Macau University of Science and Technology
Congregation, 2013
Speech by Chair Professor Liu Liang
President of Macau University of Science and Technology
June 8, 2013
On this wonderful day we gather here to celebrate the 2013 Congregation of Macau University of Science and Technology; on behalf of all of our faculty and graduates, please allow me to express our sincere gratitude to the Honorary Chancellor of MUST and Chief Executive of Macao SAR, Mr. Fernando Chui Sai On, and all other guests present here for this happy occasion!
How time flies! With a flick of the fingers, our graduates have completed a very important chapter in their lives; this indeed is an end, but it is also a beginning, for our students are soon to embark on a new journey in their lives. For the university and its students, it is also the perfect moment to look back on the path we have taken and embrace the future we are going to have.
Ever since its establishment in 2000, MUST has long been committed to its mission, expressed in its motto – “dedication to practical studies, enhancement of knowledge, ability and quality” – to strive for perfection; since 2011, MUST has risen rapidly to be ranked by Shanghai Jiao Tong University in the Top 100 Universities in the cross-strait region; what is more impressive is that our university is the youngest in this top one hundred. Recently, to address the trend of internationalization in tertiary education and the demand for talent in Macau, the University has updated and optimized its curricula and teaching practices. The University is also fully committed to advancing its academic performance; it has formulated its own distinctive features and strengths in fields such as: quality research and innovative drug research in Chinese Medicine; analysis of the exploration data of Chang’e mission and space science research; research on Macau society, Macau culture, and Macau’s sustainable development; and human resources, gaming and tourism management. MUST has also taken significant steps to bring in remarkable academic pioneers and young scholars; this has greatly strengthened the University’s academic team and research capacity; the number of publications in top international journals and the number of applications for national and international patents have significantly increased. Lately, the University has been awarded the National Prize for Progress in Science and Technology of China, which is the first-ever in Hong Kong or Macau in the field of Chinese Medicine research. Our students have also brought back many excellent awards from different competitions in Macau and other regions.
We owe these accomplishments to the Macao SAR’s vision for development of higher education and affirmation of the important role that higher education plays in the all-round development of society, to the tremendous support blessed to us by the Macau University of Science and Technology Foundation, the University Council and the Advisory Council, to the university’s strong commitments to advancement and perfection, to the hard work and wisdom of our teachers, and to our alumni’s contributions to society and reward to their alma mater through their diligence and achievements.
To internationalize its tertiary education is an essential step that Macao has to take in order to maintain its long-term competitiveness and continuous prosperity and development. At this moment, with the trend of globalization and growing competition, with the fast development of higher education in the neighboring regions, Macau’s higher education faces both challenges and opportunities. In this new era, Macau University of Science and Technology will continue to act on its mission to “enhance cultural exchange, cultivate talents, stimulate economic development and promote social progress”, attach equal importance to the two core driver of the development of the university: “quality” and “innovation”, speed up the progress of internationalization, offer more high-quality programs based on the needs of the region and the existing features and strengths of the university, deepen cross-disciplinary and innovative studies, seek wider and deeper cooperation with regional and international communities, and over time bring the University to become a top university with international impact and prestige.
Dear students, what you are taking away from your learning experience here is not just a system of professional knowledge, but also a wider outlook of values for, and attitudes to, personal conduct; in the long run the latter may even play a greater role in your life than the former. The university hopes that you will grow with virtue, confidence, integrity, responsibility, a positive mentality and pioneering spirit. We strongly believe that you will soon become the pride of your alma mater and the alma mater will always stand behind you to support and cheer for you.
May all of you have a happy life and a prosperous future!
Thank you!