How betting on smart talent can help Macau economy make the shift away from casinos
Wei Zhao says a focus on ‘discovery learning’ is creating graduates fit for the age of innovation, and able to serve the needs of society and economic diversification
As a new school year begins, it’s a good time to revisit an old question: what is the purpose of university education?
Universities have often been accused of not being responsive to the economic needs of society, in that education is not in sync with its developmental aspirations.
In his recent visit to Macau, Premier Li Keqiang ( 李克強 ) called on the city to diversify its economy, so as to reduce its dependence on a single industry, i.e., gaming. One non-gaming initiative now before Macau is to become a “smart city”, using big data to reconfigure its systems in transportation, tourism, medical and government services.
Economic miracles ... are often performed by those with the courage for risk-taking, not just those with technological savvy
A second non-gaming initiative is hi-tech research into Chinese medicine. State-of-the-art research facilities are up and running at our university. The Guangdong-Macau Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Industrial Park in the neighbouring Hengqin free trade zone is already operational, and promises opportunities galore to industry participants.
Chinese higher education faces the challenge of designing a system that produces graduates fit for the age of innovation, as the age of low-tech exports draws to a close. But, for us, innovation is not just a matter of providing technological education. Economic miracles, you might have noticed, are often performed by those with the courage for risk-taking, not just those with technological savvy. In this regard, China has an edge over its neighbours. Many in the West dismiss the Chinese as shameless copycats. But they fail to see that unique Chinese genius: the nose for opportunity, and the stomach for taking risks.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang flies in to chart Macau’s new course
Thus, in our approach to a modern university education, we put the focus on helping students achieve self-realisation through self-knowledge. We value “learning by doing”. Blessed with the space and the resources to build an extensive residential college system, we promote discovery learning in all its forms.