News

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A delegation from 19 independent schools in Malaysia recently visited the University of Macau (UM) and was warmly received by Prof Wei Zhao, rector of UM; and Prof Da-Hsuan Feng, director of UM's Global Affairs Office and special assistant to the rector. Both parties exchanged ideas on talent development and discussed opportunities for future collaboration. The guests visited UM Wu Yee Sun Library, the University Hall, and the residential colleges (RC). During the meeting, Rector Wei Zhao told the guests about UM's latest developments and the "4-in-1" model of education. Prof Feng Da-Hsuan said that UM has been developing new global strategies best suited to the 21st century since its relocation to the new campus. He added that the exchange between UM and the Malaysian independent schools is an important step in the university's endeavour to build partnerships with institutions in East Asia. He expressed hope that the visit could enhance East Asia's understanding of UM's latest developments. Members of the delegation felt the visit increased their understanding of UM. They said they liked the buildings on the new campus as well as the ideas behind the RC system and how the RCs are run at UM, adding that they have high expectations for UM's future development. The delegation included representatives from Chung Hua High School, Tsun Jin High School, Jit Sin Independent High School, Sekolah Menengah Foon Yew – Kulai, Hin Hua High School, Han Chiang High School, Penang Chinese Girls' Private High School, Kluang Chong Hwa High School, Chung Hua High School, Confucian Private Secondary School K L, Sabah Tshung Tsin Secondary School, Chung Hua Middle School, Perak Yuk Choy High School PTE, Chung Hwa Independent High School, Chung Ling (PTE) High School, Chong Hwa Independent High School, Foon Yew High School, Pay Fong High School, and Catholic High School.
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The University of Macau (UM) has appointed the linguist Chair Professor Hong Gang Jin as the dean of its Faculty of Arts and Humanities (FAH). Prof Jin was a William R Kenan Professor of East Asian Languages and Literatures and a professor of Chinese at Hamilton College. She also served as the general director of the Associated Colleges in China headquarters. Prof Jin has outstanding achievements and rich experience in empirical research, teaching and administration. After assuming office as FAH dean, Prof Jin will formulate new teaching and research strategies according to the FAH's strengths and advantages in order to enhance the faculty's visibility and position at the international level. Prof Jin is a linguist. Her research interests include second language acquisition, cognitive processing of languages, transfer of learning, input analysis, interaction analysis, curriculum design, and teacher development. During her 25-year tenure at Hamilton College, she published numerous books and research articles. Prof Jin has over ten years of experience in collaborative research with numerous universities in the United States, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, and mainland China, and she has secured several major federal and private grants from the US, mainland China, and Taiwan for ten consecutive years. She has also served as the president or a member of the board of directors at numerous teachers' associations in the US. She is currently the chair of the AP Chinese Development Committee. She was named the 1998 CASE National Outstanding Baccalaureate College Professor of the Year. She also received Hamilton's 1963 Award of Teaching Excellence in 1996. In 2013 she received the NCOLCTL Walton Lifetime Achievement Award, in recognition of her outstanding achievements in teaching and research. Prof Jin noted that UM is determined to become a world-class university, as is reflected in its unique "4-in-1" model of education that meets the demand of the 21st century, its dual emphasis on teaching and research, as well as its comprehensive reforms in various areas including the establishment of the residential colleges. "I have received education in the US, and I have worked as an education professional at liberal arts colleges in the US for many years," Prof Jin says. "I have experienced firsthand how liberal arts education emphasises well-rounded development and how it impacted the students' lives and helped produce outstanding graduates for the US society. I hope to bring the philosophies and advantages of liberal arts education that I know to Macao and Asia so we could also produce world-class graduates." She adds, "Macao is a multilingual and multicultural society, which provides a treasure trove of material for teaching and research. UM students' ability to communicate across different languages and cultures not only gives the FAH an advantage in teaching and research, but also serves as a solid foundation on which we can develop the FAH into a faculty with local characteristics." After assuming office as FAH dean, Prof Jin will formulate new development strategies according to the FAH's strengths and advantages. Such strategies are expected to include further expanding a research-oriented faculty team in line with international trends, and systematically reviewing the current curriculum setup and teaching process so as to establish a scientific set of curriculum evaluation criteria and a reform plan. On the student recruitment front, Prof Jin hopes to attract outstanding students from Macao and elsewhere, including overseas countries. She also hopes that the multilingual and multicultural environment of the FAH will expose students to different disciplines in the field of humanities, such as linguistics, literature, history, philosophy and religion, thereby guiding students to analyse the different human experiences in different parts of the world, explore the meanings of different things in the world, acquire positive morals and values, as well as develop a global mindset. UM believes that with Prof Jin at the helm, the FAH will be able to further enhance its teaching and research, promote high-quality, high-level international collaborative research with other universities, and achieve a higher position and a greater impact in the Greater China region and beyond.
