To encourage postgraduate students to pursue in-depth research, strengthen their research skills and improve the quality of postgraduate education, the Graduate School of City University of Macau (CityU) held the ceremony to present the 2025/2026 Outstanding Postgraduate Academic Paper Awards. The ceremony recognized work published in leading academic journals and indexed by authoritative databases, as well as other outstanding papers made publicly available during the past academic year. After several rounds of rigorous review, 41 papers were selected and 73 faculty members and students were honored. Together, the award-winning papers showcased the strength of CityU’s postgraduate research and marked progress in the University’s efforts to develop highly skilled researchers with interdisciplinary expertise.
In his remarks, Rector Jun Liu said the award-winning papers reflected the students’ dedication to research and the shared learning and progress of CityU’s students and faculty. They demonstrated the students’ strong research foundations and commitment to rigorous, evidence-based inquiry, as well as CityU’s approach to postgraduate education, which combines practical innovation and interdisciplinary collaboration with a commitment to serving society from a Greater Bay Area base. Rector Liu said academic research should respond to real-world needs, CityU therefore encourages students and faculty to focus their work on contemporary issues and pressing social challenges, using research to contribute to society. He thanked faculty members for their work and encouraged them to uphold rigorous scholarships and an open, inclusive perspective, supporting students as they advance in their research.
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At the academic sharing session, award recipients discussed their research, exchanging ideas and approaches that helped turn individual experience into shared learning. Their papers addressed national development priorities and Macao’s “1+4” strategy for moderate economic diversification. Topics included emerging technologies and digital innovation; cultural tourism and heritage preservation; modern finance and corporate governance; health and social welfare; and educational innovation and urban governance. Together, the projects addressed key needs in national and regional development and reflected CityU’s commitment to research that is rooted in Macao, connected to the nation and open to the world.
CityU will continue to create opportunities for academic exchange and to showcase research, encouraging postgraduate students to stay curious, explore new frontiers and pursue breakthroughs through interdisciplinary collaboration. The University aims to strengthen the quality and impact of its academic work and contribute the ideas and research capabilities of young scholars to Macao’s knowledge economy and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
Also attending and presenting awards were CityU Rector Jun Liu; Vice Rector Zhou Wanlei; Adrian (Wai Kong) Cheung, dean of the Faculty of Finance; Cheng Liying, dean of the School of Education; Huang Guowen, acting dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences; Sun Pei, executive associate dean of the Faculty of Health and Wellness; Po-Hsun Wang, executive associate dean of the Faculty of Innovation and Design; and Liu Wenjian, associate dean of the Faculty of Data Science.
Student Voice
Institute of Urban and Sustainable Development
Li Mingxuan (First Prize)
When I first came to CityU, I kept asking myself: What is the purpose of research? Today, I can finally answer that question: Research allows me, at the very least, to raise a question worth discussing and to put my worldview, perceptions and concerns into the words of a paper. To me, every paper is a dance between sense and sensibility. Sense means following academic standards and maintaining rigorous logic and structure so our research can withstand scrutiny. Sensibility means daring to bring our own ways of thinking, personal experiences and reflections on life into our work, turning words into a warm, human conversation. I believe I will always love research. I hope everyone who shares this journey can pursue it with passion and find success of their own along the way.
Faculty of Health and Wellness
Situ Anqi (First Prize)
I am honored to receive an award in the Outstanding Postgraduate Academic Paper competition and to present our research on the mental health of Macao’s gambling-industry employees at the sharing session. Published in BMC Public Health, the paper addresses a local issue in Macao. Drawing on conservation of resources theory and using response surface analysis, it examines how the fit between psychological resilience and social support relates to mental health.
Research is about more than data and writing papers; it should also respond to the needs of real people. This project showed me the value of applied psychology: mental health services should not rely on a one-size-fits-all solution, but should match support to each person’s needs. I am grateful to my supervisor, my teammates and everyone who took part in the study. I will continue to focus on local issues and turn research into practical guidance. I also hope my experience can offer some ideas and inspiration to younger students.
