The University of Macau (UM) today (28 May) held the Congregation 2022. Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture Ao Ieong U, representing the chief executive and UM chancellor at this year’s ceremony, said that the university has made great strides in many areas, such as nurturing outstanding patriotic talent for Macao, accelerating research innovation and industry-academia collaboration, as well as setting up joint training programmes and research platforms with mainland institutions, adding that the university’s academic standing and international reputation have been further elevated.
Secretary Ao Ieong officiated at the ceremony in the company of UM University Council Chair Lam Kam Seng, UM Rector Yonghua Song, and Vice Rectors Michael Hui, Rui Martins, Ge Wei, Mok Kai Meng, and Xu Jian. Representatives of the University Assembly, University Council, and Senate, as well as government officials, prominent members of the community, UM faculty and staff, and student representatives also witnessed the ceremony. Companions of graduates attending the ceremony watched the live streaming of the event at four locations on campus, while graduates and their families and friends who were unable to attend the ceremony in person participated in the event online.
In her speech, Secretary Ao Ieong said: ‘As a public university in Macao, UM has always aligned itself with major national development strategies and fully supported the SAR government’s policy vision and directions. The university has made great strides in many areas, such as nurturing outstanding patriotic talent for Macao, accelerating research innovation and industry-academia-research collaboration, and setting up joint training programmes and research platforms with the Chinese Mainland. Accordingly, its academic standing and international reputation have become further elevated. In 2021, which marked UM’s 40th anniversary, the university formulated its own Five-Year Plan in line with the SAR Government’s second Five-Year Plan. The plan is expected to serve as a framework and blueprint for the university over the next five years. We expect that UM will translate the plan into specific and practical actions, and continue to strengthen its educational philosophy and features. We hope that UM will grasp opportunities arising from the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin and participate in the development of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, enhancing the quality of talent training and industry-academia-research collaboration through regional cooperation.’
In his speech, Rector Song said: ‘As the administrator of the university, I have had to assume responsibility in the face of the unprecedented difficulties and do my utmost to safeguard the physical and mental health of students, faculty and staff in the midst of a pandemic, while ensuring the smooth operation of the university’s teaching and research. At the same time, I have also continued to improve the talent cultivation system to meet the development needs of the country and the SAR, explore new paths in the mechanism to encourage research innovation and transfer of results and to satisfy market demands, strengthen the university’s social service, and make rational and efficient use of resources to actively promote the development of UM. I am very pleased and also touched that our efforts have received the appreciation, cooperation and support of all our faculty and students, and that all specific areas of work in the university achieved unprecedented synergy, moving forward hand in hand and overcoming difficulties. This unity of purpose and effort has veritably enabled the university to sustain its momentum and enhance its international reputation. It has also given me greater confidence for the future development of the University of Macau!’ Rector Song also shared three ideas with the fresh graduates to encourage them to stay positive and be resilient, to make a mark and say no to ‘lying flat’, and to expand their horizons.
Pan Ranyan, representative of this year’s graduates, said in her speech that the university has offered many opportunities for its students to broaden their horizons. According to her, she was able to engage with outstanding students from various backgrounds through her research project at the Honours College. Together they joined heated discussions on course projects and social issues and made a great effort to organise different kinds of activities, which helped them grow into individuals with professional knowledge, critical minds, and team spirit. ‘Though COVID-19 put us into dark days, we gradually adapted to it and overcame the drastic changes brought by the pandemic. I found it encouraging that we could learn to achieve effective communication and provide support for each other online in such a short period of time,’ she said. At the end of her speech, Pan encouraged all graduating students to be brave and embrace the next chapter in life.
This year, more than 1,800 students of bachelor’s degree programmes, from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, Faculty of Business Administration, Faculty of Education, Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Social Sciences, and Faculty of Science and Technology received their graduation certificates. Among these students, 125 have completed the Honours Programme offered by the Honours College.