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The University of Macau (UM) has appointed Chair Professor Chuxia Deng, a leading American Chinese scientist in the field of life sciences, as the dean of its Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS). He was a senior investigator of the Senior Biomedical Research Service (SBRS) at the United States National Institutes of Health (NIH), the chief of the Mammalian Genetics Section at the United States National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), an investigator of the NIDDK's Genetics of Development and Diseases Branch, and a postdoctoral fellow of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School. After assuming office as FHS dean, Prof Deng plans to focus on building a state-of-the-art infrastructure and operating system for the faculty and will assist the faculty to make important scientific discoveries in medical sciences and health care to fill the gaps in these areas in Macao. Prof Deng has outstanding achievements in academic research and administrative management. He has made significant contributions to research on cancer and metabolic diseases, cancer and ageing, cancer stem cells, and the breast cancer susceptibility gene, BRCA1, particularly in the pathogenic mechanism of breast cancer. He is the author or co-author of over 310 papers with a total citation frequency of over 30,000 and an H-index of 96. Prof Deng is a tenured investigator of the NIDDK, and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has received numerous awards in recognition of his outstanding achievements in teaching and research, including the NIH-APAO Outstanding Achievement Award (2000, NIH, USA), the Outstanding Overseas Scholar from National Science Foundation (2002, China), and the NIDDK Director's Award. "UM entered a phase of rapid development after former Chinese President Hu Jintao expressed his 'five first-rates' expectations for the university in 2009," Prof Deng says. "And the new campus has made it possible for UM to achieve a quantum leap and reach a higher ranking in a relative short period of time. The new campus brings unprecedented opportunities, but also a big challenge. I hope to contribute my knowledge to the development of education and science, and it is a great honour to be a part of UM's team effort to develop the university into a world-class institution." UM's FHS, which was founded in 2013, will conduct basic research, applied research and translational research in several major areas of life sciences, including chronic diseases, aging, immunology, infectious diseases, neurological disorders, and cancers. "After assuming office as FHS dean, I will focus on building a state-of-the-art infrastructure and operating system for the faculty to realise first-class teaching and research," says Prof Deng. "I will also carry out research in the fields of cancer, medical sciences, and health care, and assist the faculty to make important scientific discoveries to fill the gaps in these areas in Macao. I hope that these efforts will help the industrial diversification of Macao in the long run." UM believes that under the leadership of Prof Deng, the FHS will achieve its mission to train the next generation of scientists and professionals in health sciences for Macao and the region, and become a regional education hub with international reputation for biomedical sciences at both postgraduate and undergraduate levels.
