A management team of the City University of Macau (CityU) led by Council Chairman Chan Meng Kam visited the Ministry of Education (MOE) of the People’s Republic of China yesterday and was warmly received by Vice Minister Chen Jie. Vice Minister Chen Jie recognized and spoke highly of the outstanding academic achievements and interdisciplinary construction developed by CityU. He expressed his hope that CityU will continue to integrate into the country's development strategy and contribute to the construction of a leading country in education by cultivating high-quality and highly innovative talents.
The meeting was attended by MOE’s officials, including Yang Dan, director-general of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges (Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs), Ning Xiaohua, deputy director-general of the Department of College Students Affairs, Wu Shixing, deputy director-general of the Department of Higher Education, and Shu Gangbo, deputy director of the Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs. Vice Rector Zhou Wanlei, Vice Rector Ip Kuai Peng, Council Member Cintia Chan, and Director Kathy Che Ka I of Rector’s Office were also in attendance.
During the meeting, Chairman Chan Meng Kam expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Ministry of Education for their continuous support to CityU’s development. He quoted Minister of Education Huai Jinpeng at the “Two Sessions” press conference, emphasizing the importance of cultivating innovative and talented people as part of its efforts to accelerate the development of new quality productive forces, and stressing the need for stronger connections between basic education and higher education.
Chairman Chan highlighted the crucial role of universities in the integration of science and technology, talent, and innovation, and have a significant responsibility in accelerating the development of new quality productive forces. As he mentioned, CityU has always been guided by national strategies and regional development needs, leveraging its strengths and characteristics to promote science and technology innovation and digital education, and contributing to the industrial development of Macao and the Greater Bay Area; Going forward, CityU will seize the opportunities brought by the development of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin (Cooperation Zone) to serve the building of a leading country in education.
Rector Jun Liu reflected on the expectations given to CityU during previous exchanges with the Ministry of Education. As he mentioned, this year would mark a historical milestone for Macao, as it would celebrate the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 25th anniversary of its return to the motherland, as well as a crucial stage in the development of the Cooperation Zone. He emphasized the university’s commitment to implementing the national strategy of building a leading country in education by fully utilizing its strengths and actively integrating into the development of the Cooperation Zone and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. Rector Liu also highlighted the university’s efforts to better contribute to the overall development of the country.
Rector Jun Liu presented on the university’s development and achievements in terms of teaching quality, talent cultivation, and academic achievements. He emphasized the university’s focus on the development of interdisciplinary studies supported by big data technology, and its commitment to internationalization in education by building a team of excellent international faculty. Rector Liu highlighted the university’s efforts to improve both the quality and quantity of scientific research achievements, and its dedication to cultivating high-end professionals with practical skills to continuously enhance the overall education quality.
Vice Minister Chen Jie warmly welcomed the visit of the CityU management team and listened to Chairman Chan and Rector Jun Liu’s work report and future plans. He congratulated the university on its achievements and progress made in recent years and expressed four expectations for its future development: Firstly, to further integrate into the national development strategy and serve the building of a leading country in education, including the development of the Greater Bay Area and the integration of the Yangtze River Delta which enjoy the most dynamic development in terms of economic and social growth. Secondly, to focus on the construction of frontier interdisciplinary and emerging disciplines, and cultivate high-quality, high-level innovative talents and produce scientific research achievements; This includes both solid research on disciplinary foundation and the development of cutting-edge technologies to serve the country’s major needs. Thirdly, to leverage its unique advantage of being backed by the motherland and facing the world to attract more international talents in the face of challenges in the internationalization of education. Finally, to actively explore new models and innovative approaches of educational exchange and cooperation to promote comprehensive exchanges between talents from Hong Kong, Macao, Taiwan, and mainland China.
