‘Smart Gathering in Macao and Hengqin, Powering the Future—2026 Forum on Smart Grid Development and Talent Strategies’
The University of Macau (UM) held the ‘Smart Gathering in Macao and Hengqin, Powering the Future—2026 Forum on Smart Grid Development and Talent Strategies’ in the first phase of the Macao-Hengqin International Education (University) Town. Themed ‘New Opportunities and Challenges amid Energy Transition’, the forum brought together experts, scholars, and industry representatives from leading power and energy companies, universities, and research institutions. They engaged in discussions on topics such as the operation and control of new power systems, next-generation power dispatch and control, and the empowerment of artificial intelligence in talent cultivation for the power sector. On the occasion of the forum, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the UM Faculty of Engineering held an orientation day for the first cohort of 33 students enrolled in its Master of Science in Smart Power Grid programme. The launch of the programme marks a significant step forward in UM’s commitment to cultivating high-calibre professionals in the power sector.
The forum was jointly organised by the UM Faculty of Engineering, the State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City (SKL-IOTSC), and the University of Macau Advanced Research Institute in Hengqin, with support from the Science and Technology Development Fund of the Macao SAR and the University of Macau Science & Education Development Institute in Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. Notably, this is the first forum held by UM in the first phase of the University Town.
In his opening remarks, Yonghua Song, rector of UM and director of SKL-IOTSC, said that UM’s extension of operations into the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin is a strategic initiative that supports national strategies and Macao’s economic diversification. He added that, with the arrival of the first cohort of students in the Master of Science in Smart Power Grid programme, the university will strengthen talent cultivation in green and intelligent energy technologies to address global climate challenges, support China’s carbon peaking and carbon neutrality goals. By promoting interdisciplinary integration and leveraging its ‘one university, two campuses’ model, UM will continue to foster Macao-Hengqin collaborative innovation and industry-academia collaboration, and accelerate the translation of research outcomes. These efforts aim to contribute to the development of new quality productive forces in Macao and further enhance the university’s international competitiveness and societal contribution.
During the keynote sessions, Wang Weisheng, chief engineer of the China Electric Power Research Institute; Ding Xiaobing, deputy general manager of the China Southern Power Grid Power Dispatching and Control Centre; and Yang Xu, dean of the School of Electrical Engineering at Xi’an Jiaotong University, delivered talks titled ‘Operation and Control of Renewable Energy for New Power Systems’, ‘A Holistic Perspective on Next-Generation Power Dispatch and Control Systems’, and ‘Turning Points and Challenges—How LLM Applications Are Reshaping Learning and Research’, respectively. The roundtable discussion, titled ‘Challenges and Breakthroughs in Training Power Industry Talent in the New Era’, featured Yang Xu alongside Dong Xuzhu, former dean of the School of Electrical Engineering and Automation at Wuhan University; Ding Zhenhua, former chairman and advisor of Dongfang Electronics Co Ltd; Yue Zongbin, principal advisor to the Executive Committee of Companhia de Electricidade de Macau (CEM); and Dai Ningyi, interim associate dean of the UM Faculty of Engineering. The panellists engaged in in-depth discussions on curriculum restructuring and establishing new talent cultivation model in the context of the rapid integration of artificial intelligence.
Concurrently, the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the UM Faculty of Engineering held a closed-door meeting titled ‘Internationalisation of Electrical Engineering Education and Talent Cultivation’. Experts and scholars from over ten universities and enterprises in the Chinese mainland attended the meeting. They exchanged views on the development of the electrical engineering discipline, discussed innovative approaches to its high-quality development, and explored future directions for master’s programmes in electrical engineering.
The forum, the closed-door meeting, and the launch of the new programme aimed to provide a platform for cross-sector exchange in the power and energy sectors, advance the integrated development of education, technology, and talent, and strengthen industry-academia collaboration in smart grids and new power systems, thereby contributing new impetus to the energy transition and high-quality development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
