The Macao Polytechnic Institute held the opening ceremony for the academic year 2021/2022 at 3 pm on August 17 and welcomed more than 1,300 local and overseas new students from Macao, the Greater Bay Area, Portuguese-speaking countries enrolled in undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral degree programs. As a responsive measure following guidelines of the pandemic, the opening ceremony was held online. MPI president Professor Im Sio Kei delivered the very first lesson to all freshmen students, calling upon them to uphold the core values of patriotism and love for Macao. Students were encouraged to practice patriotism and shoulder responsibilities and commitments; to work hard at their studies to broaden their horizons and to equip themselves with adequate knowledge to make contributions to the development of the country and Macao. MPI faculty staff and students gathered online to witness new students taking the oath "MPI’s heart, our new start" to join the big MPI family, which formally kicked off their new journey in life.
Establishing a comprehensive talent-training system and boosting academic research
In his speech, Prof Im Sio Kei indicated that this year marks the 40th anniversary of the founding of Macao Polytechnic Institute, which also witnesses the establishment of a comprehensive talent-cultivation system for undergraduate, master’s and doctoral levels. Most academic programs offered by MPI have obtained accreditation reviews or professional certifications from internationally authoritative organizations, and our supreme teaching quality has been recognized not just by China but the whole world. This year, MPI and Peking University formed a cooperative partnership to set up the "Peking University Health Science Center-Macao Polytechnic Institute Nursing Academy" to cultivate high-caliber nursing talents for the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. In academic research, MPI has continuously increased its investment, establishing research and testing centers jointly with world-renowned universities and the local SAR government departments, obtaining remarkable achievements in many fields. Thanks to the outstanding performance in talent training and research, MPI has made its way into the list of the 2021 Times Higher Education World University Impact Rankings, occupying a place between 301 and 400 in the category of sustained development.
Carrying on the traditions of "MPI People" to make contributions to the country and Macao
Professor Im Sio Kei indicated that facing adversaries and impacts brought about by Covid, "MPI People" are all actively participating in the fight. A postgraduate student of MPI has published a paper at an international conference on the prediction of the coronavirus and won the Best Student Paper award; MPI faculty staff are carrying out online teaching and other duties effectively. All these fully demonstrate the top qualities of the "MPI People'' featuring determination, harmony, and perseverance. The president also called upon all freshmen students to embrace patriotism, responsibilities, and commitments; to work hard and broaden their horizons, to equip themselves with adequate knowledge to make contributions to the country and Macao; and to contribute their wisdom and strength to building a shared community for all humankind.
Spreading positive energy, pursuing dreams and striding ahead
A representative of the new students of the Ph.D. program of Computer Applied Technology, Wong Kei Long, expressed his readiness to embrace all opportunities and challenges in the upcoming academic year, striding ahead in pursuit of his dreams. New students are new blood for MPI, and all are resolved to actively participate in activities that are serving the community to spread positive energy, and contribute to the development of MPI, Macao, and the whole nation. Thus, he looked forward to happily learning knowledge with new classmates, cherishing the spirit of harmony and friendship, and embarking on this wonderful university journey at MPI.