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Mr Chui Sai On today announced members of his new cabinet who would serve with him as he embarks on his second as Chief Executive, describing them as relatively young and who would uphold the traditions and bring in vitality and innovation to the Government. These designated officials, together with the Prosecutor General-designate, will assume their positions as Mr Chui is sworn in on 20 December to head the fourth-term government of the Macao Special Administrative Region. They met the press today in Government Headquarters. The new cabinet comprises Ms Chan Hoi Fan as the Secretary for Administration and Justice, Mr Leong Vai Tac as the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Mr Wong Sio Chak as Secretary for Security, Mr Tam Chon Weng as the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Mr Raimundo Arrais do Rosário as the Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Mr Cheong Weng Chon as Commissioner Against Corruption, Mr Ho Weng On as the Commissioner of Audit, Mr Ma Io Kun as Commissioner General of the Unitary Police Service, Ms Lai Man Wa as the Director-General of the Macao Customs and Mr Ip Son Sang as Public Prosecutor-General of the Public Prosecutions Office. Mr Chui expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Central Government for trusting him and endorsing his suggestions for the positions, and said both he and his cabinet would strive to serve the people, maintain social harmony, sustain pace of development and facilitate livelihood betterment. Mr Chui admitted it was a tough decision to make since there were concerns that the leading officials would become conservative after taking office for too long, while the Basic Law does not specific the maximum tenure for these top positions. But taking into account various factors and learning from the experience of the mainland and other regions, Mr Chui said he selected his team based on their qualifications, expertise and working experience. He said the Government would consider revising tenure regulations for the principal officials and the Prosecutor General, to improve the system and serve as a reference to the forth-coming government team. To the incumbent principal officials, Mr Chui expressed his most sincere appreciation for their contributions and efforts to Macao's economy and social harmony. In the 15 years since the establishment of the MSAR, Mr Chui and the team have gained friendship and have overcome numerous difficulties and challenges; but he admitted there was still room for improvement. Meanwhile, Mr Chui also announced that Ms O Lam as Chief-of-Office of the Chief Executive's Office-designate, Mr Chan Chi Ping as Government Spokesperson-designate and Mr U Man Fong as the Deputy Government Spokesperson-designate. After the press conference led by the Chief Executive, the designated principal officials and Prosecutor General held individual briefing sections with the press, stating their appreciation of the appointments and sharing their policy vision and planning.
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To celebrate the Commemorative Exhibition of 15th Anniversary of the Establishment of Macao Special Administrative Region which will be taken place in Beijing, Macao Post announces that a Temporary Post Counter will be set up at our Philatelic Shop located at Macao Post Headquarters at 9:00 to 13:00 on 8th December 2014 providing the commemorative postmark cancellation service for the "Commemorative Exhibition of 15th Anniversary of the Establishment of MSAR". A commemorative envelope priced at MOP2.50 will be issued. Welcome to visit us and collect Macao Stamps!
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To celebrate the Macao – Guangdong Joint Stamp Exhibition, Macao Post announces that a Temporary Post Counter will be set up at the Gallery of Lin Zexu Memorial Museum of Macau at 10:00 to 17:30 on 6th December 2014 providing the commemorative postmark cancellation service for the "Macao – Guangdong Joint Stamp Exhibition". A commemorative envelope will be distributed to public, and various philatelic products will also be available for sale during the above activity. Welcome to visit and collect Macao Stamps.