The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Ms O Lam, represents the Chief Executive at the 2025 graduation ceremony of the Macao University of Tourism
On 19 June, the Macao University of Tourism (UTM) held its 2025 graduation ceremony at the Tap Seac Multisport Pavilion. A total of 367 graduates from doctoral degree, master’s degree, postgraduate diploma, and bachelor’s degree programmes were awarded their certificates. This year’s ceremony was particularly significant as it coincided with the 30th anniversary of the UTM’s establishment.
The ceremony was presided over by the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, Ms. O Lam. She was accompanied by the UTM Council Chair, Mr. Chan Chak Mo; Vice-Chair, Mr. Lui Yiu Tung Francis; and Acting Rector, Dr. Connie Loi Kim Ieng. This momentous occasion was also witnessed by distinguished guests, including representatives from the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government, the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People’s Liberation Army Macao Garrison, members of the UTM Council and UTM Development Foundation, Legislative Assembly members, government officials and school representatives, scholarship sponsors, and representatives from the tourism and service industries.
In her speech, Secretary O Lam commended UTM’s remarkable achievements over the past three decades. She highlighted its success in cultivating outstanding “Tourism+” talents who are “expert in profession, adept in languages, versed in cultures, and skilled in technology”, noting that such educational outcomes actively contribute to Macao’s tourism sector, its development as a “World Centre of Tourism and Leisure”, and the Greater Bay Area’s “World-class Tourism Destination” vision. She mentioned that the SAR government is advancing the “Macao-Hengqin International Education (University) City” construction and preparing Macao’s international integrated tourism and cultural districts. These factors, she believes, will boost UTM's development, and that the government will continue supporting its pursuit of international excellence. She hopes the university will innovate academically and practically, deepen global cooperation, and nurture outstanding tourism professionals.
Acting Rector Dr. Connie Loi Kim Ieng, in her speech, noted that UTM has consistently integrated elements of innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology into its curriculum to meet the developmental needs of the SAR and the nation. For the new academic year, the University will launch postgraduate programmes in creative industries, cultural heritage, and luxury hospitality and health service management, aiming to cultivate diverse “Tourism+” professionals. She also highlighted that the Macao SAR Government is now actively formulating the grand blueprint for the “Macao-Hengqin International Education (University) City”, which provides vast opportunities for Macao’s higher education sector to integrate into the national development strategy and cultivate professionals with new qualities. Regarding the Chief Executive’s earlier explicit mention of incorporating UTM into this plan, the University regards this with the utmost importance and feel deeply honoured. UTM will actively align itself with the policy direction and steadily advance the process of establishing its presence in Hengqin. Moving forward, UTM will continue to innovate and strengthen its academic disciplines and curriculum development, leveraging opportunities presented by the Cooperation Zone, expand its development potential, and fulfil its mission to nurture talent.
The ceremony concluded with speeches from two graduate representatives: Shaun Wang Shangqi, a Bachelor of Science in Hotel Management graduate, and Qiu Liangwei, a Doctor of Philosophy in Hospitality and Tourism Management graduate. They expressed gratitude for UTM’s abundant teaching resources, state-of-the-art facilities and development opportunities. They emphasised the value of UTM’s unique “theory + practice” teaching model in laying a solid professional foundation. Reflecting on the historic opportunities brought by the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, they encouraged their fellow graduates to embrace change and challenges with openness, inclusivity and innovation. They urged their peers to not only contribute their knowledge to society but also to be bold in creating their own exciting life journeys.
