Alumnus Chan Keng Lim spent 15 years at UM completing his foundation studies, bachelor’s degree, postgraduate certificate in education, master’s degree, and doctoral degree. The university has accompanied him in his growth from a young student to a teacher, and he is grateful to his alma mater. He says: ‘The most important thing UM has taught me is the true meaning of education – to be a light to students.’
Great Professors in College
A graduate of Pui Ching Middle School Macau (PCMS), Chan enrolled in the foundation programme at UM in 1994 and was accepted into the civil engineering programme the following year. ‘Many of the civil engineering professors at that time were elites who had come back from top universities overseas to contribute to Macao, including Prof Iu Vai Pan, Prof Mok Kai Meng, and Prof Wang Zhishi. Prof Wang was the teacher who had the greatest influence on me during my undergraduate studies,’ says Chan.
Chan has a distinct memory of his student life on the campus. ‘In those days, the results of every experiment done in the laboratory had to be verified over and over again,’ he says. ‘I had to go back and forth to verify the results of every experiment I did in the laboratory. Every teacher I met at the university has had a great influence on me and became a beacon of light in my life, showing me that as long as I have the perseverance and determination to overcome difficulties, I will eventually achieve my dreams.’
Unforgettable Years of PhD Studies
After graduating from college in 1999, Chan found that he was very interested in education and decided to teach in a secondary school while studying for a masters’ degree in the Faculty of Education, with the ambition of making teaching his lifelong career. During his postgraduate studies, he met another mentor who had a profound influence on his life, Prof Cheung Kwok Cheung. He explains: ‘The most unforgettable and difficult time of my life was during my doctoral studies, when I had to face a heavy teaching load during the day and attend classes and do research at night. The stress of feeling that I was in a race against time was simply beyond words.’
Chan graduated with a PhD degree in 2012, becoming the first graduate of UM’s PhD programme in education. His PhD thesis was titled ‘A Study of Educational Equity of Macao Basic Education Through Analyses of PISA2006 Scientific Literacy Survey Data’. ‘I am particularly grateful to my PhD supervisor, Prof Cheung Kwok Cheung, for inspiring me to be bold in my assumptions about the data and to keep asking, “If this approach doesn’t work, can we try another one?” His guidance has benefited me a lot not only in my research, but also in my teaching,’ says Prof Chan.
‘Education is my true vocation.’
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree, Chan first worked as a science and mathematics teacher in various local secondary schools before coincidentally returning to his alma mater, PCMS, to teach. Having taught at PCMS for many years, he is committed to educating students with heart and soul, and after becoming the principal of the school in 2014, he felt an even greater sense of responsibility. ‘My master’s thesis was on multiple intelligences, and my research in this area helped me to understand how to observe and appreciate students from different perspectives,’ he says. ‘For many years in education, I have been practising what I learned at the university. I believe that every student has a unique talent and if they are not good at this, can they be good at something else? As an educator, my most important task is to be a light to guide students so that they can follow the right path in their lives.’
These words are from the bottom of Chan’s heart, as he has been working in the field of education for many years. In his teaching career, he has met many young people and has found that many of them do not know what they want in life, or what they want to do in the future. He often encourages his students with his own experiences. He says: ‘Students should learn and try different things while they are young, read more, increase their knowledge and develop their interests. Don’t be afraid of difficulties and setbacks, and even if you fail, you must learn from your mistakes. Every success is built on countless failures!’
Grateful for Mentors’ Guidance
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the university. Chan says: ‘I owe my dream job to the mentors who have guided me through my career. I hope that my alma mater will continue to develop and innovate in the future, and become a cradle for the world’s top researchers to pursue their dreams and a national base for talent development.’
