MACAO: Classes begin at UM’s Dezhi Plaza teaching site in Macao-Hengqin International Education (University) Town

MACAU, August 19 - The 2026/2027 academic year has begun, marking a new milestone in the University of Macau’s (UM) extension of operations into the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. Classes have begun at UM’s Dezhi Plaza teaching site in the Macao-Hengqin International Education (University) Town. This academic year,

nearly 1,000 postgraduate students have been admitted to UM’s teaching sites at Dezhi Plaza and Yuxin Tower in Hengqin, further strengthening the university’s educational presence in Hengqin.

This academic year, UM’s two teaching sites in the University Town offer 23 postgraduate programmes spanning 16 disciplines. All of these programmes are delivered by the new faculties that came into operation on 1 August 2026, namely the Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Information Science and Computing, Faculty of Engineering, and Faculty of Design. The programmes cover fields such as artificial intelligence, microelectronics, public health, smart grids, and visual communication design, and ten of these programmes are delivered at the Dezhi Plaza teaching site. All programmes offered at the two teaching sites follow the same academic requirements as those on the main campus, with consistent course outlines, teaching standards, reference materials, assignments, assessment methods, and grading criteria. This reflects the university’s unified management approach under its ‘one university, two campuses’ model and ensures that students receive the same high-quality education at the teaching sites.

Yang Shihao, a doctoral student, said that UM’s teaching sites in the University Town benefit from shared resources with the main campus, giving students at the teaching sites access to learning resources and facilities on the main campus. He added that the convenient transport links between the teaching sites and the main campus enable students to make full use of the academic and research resources shared by Macao and Hengqin.

Students also praised the new teaching and learning facilities. Wang Wenjing, another doctoral student, said that UM’s teaching sites in the University Town are well equipped and have a well-planned layout with dedicated spaces for classrooms, laboratories, and exhibitions. She added that these comprehensive facilities effectively support teaching, research, and academic exchange.

UM currently has a total of 64 academic and administrative staff members based at its teaching sites in the University Town, providing teaching, research supervision, and student support services. Fang Yishu, a doctoral student, said that at the beginning of the semester, her faculty organised a series of talks and workshops on coursework, research directions, and academic planning, which helped students learn more about the university and the faculty and develop their study and research plans. She added that she will make the most of these learning opportunities and strive for academic excellence.

UM’s Dezhi Plaza teaching site in the University Town offers a comprehensive range of facilities, including an integrated teaching and administrative building, a teaching and training centre, a student centre, a sports centre, an auditorium, and a multifunction hall. It also hosts the Hengqin branches of the State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI and the State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City, with teaching laboratories specialising in artificial intelligence, electrical and computer engineering, intelligent medical engineering, microelectronics, electromechanical engineering, and robotics and autonomous systems. Design programmes are supported by dedicated workshops and display spaces. Moreover, the teaching site is equipped with classrooms, seminar rooms, self-study spaces, and communal areas, providing an open academic environment that fosters interdisciplinary exchange and collaboration.

Classes have also begun on UM’s main campus, where students and faculty members engage in lectures and academic discussions in various teaching buildings, laboratories, and research institutes.