News

Prof Chen Xin from the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau (UM), and Dr Joost J Oppenheim from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), United States National Institutes of Health (NIH), have made significant progress in a collaborative research project on safer and more effective treatment for cancer and autoimmune diseases. They found that targeting tumor necrosis factor receptor type II (TNFR2) can enhance anti-tumour immune responses and kill cancer cells, bringing new hope to cancer patients. The related findings have been published in Science Signaling under Science magazine.Prof Chen has conducted a series of groundbreaking studies on TNFR2’s role in the proper function and proliferation of T lymphocytes. Although counterintuitive and contrary to all previous reports, his research results have been replicated by many research groups from around the world, revolutionising the scientific community’s understanding of the subject. Scientists have been searching for safer and more effective treatment for cancer and autoimmune diseases based on the discoveries made by Prof Chen. A new cancer immunotherapy developed by a research team led by Prof Faustman from Harvard Medical School based on Prof Chen’s research findings has been hailed as one of the most important breakthroughs in tumour research.In addition, Prof Chen has been invited by the Frontiers in Immunology journal to co-edit The Role of TNF-TNFR2 Signal in Immunosuppressive Cells and its Therapeutic Implicationswith Prof Magdalena Plebanski from Monash University in Australia.Prof Chen joined UM in 2014. Prior to that, he was a senior scientist at NCI for 15 years and received the Director's Innovation Award in 2010. Currently he is a research collaborator of the NCI.
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Co-organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Macau Artist Society, the “Solo Exhibition by Ho Si Man” will be inaugurated on Sunday, 26 February, at 12pm, at the Lakeside Gallery in the Anim’Arte NAM VAN. The public is welcome to attend and enjoy local artworks.The exhibition will showcase a total of 20 watercolour and acrylic works by Ho Si Man, including categories such as Macao scenery, travelling stories and inner feelings, which cover unrealistic, uncommon, twisted, parallel, tranquil and other themes. The works, specially created for this exhibition, show an abundant imagination and a variety of textures. Ho Si Man is a local female artist of the 1990’s generation; she is currently studying bachelor degree in oil painting. Her artworks have been shown in Mainland China, Korea, France (Paris) and Hong Kong, among other places. She is an executive member of the Youth Committee of the Macau Artist Society and an officer of the Art Club of the International Women Artists Association–Macao.The “Solo Exhibition by Ho Si Man” is open until 26 March, at the Lakeside Gallery in Anim’Arte NAM VAN, located at Nam Van Lakeside Plaza at Avenida Panorâmica do Lago Nam Van, and is open daily from 11am to 10pm. Admission is free. The exhibition is open to the general public and the artworks are available for sale.
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The Chief Executive, Mr Chui Sai On, said today that protecting the wellbeing of the Macao public was the Government’s prime concern when studying whether to retain smoking lounges in local casinos.Mr Chui made the remarks to reporters this morning at the city’s airport before leaving for Fuzhou Prefecture in Fujian Province for a Fujian-Macao high-level meeting on the development of the “Belt and Road” initiative.Macao’s contribution to the country’s development of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road (collectively known as “Belt and Road” initiative) is part of the city’s strategic development programme.In his remarks before setting off on his trip, Mr Chui reviewed the Government’s efforts to promote a tobacco-smoke-free Macao.He noted the Health Bureau was currently analysing a joint proposal – by the six local gaming operators – regarding a set of higher technical standards for the existing smoking lounges in local casinos.The Chief Executive said the Government had submitted last year a proposed amendment to the Regime on Tobacco Prevention and Control. The amendments related to smoking in casinos, among other topics. The initiative was part of a scheduled review of the tobacco prevention and control regime. Such review was timetabled three years on from original implementation.Last year’s proposal by the Government was now being discussed at the Legislative Assembly.The original version of the Regime on Tobacco Prevention and Control became effective on 1 January 2012. It banned smoking in public indoor areas such as schools, health institutes, workplaces and factories. Since 1 January 2013, smoking has been banned in major public areas in casinos, including mass gaming floors, and in all bars, dance halls, saunas and massage parlours.In other remarks, Mr Chui commented on the appointment in 2015 of former public prosecutor-general, Mr Ho Chio Meng, as the head of a commission for the study of the criminal law system. Subsequently Mr Ho was held by the Macao authorities for investigation.His 2015 appointment was made on the basis of Mr Ho’s experience and ability, the Chief Executive said. For a civil servant to be interviewed by law enforcement authorities did not necessarily mean the person was suspected of any wrongdoing. Mr Chui said he had not been aware – when he made the appointment – that Mr Ho was a subject of an investigation. He noted such types of investigation were typically conducted on a confidential basis.Mr Chui also made comments regarding the redevelopment of the Estrada de Lai Chi Vun area in Coloane – a previous hub for ship repair work. Mr Chui stressed that ensuring public safety was the top priority of the Government when formulating a redevelopment plan for the area.The plan would include conservation measures and efforts to revitalise the surroundings. The scheme as proposed would involve a number of Government departments, Mr Chui added.
