\nand skilled workers provide momentum for social progress. As the best, and the\nonly public comprehensive, university in Macao, the University of Macau (UM)\nwill launch five new bachelor\u2019s degree programmes in the 2019\/2020 academic\nyear to respond to the needs for social development and technological\ntransformation. The programmes aim to nurture innovative and interdisciplinary\nprofessionals for various industries in Macao. In this article, we interview\npractitioners from different industries to solicit their views on the new programmes.<\/p>\n\n
New Programmes Respond to Needs for Social Development <\/b><\/p>\n\n
On 18 February\n2019, the Chinese government released The Outline of the Strategies for the\nGuangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. According to the document,\nprofessional and skilled workers are encouraged to integrate themselves into\nthe development of the Greater Bay Area. As Macao is one of the cities in this\narea, UM as a public university has the responsibility to nurture high-calibre\nprofessionals for various industries in China and Macao. To respond to the\ndemand for interdisciplinary professionals prepared to contribute to\ntechnological transformation, in the 2019\/2020 academic year UM will launch\nfive new bachelor\u2019s degree programmes. They are: Bachelor of Science in Business\nIntelligence and Data Analytics Programme; Bachelor of Education in Integrated\nScience Programme; Bachelor of Science in Bioinformatics Programme; as well as\nBachelor of Science in Applied Physics and Chemistry Programme and Bachelor of\nScience in Mathematics (Statistics and Data Science) Programme. The programmes\naim to nurture professionals prepared to fulfill different needs of Macao and\ncontribute to the development of China with the latest technologies.<\/p>\n\n
Growing Demand for IT and Business Professionals in\nMacao<\/b><\/p>\n\n
The Bachelor of\nScience in Business Intelligence and Data Analytics programme aims to nurture\nprofessionals who can take up challenges in a complex business environment with\nan interdisciplinary mindset and problem-solving skills. The programme is\nsuitable for secondary school graduates from all streams\n(arts\/science\/commerce). Graduates of the programme will be equipped with\nknowledge in business management and skills in IT application and data\nanalytics, and can pursue a career in the private or public sectors.<\/p>\n\n
Ip Sio Kai,\ndeputy general manager of the Bank of China Macau Branch, says that with the\nemergence of new business practices and models like smart banking, unmanned\nbanking, and virtual reality banking, there is a huge demand for professionals\nwith both IT and business knowledge. UM\u2019s Bachelor of Science in Business\nIntelligence and Data Analytics programme and the financial industry can\njointly build a system for collaboration between industry, universities, and research\ninstitutes. \u2018The industry is happy to provide a platform for UM students to put\ntheir knowledge into practice and develop their careers,\u2019 says Ip.<\/p>\n\n
Nurturing Well-rounded Science Professionals<\/b><\/p>\n\n
The Bachelor of\nEducation in Integrated Science programme is structured to provide training in\nscience education by integrating knowledge in the areas of physics, chemistry,\nand biology. Its foundation is centred on integrated science with\nspecialisation in physics, chemistry or biology. The goal of the programme is to\nnurture qualified junior and senior secondary school teachers in Macao.\nGraduates of the programme will be qualified to become teachers, academic\nresearchers, technicians, science journalists, or employees in the engineering\nand manufacturing industries, as well as government departments. <\/p>\n\n
Kou Kam Fai,\nprincipal of Pui Ching Middle School (Macao), says that in the past secondary\nschool graduates wishing to pursue a career in science education could only choose\none subject from among physics, chemistry, and biology, at universities in\nneighbouring areas, and they were unable to pursue a degree that would prepare them\nto become well-rounded science teachers. \u2018UM\u2019s Bachelor of Education in\nIntegrated Science programme will help to fill the gap,\u2019 says Kou. He contends\nthat the career prospects of teachers in Macao are quite good. According to the\nOrganisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, future education should\naim to develop students\u2019 knowledge, skills, attitudes and values, and\nmeta-learning. Many high schools in mainland China have included artificial intelligence\ninto their curriculum. In addition, the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau has\nlaunched pilot programmes to promote the importance of applying knowledge and\nskills in a practical context. They demonstrate the importance of having\nwell-rounded science teachers in Macao. Moreover, thanks to the development of\nthe Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, there continues to be high\nlevels of demand for well-rounded science teachers.<\/p>\n\n