In addition, the UM National Flag Team held a flag-raising ceremony at 8:00am on the day of the graduation ceremony in the Lotus Square to convey good wishes to all fresh graduates. The ceremony was attended by representatives of graduates from all residential colleges as well as their families and friends.
澳門大學今（28）日舉行2022年畢業典禮。行政長官兼澳大校監代表、社會文化司司長歐陽瑜表示，澳大在為澳門培養愛國愛澳的優秀人才、加快科研創新和產學研合作、積極與內地開展聯合培養項目和共建科研平台等方面的工作取得了積極的成果，澳大的辦學水平和國際聲譽也得到進一步提升。
歐陽瑜在澳大校董會主席林金城、校長宋永華，副校長許敬文、馬許願、葛偉、莫啓明和徐建的陪同下主持典禮。大學議庭成員、校董會成員、教務委員會成員、政府官員、社會賢達、教職員、學生代表出席見證；同時還有親友於大學校園的四個直播區觀禮，大學的線上直播安排亦讓未能親臨現場的畢業生和親友實時參與。
歐陽瑜致辭時表示，澳大作為本澳的公立大學，始終緊扣國家重大發展戰略，全力配合特區政府的施政理念和方向。在為澳門培養愛國愛澳的優秀人才、加快科研創新和產學研合作、積極與內地開展聯合培養項目、共建科研平台等方面取得了積極的成果，澳大的辦學水平和國際聲譽也得到進一步提升。2021 年，在建校40週年之際，澳大配合澳門特區“二五”規劃，編制了大學的五年發展規劃，作為未來發展的綱領和藍圖。特區政府期盼澳大能切實把規劃落實到各項具體工作中，不斷强化自身辦學理念和特色，緊緊把握橫琴粵澳深度合作區的發展機遇，共同建設粵港澳大灣區，透過區域合作提升人才培養和產學研項目的水平。
宋永華致辭時指，作為大學的管理者，自己必須在前所未有的困難面前承擔起責任，盡全力在疫情下保障師生員工身心健康，讓大學教研工作盡量順利運行。同時配合國家和特區發展所需，持續完善人才培養體系，不斷創新適應市場需求的科研創新及成果轉化機制，全面加強大學的社會服務，合理高效地利用資源，積極推進澳大向前發展。這些努力得到全校師生的理解、響應、參與和支持，大學各項具體工作從未像現在這樣讓大家同氣相求、攜手並肩、攻堅克難。“這一份眾志成城、戳力同心，令大學保持著良好的發展勢頭、國際聲譽不斷提升，也讓我對澳門大學未來的發展更有信心！”此外，宋校長還向學生提出三點想法：第一，希望他們心懷正向，“疫”境自強。第二，希望他們勇於擔當，甘於奉獻，拒絕“躺平”。第三，希望他們拓寬視野，放大格局。
畢業生代表潘然延認為，大學提供的無數機會大大拓寬了視野：通過榮譽學院的研究項目與不同背景的優秀同學接觸。大家圍繞課程的研究項目和社會問題進行激烈的討論，也為了組織活動絞盡腦汁，這一切的經歷讓他們成長為具有專業知識、批判精神和團隊合作精神的人。她表示，儘管新冠疫情打亂了生活和學習，但他們逐漸適應並克服了疫情帶來的巨大變化，在這麼短的時間內學會通過網絡實現有效的溝通，並相互提供精神支持，這讓她備受鼓舞。最後潘然延鼓勵畢業的同學勇敢地迎接人生的下一個篇章。
應屆學士學位課程的畢業生有1800多名，分別來自人文學院、工商管理學院、教育學院、健康科學學院、法學院、社會科學學院及科技學院，當中有125名來自不同學院的優秀學生完成榮譽學院的榮譽課程。
此外，澳大國旗儀仗隊於畢業禮當天上午八時在澳大蓮花廣場進行升旗儀式，為全體畢業生獻上祝福。各書院畢業生代表及其親友共同參與了儀式。
