The Roundtable Forum on Postgraduate Academic Career Planning, organized by the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the Macao University of Science and Technology (MUST) and co-hosted by the Postgraduate Association of MUST, was successfully held on April 20, 2023, in Room N317 at MUST. The event featured invited speakers including Professor Ivan Lai from the School of International Tourism and Management at City University of Macau, Professor Anthony Wong from the School of Tourism at Sun Yat-sen University, and Associate Professor Jose Wong from the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management at MUST, who shared their insights with postgraduate students on how to enhance their academic capabilities, cultivate academic literacy, and become competent scholars in their academic careers. The event was attended by esteemed guests including Professor Goh, Dean of the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management at MUST, Professor Timothy Lee, Associate Professor Pan Su-Ying, Associate Professor Chen-Kuo Pai, Professor Feng Yan, Assistant Professor Fang Hong, Assistant Professor Jing Liu, Assistant Professor Chao Liu, and Instructor Shu-Peng Teng, as well as nearly 150 students from the faculty who listened attentively to the lectures.
Group Photo
Prior to the sharing session, Professor Goh, Dean of the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management, delivered an opening speech and presented commemorative gifts to the three guest speakers. The first session of the sharing event was delivered by Professor Ivan Lai, who shared with all the students about “Commonly Used Research Methods in Social Sciences”. He explained the importance of using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) in doctoral research for constructing or testing theories, using humorous and witty ways to illustrate the significance of SEM. Subsequently, Professor Anthony Wong shared on the topic of “Common Research Mistakes Made by Postgraduates”. He pointed out five common research mistakes made by postgraduate students in research methods, research theories, and time management, and shared methods to avoid or solve these mistakes with the students. Finally, Associate Professor Jose Wong introduced to the students the “Three Essential Qualities for Postgraduates”. He emphasized that postgraduate students should possess a proactive and positive academic attitude, be humble and eager to learn in their research, and maintain good communication and interaction with their supervisors to understand their styles and requirements.
Sharing Session
In addition, during the roundtable forum, the three professors also shared insights on time management for postgraduate students, how to overcome challenges in their academic career, how to determine their research areas, and how to cope with negative emotions such as anxiety and maintain academic enthusiasm. After the guest speakers’ sharing, students actively raised their own ideas and questions, engaging in further discussions with the three speakers. The event concluded successfully with a fruitful exchange of ideas.