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In order to ensure the proper operation of its information technology system, the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym) will perform regular maintenance on its servers on 25 February (Saturday) from 9:30am to 12:30pm. Therefore, the operation of several web pages will be suspended until the conclusion of the mentioned tasks, including the web pages of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, Macao Art Net, Cultural Heritage of Macao, Macao World Heritage, Macao Conservatory, Macao Archives, Macao Museum, IC Press Page, Macao Cultural and Creative Industries, C² Magazine, other sub-pages as well as the respective mobile versions. Besides, IC’s Activity Registration System, news services, activities and the update function on the “WH Macau” mobile application, as well as the operation of the “Macau eBooks” application will also be unavailable during the above mentioned period. The normal operation of the service will resume once the maintenance work is completed.
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Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute (IPIM) is the Macao government department designated to be in charge of the overall co-ordination, promotion and development of Macao´s convention and exhibition industry. This year, IPIM again organised a delegation with representatives from Macao’s convention, exhibition and tourism industries to participate in the Asia-Pacific Incentives and Meetings Expo 2017 (AIME 2017) held in Melbourne, Australia. Through the participation in the event, the set up of a Macao Pavilion, the organisation of a networking cocktail reception filled with Chinese New Year atmosphere and various diverse and interesting means, the delegation aimed to present to Australian as well as international MICE event organisers, senior managers and professionals the strengths of Macao’s convention and exhibition industry, as well as IPIM’s “One-stop Service” for MICE Bidding and Support in Macao. It also aimed to reinforce the liaisons between Macao´s convention, exhibition and tourism operators with their counterparts abroad, as a mean to push forward the development of the industry in Macao.A Macao Pavilion, covering an area of 120 square metres, was set up by IPIM under the theme ““Macao – your business events destination”” at the AIME venue. A promotion counter was set up in the Macao Pavilion to promote IPIM’s services and to handle enquiries. Following the steady development of the MICE industry in Macao and also in response to the increasing demand of local convention and exhibition enterprises in promoting their businesses, the exhibitors in the Macao Pavilion, apart from IPIM, also included 18 hotels, tourism agencies, professional meetings and event organisers, destination management companies, conference service providers. The exhibitors jointly promoted the strengths of Macao´s convention and exhibition industry, in a bid to attract to the city more international MICE-related events. During the two-day event, the Macao Pavilion has arranged over 300 business matching sessions and received enthusiastic feedback. In addition, IPIM´s representatives also participated in more than 20 business matching sessions arranged by the AIME organisers, to discuss with prospective buyers and promote Macao as an ideal destination for conferences and events.In addition to the promotion counter in the Macao Pavilion, IPIM also organised a networking cocktail reception under the theme of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals which was in line with the Lunar New Year in February. Exhibitors of the Macao Pavilion shared Chinese horoscope information with the guests, which on one hand, was a continuity to the festive season and, on the other hand, fostered mutual understanding in an interesting and relaxed atmosphere and promoted co-operation. The cocktail reception attracted more than 50 potential buyers and representatives of the convention and exhibition industry from Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.AIME is one of Asia´s most influential events in the convention and exhibition industry. Last year´s event was participated by over 700 exhibitors and more than 3000 qualified buyers from over 50 countries and regions, and served as an important exchange platform for the convention, exhibition and business tourism operators from around the world.
