Briefs | Two red pandas brought to Macau

Two red pandas from the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding arrived earlier this week at Macau’s Seac Pai Van Panda Pavilion. The three-year-old pandas, one female and one male, are currently under a 30-day quarantine period. The Civil and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) said that the duo have been in good condition since arriving in their new environment. Public visiting schedules for the pandas have not yet been arranged. Red pandas are a Class II protected species in mainland China.

UM student wins national screenwriting award

Zhu Congqian, a PhD student from the University of Macau’s (UM) Department of Chinese Language and Literature, recently won a national award for best young screenwriter, beating more than 400 other submissions from 500 mainland universities. His screenplay was an adaptation of his own science fiction novel, “Kong Long Ren Yu Wo Zou Chu De Qiu Ji (The Autumn the Dinosaur-man and I Left Behind)”. The story emphasizes the importance of children learning how to face reality as they grow up. Zhu’s book has received recommendations from renowned authors such as Mo Yan, the 2012 recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Mainland economists suggest labor market opening

A seminar on the demand and supply of Macau’s labor force was held yesterday at the University of Macau (UM) in the presence of 15 guests, including professors from UM, the Macau University of Science and Technology, and a number of top mainland universities. Zhai Zhen Wu, dean of the School of Sociology and Population Studies, said Macau has a small number of professionals holding tertiary-level qualifications, and recommended that the city increase its employment quota for expatriate workers to 30 percent of the workforce. Zhai said that Macau, as a small city, can learn from Luxembourg or Switzerland when developing its technology-related industries. He even went on to question whether it is appropriate to install robot dealers in casinos, since the dealer’s job consists primarily of repeated movements that a robot could easily replicate.   

Art exhibition to kick off on Sunday

The “Tanuki’s Nest” exhibition will commence this Sunday at the Lakeside Gallery – S2 room in Anim’ Arte Nam Van until December 31. Co-organized by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Macau Artist Society, the exhibition features local artist Lio Hak Man in collaboration with 12 fellow artists, who will present their new artwork for the “Paint Brush Tempering” series. Since 2011, Lio has gathered his friends for joint annual exhibitions of “Paint Brush Tempering” to showcase their achievements and record their artistic process. The collaboration has allowed more people to evaluate their works and offer suggestions to stimulate improvement. The “Walk and See —Youth Artist Art Exhibition”, which is currently on display at the Lakeside Gallery – S1 room, will be extended until December 31.

Chinese movie week closes in Lisbon

A Chinese movie week, organized by the Macau Economic and Commercial Delegation in Lisbon and the Confucius Institute, closes today in Portugal’s capital. Approximately ten movies were presented during the event. The organizers said that they hoped the event would help Portuguese residents discover Chinese movies and spark interest in visiting China to seek opportunities in its giant movie market. The Chinese Cultural Counselor to Portugal, Shu Jianping, called the film week an unprecedented event.