The University of Macau (UM) today (19 March) held an opening ceremony in its Lotus Square to kick off celebrations of its 35th anniversary. Many guests, students, faculty, staff, and alumni attended the ceremony to celebrate the important milestone in the university’s history. 35 local secondary schools donated trees to UM to celebrate the anniversary. Officiating guests at the ceremony included Edmund Ho Hau Wah, vice chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee; Tam Chon Weng, secretary for social affairs and culture and representative of the chief executive of the Macao SAR; Sun Da, deputy director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Macao SAR; Cai Si Ping, deputy commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC in Macao SAR; Lam Kam Seng, chair of the UM University Council; Wei Zhao, rector of UM; Kot Man Kam, director general of the UM Alumni Association; and Vitor Wong, director general of the UM Students' Union. In his speech, Tam Chon Weng said that UM is an important institution of higher education firmly grounded in Macao, and under the leadership of former and current rectors, the university has made steady progress over the years, with sound educational ethos and a culturally diverse and intellectually stimulating learning environment. He added that through 35 years of development, UM has now become a comprehensive university with a high degree of internationalisation and growing recognition from society. He promised that the Macao SAR government will continue to provide complete support to UM in the future. Rector Wei Zhao also gave a speech at the ceremony. Rector Zhao said that UM has made good progress in recent years, which would not have been possible without the great support of the government; the wise leadership of former and current chancellors, University Council members, and rectors; as well as the joint efforts of UM faculty, staff, students, alumni, and prominent members of the community. He added that building on the university’s rich legacy and a spirit of innovation, UM members will continue to work towards the goal of building a first-rate university, and produce more outstanding graduates to serve Macao, China, and beyond. After the opening ceremony, principals from 35 local secondary schools and other guests participated in a tree planting ceremony, which signified UM’s commitment to producing outstanding graduates for Macao in collaboration with other local educational institutions.