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Consumer Council conducted its latest ‘Supermarket price survey’ in February on 22 February for the implementation of Section 2b), Article 10, Law 4/95/M of 12 June. Surveyed locations included supermarkets near Horte e Costa, Avenida do Ouvidor Arriaga and Rua da Emenda areas in Santo António Parish.The latest ‘Supermarket Price Survey’ is now available on Consumer Council’s website (www.consumer.gov.mo), ‘Supermarket Price Information Platform’ iPhone and Android apps, and on the Council’s WeChat account page. The survey is also available free of charge at the offices of Consumer Council, IACM’s Iao Hon and S. Domingos Markets, bookstores and libraries.With reference to the local seven parishes and the number of supermarkets in each parish, the Council has divided around 100 supermarkets into 8 areas for price collection. The Council collects prices from these supermarkets for the provision of a more comprehensive database for consumers to check price discrepancies and make price comparisons according to their desired locations.For inquiry, please call 8988 9315.
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Libraries are a city’s cultural name card. In order to allow Macao’s sustainable cultural development, promote knowledge to the general public and consolidate cultural pillars, the MSAR Government considers the construction of the New Central Library an important cultural task, which will become a cultural landmark of the city after its conclusion.Fully preserve the Old Court Building’s patent cultural valueAccording to the views of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), central libraries of small and medium-sized cities should be located in the city centre, giving diversity to users, thereby highlighting the unique advantages of a central library. Therefore, the Old Court Building and the former headquarters of the Judiciary Police, located in the city centre, meet the requirements of the above-mentioned location. In addition, these buildings are located in the eastern entrance to the World Heritage Historic Centre of Macao and have a deep and rich cultural and historical meaning.The street-facing side of the Old Court Building and the east wing of the former headquarters of the Judiciary Police feature an eclectic style. The Old Court Building is classified as a building of architectural interest and is a building of important cultural significance. The Cultural Affairs Bureau will strictly abide to the provisions of the “Cultural Heritage Protection Law” regarding the protection of this heritage building and, on this basis, draft a construction project for the New Central Library . Such project includes the overall preservation of the Old Court Building, which will not be demolished; the preservation will include the façade and roof, the inner structure, the floors as well as characteristic spaces and elements, among others. With regards to the former headquarters of the Judiciary Police, one section will be expanded; while the façade in eclectic style located in the east wing and the inner spaces with distinguishing features will be preserved.By selecting the best architectural project, the New Central Library, after its completion in the future, will be an excellent example of a building which harmoniously combines historical and modern architectural features.Create a cultural space of sustainable developmentBased on the preservation of the features of the two above mentioned sites, it is estimated that the New Central Library will have, taking into account the new floors and deposits to be built, 11 stories divided into three major spaces, namely the Library’s collection spaces, public spaces and technological support spaces, thereby offering a comprehensive reading service space.One of the priorities of the project is the Library’s users flow management. Readers from different age groups, occupations and communities, and each group uses the library according to the type of services they require and to their schedules. The New Central Library will meet the needs of readers of different social levels in order to achieve cultural equality. Additionally, a rational plan for the flow of people will be designed in order to avoid crowding. Taking also into account that the current use of the Old Court Building as an exhibition and performance venue does not lead to an agglomeration of visiting tourists, it is not estimated that the New Central Library will cause an overload of people after it comes into operation.Introduce monitoring mechanisms for rational use of public fundsConsidering Macao’s current social development and economic transformation, the New Central Library is particularly important to the city’s cultural development. The initially expected budget of 900 million is based on the average cost of large-scale public construction projects, taking into account the annual inflation rate. In the future, following the conclusion of the New Central Library’s in-depth design, a more precise budget will be announced to the public. Likewise and as required, the Commission Against Corruption and the Commission of Audit, among other departments, will be invited to supervise the execution and progress of the project as well as to ensure an adequate use of public funds.
