Academic Faculty Sharing VI: FHSS cultivates interdisciplinary professionals through holistic education
The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (FHSS) at City University of Macau offers a diverse range of programs with unique features and strengths, emphasizing teaching, research, and practical application in equal measure. FHSS is home to several academic and research units, including the Department of Innovative Social Work, Institute of Analytic Psychology, General Education Department, and Foreign Language Education and Research Center, which offer nine programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. FHSS is committed to fostering partnerships and collaborations with prominent institutions, universities, and businesses both domestically and internationally, providing a wide-ranging platform for industry-academia cooperation.
- General Education Department (GED) is dedicated to promoting “Whole Person Development” among students. To achieve this goal, GED employs a three-dimensional learning model consisting of the “Core Module,” “Elective Module,” and “Interdisciplinary Module,” which aims to cultivate students’ intellectual growth and all-round development.
- Foreign Language Education and Research Center (FLERC) is dedicated to supporting language teaching and research. FLERC’s unique approach focuses on “language skills + professional track” and offers bachelor’s degree programs in English and Portuguese. FLERC provides intensive language studies to help students develop language proficiency, which in turn enhances their employment and further education opportunities.
- Department of Innovative Social Work (DISW) aims to equip students with innovative ideas and approaches to tackle social issues. DISW offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in Social Work, with a focus on developing practical skills and providing experiential learning opportunities. DISW is committed to cultivating innovative professionals and leaders in the field.
- FHSS offers the first master’s degree program in Cultural Industries Management and PhD program in Cultural Industry Studies in Macao. With the Comprehensive Laboratory for Cultural Industries in Professional Teaching and Innovation and Entrepreneurship as a supporting unit, these postgraduate programs aim to develop professionals in the planning, management, and marketing of cultural industries, with a focus on the development and utilization of cultural resources. Additionally, these programs strive to innovate cutting-edge and unique research pathways and methodologies to promote the growth and sustainability of the cultural industry.
- Institute of Analytic Psychology (IAP), with the support of Prof. Shen Heyong, a leading psychotherapist of the International Society of Sandplay Therapy (ISST) and China Development Leader of the International Association for Analytical Psychology (IAAP) and ISST, is responsible for the Master of Applied Psychology program and the Doctor of Applied Psychology program. These programs have significant impact in the international academia, as well as the industrial practices, and have developed specialized professional studies in Psychoanalysis and Chinese Culture, Sandplay, and Imagery Embodiment which has been highly recognized by IAAP and ISST for their innovative approaches and contributions.
- FHSS carries out diverse activities to promote rich academic and cultural exchanges, social work activities, and various language competitions for foreign language courses, enriching learning resources and practical experiences.
- FHSS has established ties with some 200 social welfare services in Macao and the Greater Bay Area to provide experiential services and hands-on learning opportunities.
- FHSS will offer undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degree programs in Applied Linguistics to cultivate professionals with intercultural communication skills and the ability to effectively communicate China’s story. These Applied Linguistics programs will be the first of their kind in Macao, aiming to cultivate research-oriented and practical leaders in a multicultural and multilingual environment where communication is essential. The program features four major directions and distinctive features: Cross-Cultural Communication, Workplace Communication, Language Education, and International Chinese Language Education. Please stay tuned for the University’s official announcements regarding enrollment information.
FHSS Academic Faculty Sharing
Assistant Professor Iris Mak Ngan Leng, Director of the General Education Department and Program Coordinator of Bachelor of English
Research Interests and Areas of Expertise: Education for Adult English Language Learners, Collaborative Writing, Second Language Acquisition, Teaching and Learning, Education for Sustainable Development
Bachelor of English program is designed to meet the demands of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area for English education and translation professionals. The curriculum emphasizes “language expertise + specialized field” to cultivate future high school English teachers or Chinese-English translators. The program spans four years of study, during which students have opportunities and access to a wide range of training to obtain certifications. The medium of instruction is English. In the first two years, students focus on disciplinary foundational courses, which provide intensive training in English listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, as well as introductory courses in linguistics, literature, and translation. In the third and fourth years, students undertake advanced courses that offer professional training in English education or translation. The teaching team is composed of Ph.D. holders from world-renowned universities, who not only possess outstanding teaching abilities but also have a track record of publishing SSCI journal articles and research achievements. They are committed to promoting industry-academia collaboration. To enhance professional training and promote digital teaching, the program is equipped with state-of-the-art language labs, and a simultaneous interpretation laboratory is under construction.
Lecturer Carina Liu Jiayu, Program Coordinator of Bachelor of Portuguese
Research Interests and Areas of Expertise: Language Assessment and Evaluation, Second Language Acquisition
Bachelor of Portuguese program aims to cultivate versatile professionals with language proficiency, cultural awareness, and cross-cultural communication skills, who can participate in international affairs through language services. The program is taught by bilingual and native-speaking teachers who provide students with high-level language skills from different perspectives. In addition to language courses, the program offers subjects in various professional fields such as Law, Economics and Trade, and Tourism, enabling students to excel their personal strengths and interests in serving as a bridge and platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries in Macao. Graduates of the program have a wide range of job opportunities in various sectors such as government departments, foreign affairs agencies, universities, banks, and large Chinese-foreign joint ventures.
