Cheong U, secretary for social affairs and culture of Macao SAR, on 17 July called another cross-departmental meeting to discuss mattersrelated to the construction progress and handover of the University of Macau’s (UM) new campus.
Construction works inside the new campus have been overall finished. Relevant personnel are now testing electromechanical systems in order to remedy any possible defects. The underwater tunnel is scheduled to receive the first inspection of the fire protection system in late July. The fire protection systems in the various independent buildings on the new campus will receive inspection in stages. The public and private sections of the main roads inside the new campus have been laid with bitumen. In view of the latest inspection progress, UM has adjusted its relocation plan accordingly. According to the latest relocation plan, UM will relocate to the new campus in stages.Starting mid-August, some students will be arranged to move to the residential units on the new campus in batches. After the start of the next academic year in mid-September, a small percentage of the courses will be conducted on the new campus, and some academic support units and administrative units will also move to provide support. After the handover, the new campus will be put into operation in stages.
Cheong U noted at the meeting that after the joint meeting held on 26 April this year, various tasks proceeded in an orderly manner. The Infrastructure Development Office and the contractor Nam Yue Group tried their best to speed up construction, and made arrangements for equipment testing and inspection of fire protection systems to be completed before the handover. Cheong U said that other departments concerned also provided full support with respect to the application of the laws of Macao SAR on the new campus. Cheong U thanked the various departments for their great support during the process of construction. He noted that the new UM campus is a significant project which the Macao SAR government and Macao residents care about deeply. He said that after the handover, the new campus will be governed by the laws of the Macao SAR, and he hopes that the various departments continue to strengthen collaboration and work together with a sense of ownership to complete the various new-campus-related tasks so as to create better conditions for Macao youth to receive quality higher education.
At the meeting, representatives from the Infrastructure Development Office updated participants on the latest progress of the new campus. Representatives from UM reported the latest relocation plan. Various departments exchanged ideas about handover-related matters.
Advisors of the Office of the Chief Executive, Office of the Secretary for Economy and Finance, Office of the Secretary for Security, Office of the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, and Office of the Secretary for Transport and Public Works; representatives from the Macao Customs Service and the Government Information Bureau; officials fromdepartments directly under the various secretariats; as well as UM’s top management attended the meeting. Two representatives from the contractor sat in on the meeting.