Faculty of Data Science
Ji Jianhang (First Prize)
This research grew out of a practical challenge in deploying medical artificial intelligence (AI) across centers. A model trained at a center on the Chinese mainland may perform less well when applied to clinical data in Macao because of differences in equipment, data-collection protocols and patient populations. We began with this practical need, analyzed the causes, tested our hypotheses and explored more stable ways to adapt the model. The process taught me that research is not only about proposing new methods; it must also focus on problems worth solving and test ideas with rigorous experiments. I am grateful for the support of my supervisor, team and university. This honor will encourage me to keep moving forward.
School of Education
Li Yueyi (First Prize)
I sincerely thank the Graduate School for this honor, and my supervisor, Prof. Cheng Liying, for her dedicated guidance and support. This award recognizes my efforts to date and motivates me to keep moving forward.
Drawing on my research experience, I would like to share three lessons. First, set a clear goal. Only when we understand what we truly seek can we stay on course and move forward with confidence. Second, avoid distractions and learn to work patiently and quietly. Amid busy schedules and outside voices, protect the focus and resolve needed to pursue important goals, building strength through steady effort. Third, do not be afraid to ask for help. Everyone has limits to their knowledge and abilities. Making good use of guidance from supervisors, peers and other available resources is not a sign of weakness; it is a form of wisdom and strength.
Research has no shortcuts. As Einstein put it, “It’s not that I’m smart; I just stay with problems longer.” What sets people apart is the ability to focus and keep working through a problem over time. I hope we can set aside impatience and distractions, stay determined and persevere, so that each quiet effort eventually helps us grow.
Institute for Research on Portuguese-Speaking Countries
Zhao Rongrong (First Prize)
I traveled to Angola twice for fieldwork, refining my research question and collecting first-hand data for my thesis, “From the Resource Curse to Economic Diversification: Governance Innovation in Angola (2022–2025).” Its comparative analysis of Angola and Cuba drew on in-depth interviews with members of the Cuban community in Angola. The study connects experiences in Portuguese- and Spanish-speaking countries, and its findings were published in Política Internacional, a leading Cuban journal. I am sincerely grateful for the training and support I received from the Institute for Research on Portuguese-Speaking Countries and the Macao “One Belt, One Road” Research Center. I will continue to pursue comparative research involving China, Portuguese-speaking and Spanish-speaking countries, and encourage scholarly dialogue across languages and regions.
Faculty of International Tourism and Management
Lin Juebing (Second Prize)
Receiving the Outstanding Academic Paper Award means more than recognition of my research; it also gives me a chance to reflect on my doctoral studies and research so far. I have gradually learned that research is not measured by how complicated a method is, but by whether it asks a question worth answering and responds with reliable evidence. Reading the literature, discussing ideas with my supervisor and classmates, and revising repeatedly are all central to my daily work. When I receive reviewers’ comments or encounter uncertain results, questioning, testing and revising my own conclusions is often more important than rushing to prove them. I will stay curious about the questions, rigorous in my methods and cautious in my conclusions, continuing to develop my research skills through learning and practice.
Faculty of Finance
Zhang Hanfang (Second Prize)
Winning second prize in the Outstanding Academic Paper Awards encourages me and reminds me to keep a keen eye for discoveries.
This paper, published in IREF, grew out of a simple observation: Could the ubiquitous presence of gambling influence local companies’ risk appetite over time? Bridging the gap between a street-level phenomenon and corporate acquisition decisions requires more than overcoming a theoretical divide; it also means challenging habitual ways of thinking. Many people overlook how culture can shape firms’ behavior, but we chose to investigate. In corporate finance, good questions are often hidden in what seems obvious. Staying alert means asking “why?” where others see no reason to ask.
Since publishing the paper, my biggest takeaway is that research is not a solitary pursuit. It depends on support from supervisors and peers, and it requires engagement with the wider scholarly community. Behind every seemingly accidental discovery lie a solid grounding in the literature, rigorous identification strategies and the patience to refine the work again and again.
