Macao Polytechnic University held the opening ceremony of the 2023/2024 academic year and the first MPU lecture on August 21, to launch a new study journey with 2,200 new students of Bachelor's, Master's and Doctoral programmes from Macao, the Greater Bay Area, all over the country, as well as Portuguese-speaking countries, and regions overseas. Rector Im Sio Kei expressed his wishes to the freshmen to inherit the spirit of love for the motherland and for Macao, to be the pioneers of the new era, to contribute wisdom and strength to the construction of the country and Macao.

Inheriting the spirit of being patriotic and love for Macao

Macao Polytechnic University held a flag-raising ceremony and played and sang the national anthem at the opening ceremony, which was solemn and grand. At the ceremony, Rector Im gave the first lecture to the freshmen, introducing the history, characteristics and academic achievements of MPU. He encouraged the freshmen to set their ambitions in the new academic year, to inherit the spirit of being patriotic and love for Macao, to forge ahead and be brave to be the pioneers of the new era. Macao Polytechnic University cultivates students' creative thinking and collaborative innovation competencies, leading students to climb the peak and achieve their goals. Rector Im encouraged the freshmen to be with a humble attitude to study hard and broaden their horizons when facing adversity and challenges in the study and process for life growth, and to equip themselves with knowledge so as to contribute wisdom and strength to the construction of the country and Macao and achieve a better future.

International recognition of teaching and research quality

Rector Im said in his speech that the teaching and research level of Macao Polytechnic University has been recognized nationally and internationally. MPU is the first higher education institution in Macao to pass the institutional review of the international authoritative accreditation agency – the UK Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA), the first to be awarded the “Asia-Pacific Quality Awards” by the Asia-Pacific Quality Network (APQN) for three times, the first and the only higher education institution in Macao to win the “National Teaching Achievement Award” issued by the Ministry of Education twice, as well as the first higher education institution in Hong Kong and Macao to establish the Engineering Research Centre of Applied Technology on Machine Translation and Artificial Intelligence of the Ministry of Education. In terms of Sustainable Cities and Communities as well as Decent Work and Economic Growth, MPU is ranked 101 – 200th in the Times Higher Education World University Impact Rankings 2023, with a year-on-year rise of 100 places. In addition, in the field of art, Macao Polytechnic University was selected as one of the top eight finalists of the Times Higher Education Asia Awards in 2023, and the innovative development of teaching and research has won international recognition. In the 2023/2024 academic year, MPU establishes new degree programmes in multiple disciplines such as big health, modern finance, high-tech, and culture and art, which cover bachelor, master, and doctoral levels, helping Macao's "1+4" adequate diversification development.

Growing together and serving the society

Manuela Rezende Pinto, teacher representative and Programme Coordinator of Business Administration in Sino-Lusophone Trade Relations programme, said that the teachers of MPU are committed to promoting the sustainable development of society and economy through high-quality education, and cultivating outstanding talents to serve the country and Macao. She encouraged students to always maintain curiosity, actively cultivate their passion for learning, and improve their resilience. She also wished that the teachers and students of Macao Polytechnic University would grow together, pursue their dreams hand in hand, and shine the light of dreams in the new academic year.

Meeting the opportunity to realize the dream

Mak Hio Hong, a freshmen representative and a student of the Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Physical Education, said that MPU is with world-class teaching resources and an excellent teaching and research team, which allows students to participate in cutting-edge scientific research projects and social services, laying a solid foundation for professional development. In recent years, the Macao SAR Government has actively promoted the integration of the youth into the Greater Bay Area and participation in the construction and development of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. The future of young people is full of hope. MPU's courses closely follow the social development, helping students to develop their strengths and meet the opportunities of national development.

On the same day as the opening ceremony, Deans of the Faculties and Academy of MPU and the teaching team welcomed the new students together. They held an orientation meeting and explained the study arrangements of each degree programme to the new students. The event ended in a joyful atmosphere.