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The Office of the Government Spokesperson and the Government Information Bureau will step up efforts to facilitate the work of the local media, in order to ensure Government policies and information are communicated effectively to the public.The Government Spokesperson and Director of the Government Information Bureau, Mr Chan Chi Ping, today said that the establishment in 2010 of the government spokesperson system had facilitated better communication between the Government, the media and the public.Mr Chan made the remark during a gathering attended by representatives of local media organisations and associations, correspondents of media organisations based in Macao, and press coordinators of Government secretariat offices.Looking ahead, he said the Government would continue to: strengthen the spokesperson system; provide assistance to public departments and secretariats regarding news dissemination; arrange more seminars and exchange sessions; and formulate a Government internal guideline for the dissemination of information.Regarding the topic of how news information is given by the Government and received by the media, the Government Information Bureau had dedicated further efforts to the use of new media platforms, with a view to releasing information in a more systematic manner, Mr Chan said.In 2016, the Bureau’s WeChat account had added 4,400 subscribers, taking the total number of subscribers to 10,457 by year-end. The Bureau had also provided in-depth news content via YouTube, including clips of interviews with principal officials as well as feature stories.The Bureau planned to open Facebook and Instagram accounts in order to diversify the sources by which the public receive information from the Government. The greater use of new media platforms was believed to be effective in promoting further the Government’s participation in the development of the country’s Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road (collectively known as “Belt and Road” initiative) and the collaboration efforts with Guangdong Province and Fujian Province.In the future, Mr Chan said the Government would continue to strengthen internal coordination procedures in order to respond – in a more effective manner – to media enquiries, and to enhance training for Government officials in relation to skills necessary for efficient interaction with the media.Reviewing the work done in 2016, he said the Office of the Government Spokesperson and the Government Information Bureau had played an active role in supporting the media’s work. The efforts included: coordinating efforts to facilitate Government officials in attending television programmes and phone-in radio programmes in order to explain further the Government’s policies; assistance on arranging media interviews; release of information and photographs; and assistance – including services at a dedicated centre for the media – to more than 500 local and overseas reporters to cover the 5th Ministerial Meeting of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, which was held in Macao in October.Mr Chan said the Government would continue to support the local media sector by encouraging the availability of professional training; by allocating more resources for enhancement of the competiveness of the sector; by providing local media with medical insurance; and by facilitating further exchanges with media organisations in other places, such as visits to Macao for mainland media correspondents that had previously held a posting in the city.The Office of the Government Spokesperson and the Government Information Bureau will step up efforts to facilitate the work of the local media, in order to ensure Government policies and information are communicated effectively to the public.The Government Spokesperson and Director of the Government Information Bureau, Mr Chan Chi Ping, today said that the establishment in 2010 of the government spokesperson system had facilitated better communication between the Government, the media and the public.Mr Chan made the remark during a gathering attended by representatives of local media organisations and associations, correspondents of media organizations based in macao, and press coordinators of Government secretariat offices.Looking ahead, he said the Government would continue to: strengthen the spokesperson system; provide assistance to public departments and secretariats regarding news dissemination; arrange more seminars and exchange sessions; and formulate a Government internal guideline for the dissemination of information.Regarding the topic of how news information is given by the Government and received by the media, the Government Information Bureau had dedicated further efforts to the use of new media platforms, with a view to releasing information in a more systematic manner, Mr Chan said.In 2016, the Bureau’s WeChat account had added 4,400 subscribers, taking the total number of subscribers to 10,457 by year-end. The Bureau had also provided in-depth news content via YouTube, including clips of interviews with principal officials as well as feature stories.The Bureau planned to open Facebook and Instagram accounts in order to diversify the sources by which the public receive information from the Government. The greater use of new media platforms was believed to be effective in promoting further the Government’s participation in the development of the country’s Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road (collectively known as “Belt and Road” initiative) and the collaboration efforts with Guangdong Province and Fujian Province.In the future, Mr Chan said the Government would continue to strengthen internal coordination procedures in order to respond – in a more effective manner – to media enquiries, and to enhance training for Government officials in relation to skills necessary for efficient interaction with the media.Reviewing the work done in 2016, he said the Office of the Government Spokesperson and the Government Information Bureau had played an active role in supporting the media’s work. The efforts included: coordinating efforts to facilitate Government officials in attending television programmes and phone-in radio programmes in order to explain further the Government’s policies; assistance on arranging media interviews; release of information and photographs; and assistance – including services at a dedicated centre for the media – to more than 500 local and overseas reporters to cover the 5th Ministerial Meeting of the Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, which was held in Macao in October.Mr Chan said the Government would continue to support the local media sector by encouraging the availability of professional training; by allocating more resources for enhancement of the competiveness of the sector; by providing local media with medical insurance; and by facilitating further exchanges with media organisations in other places, such as visits to Macao for mainland media correspondents that had previously held a posting in the city.
