Introduction
Founded in 2000, the Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST) has grown steady-fast and with vigor. As the largest multi-disciplinary university in Macau, MUST is also ranked among the Top 100 Universities in the cross-strait region. Implementing the policy of according equal importance to teaching and research so as to cultivate talent in diverse fields, the University encourages its staff to conduct cutting edge research to new heights and international excellence. MUST is situated on a land area of 210,000 square metres; it is located in the scenic Macau island of Taipa, next to Macau international airport and numerous world-class hotels; the beautiful surroundings and convenient transport render it a perfect place for young students to pursue academic education and research.
Mission and Vision
Having the motto of “dedication to practical studies, enhancement of knowledge, ability and quality", MUST adheres to its mission to “enhance cultural exchange, being committed to the cultivation of talent, stimulate economic development and promote social progress”. To fulfill the needs of Macau’s society and the rapid development of China, MUST offers many and diverse quality educational programs by drawing on, and incorporating into its work, the experiences of world-class higher education institutions, in order to cultivate innovative, practical, bilingual, educated and ethical talent with international vision and capability. At the same time, the University supports its academics in conducting multi-disciplinary and cutting-edge research. All of these contribute to making MUST a renowned university in the Asia-Pacific region in the present and the near future.
Faculty and Courses
There are eight faculties/departments at MUST, including: the Faculty of Management and Administration, Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Faculty of Humanities and Arts, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Information Technology, Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Faculty of Health Science and the Department of General Education, covering courses from arts and humanity, science, law, management, business, medicine, and communications. MUST is authorized by the Macau SAR government to award academic degrees at doctoral, master and bachelor levels. In addition to local students, MUST attracts students from Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other parts of the world. There are currently more than 10,000 students, including 1,600 postgraduate students and 7,200 undergraduate students*[1]. MUST has also established the School of Continuing Studies and the University International College to provide working students and international students with continuing education and tailor-made learning programs.
Course Features and Teaching Methods
MUST pays particular attention to developing key features of its courses and academic programs, always expecting them to respond to market demand for talent, and place emphasis on innovation and practical skills in order to equip students with market competitiveness and adaptability. From MUST’s perspective, professional education and general education are both important. Guide by this principle, the University was the first in Macau to offer general education courses including humanities and social science, science and technology, arts and literature. The course curriculum is benchmarked to similar international courses and some programs are internationally and professionally accredited, which establish a solid basis for students to pursue advanced study abroad or enter into the international market. Basic professional knowledge, theory, skills and life-long learning abilities are consistently emphasized in the teaching methods and content. One important feature is that MUST is mindful of the importance of developing students’ bilingual and cross-cultural communication abilities, with many of its courses taught in English or English with Chinese. Further, MUST values the training and passing-on of wisdom, knowledge and skills from all over the world by inviting experts from the world to teach its undergraduate and postgraduate students. The performance of MUST’s graduates is excellent, both professionally and academically; many of them pursue advanced study with scholarships in world-renowned universities and many gain employment in China, Hong Kong and Macau governments and well-known enterprises.
Academic and Teaching Staff
A crucial criterion in cultivating quality talent is to have knowledgeable, professional and experienced international staffs. Among its several hundred chair professors, professors, visiting professors, associate professors and assistant professors, many speak both Chinese and English and have obtained their PhD degrees and worked in world-class institutions such as the universities of Harvard, Yale, Maryland, Columbia, North Carolina, Cambridge, the US National Institute of Health, the Max Planck Institute in Germany, the Chinese Academy of Science, Peking University, Tsinghua University, Fudan University, the University of Hong Kong, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Baptist University, and Taiwan Academia Sinica. Such experience means that these academics and professionals not only teach students the most up-to-date knowledge, but also broaden their international vision. With regard to teaching facilities, MUST is equipped with very many modern lecture theatres, classrooms and seminar rooms, well-established laboratories, rich collections in the library, an Olympic-standard track and field stadium and gymnasium.
Scientific Research and Academic Development
Academic freedom has always been the pursuit of this university. MUST encourages talent from all fields to promote teamwork and academic innovation and supports academic staff and researchers to develop diverse research projects on advanced knowledge, technologies and products that are to benefit society. MUST especially places emphasis on development features and research fields to bring rapid development in its academic research. This has taken place, for example, in Chinese medicine quality control, satellite data analysis, space science, human resources management, tourism and gaming management, Macau’s cultural and sustainable development, comparative law in the cross-strait regions. Having the only government-recognized State Key Laboratory of the teaching and research institutions of China in the field of Chinese medicine – the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine – MUST has attracted outstanding team members from around the world and, with the most advanced equipment, has established a science and biology platform in Chinese medicine quality and innovative medicine; patents have been filed and several papers have appeared in world-class scientific journals including Nature; numerous joint-laboratories have been established with world-class companies such as Agilent in the United States and Bruker in Germany and with institutions such as the State Key Laboratory of Biomedical Technology of Nanjing University, the State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases in Guangzhou and the Beijing Genomics Institute in Shenzhen. Another distinctive feature of MUST’s research is its ‘Space Science Research Institute’, the only one in China, taking on analysis of lunar data from national projects and playing the role as an international exchange platform on space and lunar science.
Academic Exchange and International Cooperation
Promoting internationalization has been an important direction in the development of MUST. Regarding academic administration, MUST integrates the experience of world-renowned universities with specific Macau-related local, social and cultural characteristics, by establishing its own administrative principles, structure and system which fit the philosophy of international development. At present, MUST has established many types of cooperation partnerships with close to one hundred institutions in China, Europe, America and Australia for educational programs, academic research, personnel training and student exchange. It is a member of the Association of Universities of Asia and the Pacific (AUAP) and the International Association of Universities (IAU). For academic exchange, MUST provides funding for outstanding students to study abroad. The computer science and business management courses are currently being evaluated by authoritative accreditation agencies, ensuring that they are directly aligned with international professional qualifications.
Student Activities and Campus Culture
MUST advocates a tolerant, harmonious, professional and caring campus ethos to cultivate students with all-round development of their character. MUST encourages students to actively participate in extra-curricular activities so as to develop their organizational capacities, social and cognitive abilities, and understandings of diverse cultures. In this regards, for example, the establishment of a student center with multiple piano rooms, rehearsal rooms and multi-functional rooms proves very helpful to and much appreciated by students. The University’s student affairs office frequently organizes off-campus visits, trips and community activities for students, and also encourages students to participate actively in various professional competitions locally and abroad, winning prestigious prizes on many occasions. MUST coordinates many kinds of reading classes and training courses based on students’ interests, and provides them with guidance and counseling as required.
Looking ahead, MUST will continue to be a dynamic institution with high quality teaching and innovative research by taking full advantage of being a non-profit, private university, which will enable it to serve the community at its best and fulfill its motto and mission for higher education.
