Families attend a fun science workshop
The University of Macau (UM) today (19 March) held the UM VIP Day, the first major event to celebrate the university’s 35th anniversary. Many local residents, including middle school students, visited the UM campus to participate in the activities of the UM Open Day and watch the events of the First UM Sports Day. Visitors praised the university’s campus and its teaching and learning facilities. ‘I’m so proud to see my alma mater making good progress and gaining increasing recognition from the international academic community,’ said Mr Lo, who was among the first cohort of graduates from UM’s Honours College. ‘I never had the chance to study on the new campus. I think the new campus provides an excellent environment in which students can live, study, and enjoy extracurricular activities, which was impossible on the old campus. I believe that with the joint effort of UM faculty and students, the university will achieve greater success in the future.’ The various fun activities were very popular with the visitors. A student surnamed Lai from Hou Kong Middle School particularly liked the workshop on renewable energy. ‘The experiment was great fun and taught me a simple and practical way to reduce environmental pollution by creating renewable energy with just hydrogen and oxygen,’ he said. ‘I hope to study at UM and become an engineer in the future.’ Mr Javad, who works in the International School of Macao to help promote positive character development in the students, said he enjoyed the English stand-up comedy show held in the Black Box Theatre. ‘The performance was wonderful and showcased the excellent English language skills of UM students,’ he said. He believes the residential college system will play a positive role in the students’ personal development because each college serves as a small community in which students can live and study together. Some of the interesting activities held by the faculties and residential colleges on the Open Day include ‘The Search for Wisdom: A Philosophical Treasure-Hunt’, ‘Travelling in the Portuguese Language World’, ‘Exploring the Music World’, ‘Roadshow—Innovative Robotics Basics & Design’, the lecture on ‘Stem Cell Therapy for Possible Diabetes Cure’, and ‘Mooting (Criminal Case on Fraud)’. There were also exhibitions, booth games, and student performances. The university designed several routes for campus tours guided by the PR Student Ambassadors, so that the visitors can learn more about the university and appreciate the beautiful campus from different angles.