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While it is not hard to identify foreign students at the University of Macau (UM), knowing the native languages they speak might be a bit challenging because more languages are used on our campus than ever. Therefore, UM professors and students from around the world gathered today (16 February) to celebrate the International Mother Language Day. They embraced linguistic and cultural diversity by reciting poems and singing in their mother tongue.The event began with the Italian student Veronica Valle sharing her view on love by reciting one of her favourite poems, Inferno Canto XXVI, by Danite Alighieri. Valle ended her poetry recital by translating the most significant lines into English:‘Consider the seed that gave you birth:
you were not made to live as brutes,
but to be followers of worth and knowledge’Besides languages that are commonly used on campus, such as Cantonese, Mandarin, English and Portuguese, some participants also spoke French, Brazilian, African languages, Japanese, and Korean.Language is one of the most powerful tools for preserving our cultural heritage that defines who we are. ‘Our mother tongue shapes us in a way. It shapes how we think, how we view the world, how we view each other, at least in the first few years when we first started to speak our mother tongue,’ says Katrine Wong, one of the event hosts and associate professor from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities.Prof Wong also explains the connection between this event and this year’s theme,‘Towards Sustainable Futures through Multilingual Education’. ‘(Since there are) a lot of attacks and arguments everywhere, we really need to learn how to respect and accept each other's cultures and languages. And by doing so, we can then have a better understanding of what exactly being a human being or being a world citizen is,’ she says. With an increasing international population on campus, she feels a strong need to celebrate this event, and she is grateful to her colleagues for ‘pulling people together’.Inocência Mata, one of the event hosts and associate professor from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, says that the celebration aims to encourage linguistic diversity and multilingual education on campus. ‘We want to help our students develop fuller awareness of linguistic and cultural traditions throughout the world and to inspire solidarity based on understanding, tolerance and dialogue,’ she says.The International Mother Language Day, held annually on 21 February, was established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1999 to raise awareness of languages around the world and to promote cultural diversity.
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Information from the Statistics and Census Service (DSEC) indicated that the Composite CPI (109.25) for January 2017 increased by 1.76% year-on-year, up by 0.32 percentage points from the 1.44% growth in December 2016. The increment was attributable to significant year-on-year increase in charges for package tours as the Lunar New Year that fell in February last year occurred in January this year; dearer charges for eating out, rising rentals for parking spaces and higher prices of motor cars and gasoline also drove up the index.Among the various sections of goods and services, price indices of Recreation & Culture (+9.03%), Transport (+8.12%) and Education (+7.38%) increased year-on-year; price index of Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages that accounted for the largest share of household expenditure also went up by 1.69%. On the other hand, price indices of Housing & Fuels, Communication and Clothing & Footwear decreased by 1.79%, 1.73% and 0.88% respectively. The CPI-A (109.37) and CPI-B (108.23) rose by 1.64% and 2.78% respectively year-on-year.The Composite CPI for January 2017 rose by 0.36% month-to-month. Soaring charges for package tours during the Lunar New Year period, as well as rising airfares and gasoline prices, pushed up the price indices of Recreation & Culture and Transport by 7.49% and 1.10% respectively. Price index of Food & Non-Alcoholic Beverages rose by 0.39% due to higher charges for eating out and dearer prices of fresh fish, seafood and fresh pork, yet receding prices of vegetables tapered off part of the increase. Moreover, price index of Miscellaneous Goods & Services increased by 0.56% owing to higher charges for hairdressing services before the Lunar New Year. On the contrary, seasonal sale of winter clothing caused the price index of Clothing & Footwear to fall by 4.71%. The CPI-A and CPI-B rose by 0.37% and 0.25% respectively month-to-month.For the 12 months ended January 2017, the average Composite CPI went up by 2.20% from the previous period. Price indices of Alcoholic Beverages & Tobacco (+19.10%), Education (+8.26%) and Transport (+7.17%) showed marked increase. The average CPI-A and CPI-B rose by 2.11% and 2.97% respectively over the previous period.The Composite CPI reflects the impact of price changes on the general households in Macao. The CPI-A relates to about 50% of the households, which have an average monthly expenditure of MOP10,000 to MOP29,999. The CPI-B relates to about 30% of the households, which have an average monthly expenditure of MOP30,000 to MOP54,999.
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