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that total merchandise export for October 2014 amounted to MOP829 million, up by 19% year-on-year; value of re-exports (MOP658 million) and domestic exports (MOP171 million) rose by 24% and 2% respectively. Total merchandise import was MOP8.14 billion, up by 16% year-on-year. Merchandise trade deficit amounted to MOP7.31 billion. In the first ten months of 2014, total value of merchandise export increased by 9% year-on-year to MOP8.13 billion, of which value of re-exports (MOP6.47 billion) increased by 12%, while that of domestic exports (MOP1.66 billion) held stable as in the same period of 2013. Total value of merchandise import grew by 12% to MOP73.14 billion. Merchandise trade deficit widened to MOP65.01 billion. Analysed by destination, merchandise export to Hong Kong (MOP4.76 billion) and the EU (MOP237 million) in the first ten months of 2014 increased by 22% and 3% year-on-year, while export to Mainland China (MOP1.28 billion) and the USA (MOP263 million) decreased by 5% and 13% respectively. Exports of Non-textiles increased by 11% year-on-year to MOP7.47 billion, of which value of Machines, apparatus & parts (MOP1.45 billion) and Clocks & watches (MOP708 million) rose by 45% and 69% respectively, but that of Electronic components (MOP550 million) dropped by 35%. Exports of Textiles & garments totalled MOP658 million, down by 8%. By country of origin, merchandise import from Mainland China (MOP23.80 billion) and the EU (MOP18.29 billion) increased by 11% and 20% year-on-year in the first ten months of 2014. Imports of Consumer goods rose by 11% to MOP46.24 billion, with imports of Food & beverages (MOP9.57 billion) and Watches (MOP6.83 billion) increasing by 23% and 40% respectively. Moreover, imports of Construction materials (MOP2.84 billion) grew by 28%. External merchandise trade reached MOP81.26 billion in the first ten months of 2014, up by 12% compared with MOP72.83 billion a year earlier. NOTE
Further information can be obtained from the Documentation
and Information Centre of the Statistics and Census Service
Alameda Dr. Carlos d'Assumpção, No. 411 – 417, Dynasty Plaza, 17th floor, Macao
Tel: 8399 5311
Fax: 2830 7825
E-mail: info@dsec.gov.mo
Website: www.dsec.gov.mo
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The Government has announced today the recipients of Decorations, Medal and Certificates of Merit to 50 individuals and organisations in recognition of their achievements, outstanding contributions and distinguished services to the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR). The announcement was made in accordance with the nominations of the Committee of Nomination of Medals and Honorary Titles. The awards are Decorations of Honour, including the Decoration of Honour - Grand Lotus, the Decoration of Honour - Golden Lotus and the Decoration of Honour - Silver Lotus, are awarded to individuals or entities that have made outstanding contributions to the image and reputation of the MSAR.
The recipients are:
Decoration of Honour - Golden Lotus
Vitor Ng
Decoration of Honour - Silver Lotus
Chio Ngan Ieng Seven types of Medals of Merit are awarded for: 1. Professions; 2. Industry and Commerce; 3. Tourism; 4. Education; 5. Culture; 6. Philanthropy; and 7. Sport. Each of these categories is awarded to individuals or entities that have make major or excellent contributions in their respective fields.
The recipients are:
Medal of Merit – Professions Liu Chung Laung João Augusto da Rosa
Mário Alberto de Brito Lima Évora
Medal of Merit – Industry and Commerce
Ung Choi Kun
Ip Kai Ming
Un Chong San
Kevin Ho King Lun
Medal of Merit – Tourism
Air Macau Co, Ltd.
Hoi Man Pak
Lao Nga Wong
Future Bright Holdings Limited
Medal of Merit – Education
Tse Chi Wai
Vu Hon In
Hoi Soi Kuai
Tam Wai Chan
Medal of Merit – Culture
Teledifusão de Macau, S.A. (TDM)
Lao Hua
Ricardo Jorge Fonseca de Almeida Pinto
Lio Kuok Man
Medal of Merit – Philanthropy
Medical team of General Medicine Division and Day Hospital of the Conde S. Januario Hospital of the Health Bureau
Arlene Trant
Maria Isabel Gomes dos Santos Marreiros
Medal of Merit – Sport
Pun Keng Man
Sam Kei
Medals for Distinguished Services are awarded to public entities, organisations or their staffs for outstanding performance of their duties or community service.
The recipients are:
Medal for Distinguished Service - Medal for Bravery
Drug Criminal Cases Investigation Division of the Judiciary Police
Rescuers of Operations and Ambulance Division of the Fire Services Bureau
Medal for Distinguished Service - Medal for Dedication
José Chu
Chan Wai Pan
Fong Iek Seng
Au Ning Kin
Leong Kok Kin
Medal for Distinguished Service - Medal for Community Service
Lam Sut Peng
Chan Sun Tao
Pau Soi Ieng Certificates of Merit including the Honorific Title - Prestige and the Honorific Title – Merit, commend Macao SAR residents or others who have made major contribution to the reputation, development or social progress of the Macao SAR.
The recipients are:
Honorific Title - Prestige Li Pak Ho
Honorific Title - Merit
Choi Sut Ian
Chao Man Hou
Macau Diving Team
Li Yi
Huang Junhua
Cheung Pui Si
Paula Cristina Pereira Carion
Liu Qing
Wang Junnan
Chan Ian Weng
Lo Kin Ian
Cheong Wai Hang
Chao Koi Wang
The award ceremony for the recipients will be held in the mid of December.
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