Source: ISSUE 103 April My UM
陳敬濂在澳門大學經歷了讀預科、學士學位、學士後教育證書課程、碩士和博士學位的15個寒暑，可以說，澳大陪伴著他由一名年輕的學生，變成一名引領學生前行的老師，他感恩地說：「在澳大所受的教育，最重要是讓我明白到教育的真正意義——就是要成為照亮學生的明燈。」
大學裏的貴人
陳敬濂是培正中學畢業生，1994年升讀澳大的預科課程，翌年考上土木工程專業。「當時土木工程的教授很多都是從外地頂尖大學讀書回來貢獻澳門的精英，包括有姚偉彬教授、莫啟明教授、王志石教授等等。王志石教授是本科階段時影響我最深的老師。」
陳敬濂對以往在校園發生的點滴記憶猶新，「那時在實驗室做的每一個實驗結論都要反來覆去驗證，失敗無數次後仍得不到預期中的結果時，我很想放棄，但王教授卻教曉我永不言敗的精神。大學遇到的所有老師都是我人生中的貴人和明燈，讓我明白只要有克服困難的毅力和決心，終會達成自己的夢想。」
難忘讀博生涯
1999年大學畢業後，他發現自己對教育事業非常感興趣，便決定一邊在中學教書，一邊攻讀教育學院碩士學位課程，更立志以老師為終身事業。在研究生階段，陳敬濂遇上了另一位指引他明燈的恩師——張國祥教授。「讀博階段是我人生中最難忘，也是最艱難的日子，白天要面對繁重的教書工作，晚上還要上課和做研究，那種跟時間競賽的心情，非筆墨所能形容。」
2012年，陳敬濂博士學位畢業，是澳大首名教育哲學博士畢業生，畢業論文是《透過分析PISA2006科學素養調查數據探究澳門基礎教育的教育公平問題》。他說：「我尤其感激我的博導張國祥教授對我的啟發，他經常要求我在一些數據上要大膽假設，不斷思考，若這方法不可行，是否可推倒重來，試試另一個可行的方法？他的指導方法，不單對我研究有幫助，也令我的教學工作有所進步。」
「育人是我的天職」
陳敬濂在本科畢業後先在不同的本地中學擔任理科和數學老師，機緣巧合下返回母校培正中學任教，在母校任教多年，一直堅持用心育人的信念，2014年成為該校副校長後更加任重道遠，「育人才是我的天職。我的碩士學位論文是研究多元智能，這方面的研究讓我認識到可從不同方面去觀察和欣賞學生。在教育界工作多年，我一直實踐大學裏學到的方法，我相信每個學生都有其獨特的才能。如果學生在這方面不擅長，換另一方面是否可以？作為一名教育工作者，我最重要的任務是要成為引領學生的明燈，讓他們在人生中能走一條正確的道路。」
這也是陳敬濂從事教育工作多年的肺腑之言。他在教學生涯中接觸了許多年輕人，發現很多年輕人都不知道自己想要甚麼，將來想做甚麼，他經常以自己艱苦求學的經歷勉勵學生：「學生要趁年輕，多方面學習和嘗試，多閱讀，增長知識，培養興趣。遇到困難和挫折也不要害怕，即使失敗了，也要懂得從錯誤中學習，所有的成功都必須經歷無數次的失敗！」
感激恩師栽培
今年是澳大40週年校慶，陳敬濂由衷地說：「我今時今日能做到自己夢想的工作，都有賴一直指引我的恩師們，我永遠牢記他們的培育之恩，讓我可以做到自己夢想中的職業。母校經歷了40年的發展，取得了很好的成績，我希望母校未來繼續開拓創新，成為全球頂尖科研人員追夢的搖籃，全國人才培育的基地。」
來源: 第103期 四月號 澳大人
Chan Keng Um
陳敬濂
In 2012, Chan Keng Lim completed his PhD studies
and received his cert1f1cate from Chui SaI On, then
"chief executive of the Macao SAR and chancellor of
UM"
2012年陳敬濂博士學位畢業，由當時的行政長官兼澳大校監崔世安頒發畢業镫書
Chan Keng Lim is grateful to UM for guiding him to achieve his dream career
陳敬濂感謝大學的栽培,讓他可以做到自己夢想中的職業
Chan Keng Lim (front row, right) was involved in a research project in
the Educational Testing and Research Assessment Centre during his
doctoral studies. His mentor and director of the centre, Prof Cheung Kwok Cheung, is on the left in the front row.
陳敬濂(前排右)在博士研究生階段參與教育測驗與評核研究中心的研究項目。 圖中前排左為他的恩師、該中心主任張國祥教授。
Chan Keng Lim wants to be a beacon of light to his students
陳敬濂矢志要成為照亮學生前行的明燈