An educational forum hosted by the Youth Association of the Chinese Educators’ Association of Macau was held at the Macau Science Centre (MSC) in Nape on Saturday.
According to an association statement, the forum –co-hosted by the Chinese Educators’ Association of Macau (EDUM) – was themed “From ‘Education to Helping Macau Prosper’ to ‘Building Macau with Talent”’. It discussed the role of non-tertiary education in achieving Macau’s appropriate economic diversification.
Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) Deputy Director Iun Pui Iun pointed out in a speech that President Xi Jinping said in 2021, while addressing a joint meeting of the general assemblies of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), as well as the national congress of the China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) that “competition in today’s world is a talent competition and education competition.”
Iun also said that the bureau continues to improve Macau’s professional development system for teaching staff, offering nearly 900 professional development activities in the 2025–2026 school year, totalling 240,000 hours.
Iun highlighted that the bureau is actively promoting the development of digital education and is collaborating with four national key laboratories to enhance the competencies of teaching staff in six key areas of AI application: assisting instruction, supporting learning, aiding communication, facilitating assessment, contributing to holistic education, and improving administration.
Ma Io Fong, chairman of the Youth Association of EDUM, noted in his speech at the one-day forum that 2026 marks the beginning of the nation’s 15th Five-Year Plan. At this critical juncture in the development of a strong education system, Ma said that Macau’s education sector must not only “help Macau to prosper” but also “build up Macau”. He added that young teachers should actively connect with community resources to align classroom instruction with the needs of Macau’s ‘1+4’ industrial development strategy, thereby paving the way for students’ future career development.
According to previous reports in the Post, the “1+4” strategy aims to consolidate Macau’s position as a (1) “World Centre of Tourism and Leisure” while prioritising the growth of four emerging industries (+4): Big Health (including traditional Chinese medicine/TCM); modern financial services, such as the development of a bond market and FinTech; High tech and innovation, specifically scientific research and the digital economy; and strengthening Macau’s position as a hub for international conventions, culture, and sport.
Ma Dongying, an instructor from Guangdong Polytechnic Normal University (GPNU), told reporters on the sidelines of the event that non-tertiary education in Macau should focus on cultivating students’ technological literacy to support the appropriate diversification of the economy. She emphasised that policy guidance and the development of school platforms are equally important, and that curricula, teaching staff, and funding must be fully aligned accordingly.
Youth Association of the Chinese Educators’ Association of Macau Chairman Ma Io Fong delivers a speech during Saturday’s forum at the Macau Science Centre in Nape.
Guangdong Polytechnic Normal University (GPNU) instructor Ma Dongying speaks to reporters on the sidelines of Saturday’s forum at the Macau Science Centre. – Photos: Armindo Neves