Lecturer Jenny Lok Chan Nei, Program Coordinator of the Department of Innovative Social Work
Research Interests and Areas of Expertise: Psychological and Mental Health, Psychological Flexibility
Bachelor of Social Work program aims to cultivate innovative and responsible social workers. Social work is dedicated to assisting vulnerable groups in society based on their physical and mental conditions, age, class, ethnicity, and gender by solving problems to enhance overall social resilience and happiness. This program provides a broad and solid foundation of professional social work knowledge and skills. Through experiential teaching, students are trained to enhance their awareness of social service and care for vulnerable communities. The program emphasizes hands-on abilities and experience. It collaborates with around 200 non-profit organizations in Macao and the Greater Bay Area to provide students with experiential learning and practical internship opportunities, covering areas such as medical care, healthcare institutions, elderly care, child welfare organizations, mental health, and community services. Through more than a thousand hours of internship experience in two semesters, students’ communication, coordination, teamwork, and sensitivity to social issues are enhanced, while providing guidance and direction for their career development.
Master of Social Work program is the first in Macao to have localized features in “Gerontology” and “Social Service Management.” Based on research and combining theory, practical experience, and future social development, the program aims to cultivate high-end social work professionals with international professional abilities to address social development needs in Macao and the Greater Bay Area, explore innovative social services, and address the problems and challenges accompanying social changes and economic development. The program emphasizes professional localization development and international exchange and cooperation, combining the latest information from domestic and overseas resources to develop an international academic exchange platform. The teaching staff is composed of professors from well-known universities at home and abroad, and expert scholars are invited to give lectures, seminars, and workshops, providing students with a profound understanding of social work from multiple channels and perspectives. Graduates can work in community and public service organizations, non-profit organizations, private enterprises, and other related fields.
Assistant Professor David Xiao Daibo, Postgraduate Program Coordinator of Cultural Industry Studies
Research Interests and Areas of Expertise: Cultural and Creative Industries, Cultural Consumption, Cultural Market and Marketing, Cultural Consumer Psychology and Behavior, MICE Economy and Management, Cultural and Festival Event Research, Cultural Enterprise Management and Operations
The University is currently the only university in Macao that offers the Master of Cultural Industries Management program. The program is based on the local cultural characteristics and in line with the global trend of cultural and creative industries. It aims to combine cultural and artistic expertise with management theories and methods, enabling students to understand the characteristics and operational rules of cultural industries, and to grasp the domestic and international development trends of cultural industries. The program also emphasizes modern management knowledge and a global perspective, enabling students to engage in cultural management, market operations, project planning, brokerage, trade, consulting, and international cultural exchange and communication in cultural industry management organizations and enterprise sectors. With the support of Comprehensive Laboratory for Cultural Industries in Professional Teaching and Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the program carries out interdisciplinary and cross-professional integrated project teaching and practice, which expands students’ learning space in cultural industry project management, art exhibitions, event planning, and innovative media operations. This inspires students’ interest in learning and research potential and enhances their ability to apply knowledge comprehensively and collaborate effectively in teams.
Doctor of Philosophy in Cultural Industry Studies program adopts a macro perspective of political economy research, while emphasizing the paradigms and requirements of disciplines such as Political science, Sociology, Anthropology, and Cultural Studies in research methods, creating a distinct research path and methodology different from Economics and Management. The program curriculum is characterized by comprehensiveness and historicity, going beyond the traditional cultural economics that focuses on “efficiency” and aims to cultivate advanced research talents in cultural industries, equipped with the ability to engage in Cultural Industry and Policy Analysis, Cultural Enterprise Development Strategy and Analysis. Graduates can choose to work in higher education institutions, research institutes, and undertake teaching and scientific research work, engage in policy research and cultural administrative work in government departments, or pursue their career in managerial and consulting positions in enterprises or non-profit organizations.
Professor Shen Heyong, Director of Institute of Analytic Psychology and Postgraduate Program Coordinator of Applied Psychology
Research Interests and Areas of Expertise: Psychological Analysis and Chinese Culture, Sandplay Therapy, Dream and Psychology
Master of Applied Psychology program and the Doctor of Applied Psychology program are one of the key programs at City University of Macau. Since its establishment in 2011, the postgraduate programs has received staunch support from international organizations such as the International Society of Sandplay Therapy (ISST) and China Development Leader of the International Association for Analytical Psychology (IAAP), and has jointly collaborated in organizing high-end academic events such as the “Analytical Psychology and Chinese Culture International Forum” (2012-2023) and the National Conference of Analytical Psychology and Sandplay Therapy (2011-2022).
The program has developed distinctive professional directions in Psychological Analysis and Chinese Culture, Psychological Analysis and Sandplay Therapy, and Psychological Analysis and Image Embodiment, which have widely recognized by academia in Mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and internationally. IAP has collaborated with Shandong University to establish a key research base of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Ministry of Education and the “Yi Jing and Psychological Analysis” Partner Base. In the 2021 curriculum review conducted by the Ministry of Education’s Education Quality Evaluation Agency, the programs received excellent evaluations and much praise for its professional setup. The programs have educated hundreds of doctoral and master’s degree graduates, dozens of whom have obtained international professional qualifications such as IAAP/ISST. IAP has formed a team to carry out important academic projects such as the “The Collected Works of C.G. Jung”, and initiated public welfare projects such as “Garden of Heart & Soul” to enhance students’ professional practice skills and help them lay a solid hands-on and theoretical foundation.
Welcome to Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences!
The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences will continue to adhere to the philosophy of advancing humanities and social sciences to serve society, striving to become the cornerstone of the University, enriching humanistic knowledge, cultivating humanistic sentiments, and promoting the comprehensive development of talents.
