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In recent years, the University of Macau (UM) has initiated a series of curriculum reforms with the aim of producing more outstanding graduates. The outcome has been very encouraging. UM has completed the admission process for students under the Principals’ Recommended Admission Scheme for the 2017/2018 academic year. This year, 450 outstanding students applied to UM through the scheme, up 10 per cent from last year. 398 of them have confirmed their acceptance of the offers from UM, and among them 59 are ranked No 1 in their secondary schools. All students admitted through the Principals’ Recommended Admission Scheme will receive scholarships.
UM places great emphasis on providing special training for outstanding students. In the new academic year, the university plans to arrange for recipients of the University of Macau Grand Lotus Scholarship and the University of Macau Golden Lotus Scholarship to enter the Honours College in their first year of study with exemption from exams. The students will receive special guidance and training from the deans and professors in their faculties. These opportunities aim to help outstanding students achieve their full potential so they can better serve Macao after graduation. These students not only excel academically; they are also talented in different areas. They have won awards at various local and international competitions. Many of them are also actively involved in community service.
In recent years, UM has made a great effort to build a strong faculty team and enhance its teaching and research. Having established a task force, the university has launched a series of curriculum and academic reforms and will continue to do so in order to attract more local students by offering more programmes that interest them. In terms of course design, UM adopts interactive techniques to increase students’ interest and level of engagement. UM has also recruited many outstanding faculty members from around the world, in an effort to expand students’ horizons and help them develop a new mindset. UM believes that admitting outstanding students will go a long way towards improving its teaching and research.