Xu Aoao, Rector of Macau University of Science and Technology.

Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) is dedicated to the all-round development of students, emphasizing a spirit of inclusiveness in a multicultural context, says its Rector, Professor Xu Aoao.

The institution, founded in March, 2000 shortly after Macao's return to the motherland, also adheres to both general and specialized education, with a mission to promote cultural exchanges, nurture intellectual growth, foster economic development and further societal progress.

"Academic research is conducted to facilitate social progress and foster economic development in a profound and practical way," says Xu.

"Our university also strives to serve the local community, contribute to adult education in Macao and promote continuing education and the formation of Macao as a learning society," he says.

The university further aims to be an institute of adult education in Macao that serves a leading role in lifelong education.

The university campus, occupying an area of 210,000 square metres in the Cotai area of Taipa Island, currently houses the Faculty of Information Technology, the Faculty of Management and Administration, the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Chinese Medicine, the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management, the Faculty of Health Sciences, the Faculty of Humanities and Arts, the University International College and the Department of General Education.

Further, the School of Continuing Studies and the University International College offer lifelong learning opportunities for on-job professionals and international students.

The university's goal is to cultivate medium-to-high-calibre students and equip them with practical, application-oriented skills. It is authorized by the Macao SAR to offer programs at bachelor degree, master-degree and doctoral-degree levels.

"According to our latest statistics, the total student population is about 10,500, about half and half students from Macao and mainland," Xu says.

The university prides itself on having a unique campus culture with the core value of embracing harmony and excellence. "Our students have participated in international competitions and have achieved good results. For instance, in the Global Management Challenge series, we were crowned world champion several times. This indicates the quality of our students," says Xu.

"Also, every year, some of our students from the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management have the opportunity to study at Disneyland in America for half a year. While there, they can also take part in exchange programs with students from other universities in America, Australia, Europe and Canada.

"We also hope that in their four years of studies, our students will enjoy the experience of going abroad for exchanges to broaden their horizons, and learn about the culture of other countries."

Xu believes that Macao's students have good employment prospects in the tourism and hotel industries as the sectors are rapidly expanding in Macao, providing huge job opportunities for graduates. Students from the mainland can also choose to go to Hong Kong for further studies or return home to find employment.

MUST also stresses the importance of having competent and talented teachers. "In general, the faculty members are comparatively young, and many of them have studied in Europe, the USA and Australia. Some of them have studied and taught in Hong Kong, Taiwan and the mainland," Xu says, and adding such an internationally diverse faculty offers the university a strong international outlook.

On the research front, the university is geared to attaining high-quality research output to ensure that this can contribute to Macao's economic development and social progress. With the support of the Macao government, the Macao Foundation and the Macao Science and Technology Development Fund, the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine has launched a major initiative to promote the modernization of Chinese medicine.

This laboratory is, so far, the only State Key Laboratory specifically in the field of traditional Chinese medicine in the country. It is also the joint laboratory partner of the State Key Laboratory of Natural and Biomimetic Drugs at Peking University.

"We now enjoy closer cooperation and communication with mainland universities, mostly in scientific research," says Xu.

The university has played an instrumental role in encouraging cultural exchanges between the east and the west, in the Chang'E Lunar probe data analysis and in research on gaming and tourism management.

Further, MUST has cooperated with the Macao government and several international corporations, conducting surveys on peoples' livelihood, operations of e-business, and corporation consultancies, to gauge the views of Macao society. The level of the academic research is increasing rapidly.

Asked about the university's future prospects, Xu comments that the institution has been expanding in recent years, and plans to build a new teaching building and dormitories. "University programs are also being increased to meet society and market demand."

(HK Edition 11/30/2012 page1)