The University of Macau (UM) has established a Department of Ocean Science and Technology, with its Faculty of Science and Technology (FST) holding the inauguration ceremony and the first Hong Kong-Macao Ocean Forum yesterday.
The ceremony marked the department’s official launch of “promoting research on regional oceans in Macao and nurturing talent in this field”. A plaque was unveiled by Huang Jing, director general of the Administrative Centre for China’s Agenda 21, UM Rector Song Yonghua (aka Yonghua Song), and Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) member Chen Dake.
The university said it has been promoting marine research and has made regional oceans one of its three key research areas. UM Vice Rector Ge Wei said that in order to further develop talent and research development in this field, the public university has established this new department with a special focus on ocean environment, disaster prevention and mitigation and smart ocean technology research.
The department has launched a Master’s degree programme in coastal environment and safety, aiming to nurture professionals in the field to “meet the needs of the local community” and become integrated into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area’s development, as well as the national ocean science and technology innovation platform.
The Hong Kong-Macao Ocean Forum was attended by many experts and scholars, who gave presentations that were themed marine environmental safety and sustainable development. The forum and ceremony were also attended by guests such as Huang Shengbiao, deputy head of the Economic Affairs Department of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in Macau and Ip Kuai Lam, a member of the Administrative Committee of the Science and Macau Technology Development Fund, The Macau Post Daily reported.