Rosy Career Prospects in Professions Related to\nScientific Testing<\/b><\/p>\n\n
The Bachelor of\nScience in Applied Physics and Chemistry programme provides students with\ncomprehensive training in the foundations of physics and chemistry, with a\nfocus on interdisciplinary applications. The scope of study encompasses various\nscientific and engineering disciplines (materials science, environmental\nscience, biomedical science and engineering, electronics, mechanical and\nmanufacturing engineering) as well as content related to global challenges such\nas energy production, health and well-being, food safety, and the use of\nnatural resources. Graduates can pursue a career in science, engineering,\nresearch, and education-related fields, such as in government departments,\npublic institutions, laboratories and testing facilities, hospitals, microelectronics\nor optoelectronics companies, petroleum and chemical industries, food industry,\nand universities.<\/p>\n\n
Ma Chi Ngai,\npresident of the Administrative Committee of the Science and Technology\nDevelopment Fund, says that environmental facilities, testing facilities, and pharmaceutical\ncompanies in Macao welcome those who have graduated from overseas universities\nwith a degree in related fields, adding that they have hired professionals from\noutside Macao to fill this gap. Macao\u2019s higher education and research\ninstitutes have accumulated a lot of experience in this area and at this moment\npossess the right conditions to nurture their own professionals. He is pleased to\nsee the launch of the Bachelor of Science in Applied Physics and Chemistry\nprogramme, adding that it can fill the gap in higher education in Macao and\nnurture professionals in this field. Graduates of the programme will have great\nscope for development, whether they decide to pursue basic research or work as\nindustry practitioners.<\/p>\n\n
Huge Demand for Bioinformatics Professionals<\/b><\/p>\n\n
The Bachelor of\nScience in Bioinformatics programme integrates the studies of biology, health\nsciences, information technology, and computer science, in order to nurture\nprofessionals in the area of bioinformatics. These professionals will become an\nimportant part of the smart city development of Macao. Graduates of the\nprogramme can pursue a career related to biomedical, pharmaceutical or\nbiotechnological sciences in the medical sector. They can work as researchers\nat universities, research institutes, hospitals, or companies, or become directors\nof science departments, regulatory officials, inspectors, and administrators.<\/p>\n\n
Chong Hong\nHeng, president of the Macau Association of Precision Medicine, says that with\nthe development of high-throughput sequencing, the accumulation of big data in\nbiomedical sciences, and the intersection of various academic disciplines, the\nbioinformatics industry has seen many new opportunities for development. This\nnew environment will pave the way for new breakthroughs in biomedical sciences,\nhuman health, the development of new pharmaceutical products, and environmental\nprotection. Studies of the career prospects of bioinformatics professionals,\nmarket surveys, and data from the recruitment process all show that there is a huge\nglobal demand for bioinformatics professionals in both academia and industry.\nChong praises UM for launching the Bachelor of Science in Bioinformatics programme,\nadding that the programme will help to promote research and precision medicine\ndevelopment in Macao.<\/p>\n\n
Welcoming the Future of Big Data<\/b><\/p>\n\n
The Bachelor of\nScience in Mathematics (Statistics and Data Science) programme will equip\nstudents with solid knowledge in mathematics and professional skills in statistical\nanalysis and data science management, to meet the demand for talent in the\nfield. Graduates can pursue a career in statistics, data science, or\ninformation technology, working as professionals of data science and statistical\nanalysis, decision analysis, market research, finance, information management\nor business analysis, in government departments or service industries.<\/p>\n\n
There is a\ngreat demand for big data professionals in various industries thanks to the\nincreasing importance attached by China to technological advances and the development\nled by the Greater Bay Area. Chen Wu, chairman of China Telecom Macau, says\nthat the company has a huge demand for professionals with knowledge of mathematics,\nstatistical analysis, and data science and management, for several reasons.\nFirst, telecommunications companies in Macao have just begun to make use of big\ndata. Second, in an era of internet economics, data are a new factor of\nproduction, as well as a basic and strategic resource. The ability to collect,\ndig, connect, analyse, and utilise data has become a criterion to evaluate the\noverall competitiveness of a country. Therefore, there is enormous potential\nfor big data application in Macao and the city will need many big data\nprofessionals.<\/p>