Briefs | Vocal Masterclass’ at IPM

The Macao Polytechnic Institute’s (IPM) music program has invited Shen Yang, the youngest Chinese singer to ever sign with the Metropolitan Opera in New York, to host a ‘Vocal Masterclass’ at the IPM September 14, according to a statement released by the institute. As the youngest contestant of the 2007 BBC Cardiff Singer of the World, Shen Yang won first prize in this prestigious singing contest.  The “Vocal Masterclass by Shen Yang” is the first in a series of academic and art events to be offered by IPM in the 2016/2017 academic year. The event has free admission.

12 UM research projects receive national grants

The University of Macau’s (UM) Zhuhai Research Institute (UMZRI) has received approval for research grants worth RMB 4.35 million from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) for 12 research projects, according to a statement from UM. This year, UM submitted funding applications to the NSFC for 40 research projects, of which 12 applications, or 30 percent, have been approved. Five of these 12 research projects have been granted funding in the General Programs category and the remaining seven in the Young Scientists Fund category.

Three to five days paternity leave to be discussed

Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL) director Wong Chi Hong has recently announced the government’s plan to give men three to five days of paternity leave, according to a report by Cheng Pou. Wong revealed that the authority expects to push the issue forward for the necessary legal procedures as soon as possible, as the public is expressing an urgent demand for paternity leave. Currently, Macau’s fathers are granted two days of unpaid paternity leave, and it is only males working as civil servants who are legally entitled to five days off work at the birth of their child.