Ao Ieong pledges to uphold international standards in higher education

Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Elsie Ao Ieong, committed to advancing the government’s initiatives aimed at improving higher education in Macau.

Ao Ieong officiated at the University of Macau’s (UM) Ceremony for the Conferment of Higher Degrees Saturday.

“We will continue to harness Macau’s distinctive strengths under the ‘One country, two systems’ policy,” she said.

“We will continue to promote industry-academia integration and innovation through the platforms of the state key laboratories to solidify higher education’s role in providing talent and technology for high-quality social development,” she said.

Furthering this effort, Ieong noted the establishment of research initiatives in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone and collaborations with Portugal’s science and technology department.

Meanwhile, UM rector Yonghua Song also emphasized significant milestones achieved by UM. He noted that over the past decade, UM has made substantial strides in enhancing educational quality and fostering international collaboration.

“This year, UM made a major breakthrough in cross-border teaching and experimentation in the Cooperation Zone,” he said, adding that more than 15,000 students are currently enrolled at the university.

Song expressed pride in UM alumni who have gained international recognition for their achievements in technology and innovation, successfully commercializing research outcomes within the Cooperation Zone. To the graduates, he offered three key pieces of advice: “First, keep learning and develop interdisciplinary skills. Second, foster resilience in times of adversity and thrive amidst challenges. Third, pursue innovation and shoulder responsibilities.”

This year, 1,910 postgraduate students graduated from various faculties at UM.

Of these graduates, 309 earned doctoral degrees, 1,551 received master’s degrees, and 50 were awarded postgraduate certificates or diplomas. Nadia Shaw