Education | Gov’t changes regulation in the conferral of doctoral degrees at UM

The government is planning to promote changes to the administrative regulation that rules the acquisition of the academic degrees of master and doctor at the University of Macau (UM), the Executive Council (ExCo) spokesperson, Leong Heng Teng announced yesterday at a press conference.

Leong explained that the changes are intended to promote efficiency within the work of the university and particularly in the area of doctoral degree examination presentations.

The ExCo spokesperson noted that currently UM has a significant number of candidates for such higher degrees, around 950, and that the regulation currently in force only allows such examinations to be presided over either by the rector or vice-rectors of the institution, a situation that has become unbearable in view of the high number of students.

In the proposal presented, it was suggested that the rector be able to delegate the presidency of the jury of such an examination to one of the vice-rectors or a full professor of meritorious distinction who has been the supervisor of at least three doctorate students who have successfully concluded the degree program.

In this way, the government proposes to accelerate the process of examinations that within the current regulation would have to wait for the availability of those with higher positions of the University, thereby postponing the conclusion of the candidates’ degrees.

The ExCo proposes that such a change to the Administrative Regulation that regulates the Decree Law 15/94/M from February 28 to enter into force on the day after its publication.