Participants of the Development of City and Culture Exchange Program paid a reciprocal visit to Choi Kai Yau College (CKYC) of the University of Macau (UM) from 15 January to 19 January. The visit also saw the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the Development of City and Culture Exchange Program between Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an and Macao.
At the signing ceremony, Janny Leung, college master of CKYC; Wu Wei, party committee secretary and dean of Meng Xiancheng College of East China Normal University; Li Junliang, executive dean of Fengru College of Beihang University; and Duan Jichao, director of college affairs of Chongshi College of Xi’an Jiaotong University, signed the MOU for a new round of the programme. This also marked a new stage in the exchange and cooperation in talent development between the four colleges.
During their visit to UM, the participants visited the State Key Laboratory of Analog and Mixed-Signal VLSI, the State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City, the UM Library, and the University Gallery to gain more insights into UM’s ‘4-in-1’ collaborative education model and its philosophy of student-centred whole-person education. They also participated in a beach clean-up in Coloane with Green Future Macao and visited Macao’s military relics on a tour led by the Oral History Association of Macao.
Guided by CKYC students, the participating students were divided into five groups to explore Macao’s nature, Portuguese culture, entertainment, gastronomy, and affection for home country, and to learn about the city’s history and culture from different perspectives. Students and faculty members from the four colleges also held a Chinese New Year party to celebrate the Year of the Dragon.
At the closing ceremony, the participants shared their thoughts on the trip to Macao, their impressions of the city, and the friendships they had made. They also sang and danced together and looked forward to meeting again in Shanghai in the spring.
The Development of City and Culture Exchange Program was initiated by Fengru College of Beihang University, Meng Xiancheng College of East China Normal University, and Choi Kai Yau College of the University of Macau, and the first reciprocal visit took place in October 2018. Chongshi College of Xi’an Jiaotong University joined the programme in the spring of 2019, thus an alliance among the four colleges was formed. The four colleges are located in eastern, western, southern, and northern China respectively, and students from the four colleges visit each other every season for cultural exchange activities. So far, they have visited Shanghai in the spring, Xi’an in the summer, Beijing in the autumn, and Macao in the winter.