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City University of Macau (CityU Macau) has achieved great progress since its establishment, guided by a mission of transformation and renewal. It continues to honour and celebrate the values that have helped it become one of the most respected institutions in the region today. The university’s journey, from its founding as the University of East Asia in 1981 to celebrating its 45th anniversary, is a testament to its dedication to combining a strong academic heritage with innovative, future-focused ideas.

“Our development can be seen in distinct stages,” says the university’s rector, Jun Liu. The university was renamed as City University of Macau in 2011. The decade that followed was a foundational period for setting the university’s trajectory, says Liu. “It was guided by a core commitment to the humanities and social sciences, while we worked to understand and respond to society’s evolving needs.”

In recent years, the university has embarked on a new phase of innovation, actively integrating technologies such as AI to advance its mission. The goal is to not only establish new research fields but also connect them with existing disciplines, incorporating fresh perspectives into traditional subjects to ensure they remain relevant in the modern world.

“The current approach at CityU Macau is characterised by a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary research and collaboration,” says Liu. “Alongside this, we are prioritising the recruitment of first-rate international talent within our faculty and student bodies. This aligns with our goal of maintaining a global vision throughout our research.”

Building a global network

Even as CityU Macau retains sight of its unique cultural identity, it sees itself as a bridge between Macao, mainland China and the rest of the world. The university leverages the vast network of resources and top researchers in China and beyond. It collaborates with institutions across the globe to advance international partnerships and academic exchange.

CityU Macau’s approach to teaching is also informed by an international outlook. “We develop new courses that combine global trends with local needs,” says Liu. “This is evident in our embrace of technology in finance programmes and the establishment of the Institute of Smart Tourism and Gaming in 2012, which recently began exploring how AI can be used to better understand tourist behaviour.”

To ensure that modern innovations reflect the university’s legacy, CityU Macau operates on a five-year planning cycle. The current plan builds on previous approaches by implementing a renewed focus on strategic development. A key change is the clustering of colleges and disciplines into five main areas: data science and AI; language and culture; tourism and urban science; business, finance and law; and health and wellness.

“This systematic clustering is designed to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and create a synergistic environment for research and innovation,” Liu explains. “It ensures that the university not only develops new programmes but also sustains them with strong faculty leadership and research. Ultimately, this approach helps the university remain competitive, attract top talent and ensure its graduates are well-prepared for the job market.”

Recognising that the demands of the workplace have evolved, CityU Macau has redefined what constitutes student success and looks beyond traditional metrics to adopt a more holistic evaluation of students’ progress.

 

“Our focus is now threefold,” Liu says. “We look at peer and experiential learning, encouraging students to collaborate and gain hands-on experience through internships and industry partnerships. We actively promote study abroad and exchange programmes to give students a global perspective. Finally, we look at intercultural competence and foster an environment where students from diverse backgrounds can immerse themselves and learn from one another.”

Pursuing interdisciplinary excellence

CityU Macau strives to ensure that students are not just high achievers but also well-rounded individuals with the skills and values necessary to succeed in a complex, multicultural world. The university collaborates with other higher education institutions to include external perspectives in its academic programmes.

“We foster collaboration across various disciplines through several key strategies,” Liu says. When recruiting new faculty members, the university also considers their potential to contribute to other disciplines. For example, a data analytics expert might be affiliated with the data science cluster and the health and wellness cluster. “We offer incentives for interdisciplinary research, encouraging faculty and students to collaborate on initiatives that cross disciplinary boundaries,” he adds.

“Our commitment to interdisciplinarity has allowed us to greatly enhance the university’s global reputation,” Liu says. “By hosting international conferences and participating in global forums, the university is actively raising its profile and expanding its influence on the world stage. This has also helped us develop more innovative courses. A great example is the new English-taught applied linguistics programme, which aims to attract international students by capitalising on Macao’s rich, multicultural environment as a unique place for learning and research.”

While its academic and research achievements have generated significant interest worldwide, the university stays mindful that research collaboration should be about impact rather than optics. This approach has enabled the university to attract globally recognised scholars and increase its research productivity and output, including publications in top-tier international journals.

CityU Macau is a fast-growing university that remains rooted in academic values and quality research. Much may have changed during its 45-year journey, but the university continues to demonstrate its ability to evolve, welcome new ideas and adapt to the changes in the higher education sector, the job market and society.

“By benchmarking itself against international standards and fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration, CityU Macau is poised to expand its reach and continue making a lasting impact on higher education,” Liu says. “We embrace innovation but always remain grounded in tradition.”

about City University of Macau.