For many students beginning their research journey, the most critical task at the master’s level is learning how to transform vague interests into manageable research questions. In the MPhil in Cultural Studies programme at the Macao University of Tourism (UTM), students gradually acquire this capability through systematic coursework and field trips. The programme offers two areas of specialisation, Cultural and Creative Industries Management, and Heritage Management, enabling students to pursue their research projects within an interdisciplinary framework, starting from the issues that matter most to them.
Cultural Studies in Practice
Shirley Dong Xueqing, a master student, who completed her undergraduate studies at UTM, chose to specialise in Heritage Management out of her deep interest in history and culture.
The programme places equal emphasis on theory and practice. Shirley notes that the University frequently organises site visits and invites experts to give on-site talks, allowing students to see how theoretical concepts are put into practice in heritage revitalisation, how they are adapted, applied, and used to address real-world challenges. These experiences have given her a deep appreciation of cultural studies in practice.
She encourages her peers to value Macao’s unique cultural crossroads, challenge disciplinary boundaries, and approach research with cross-cultural and interdisciplinary curiosity.
From Data to Theory: Building Empirical Evidence
A MPhil student Miya Xiao Mengyu, who also specialises in Heritage Management, plans to conduct spatial analysis of Macao’s cultural heritage, exploring its patterns of distribution and development.
For Miya, UTM offers more than the transmission of knowledge. It expands her research tools, enabling her to move from simply “observing cultural phenomena” to “engaging in deeper structural analysis of culture.”
She highlights the Geographic Information Systems course training that she received in the programme, which allows her to visualise and spatialise cultural phenomena through mapping and data analysis. “The programme has changed the way I approach cultural questions” she explains. “It has guided me from relying solely on narrative analysis to adopting a multidimensional research perspective that integrates theory and data.”
From classroom theories to site visits, from textual analysis to spatial mapping, the MPhil in Cultural Studies at UTM does not presuppose a single research path. Instead, it equips students with a diverse range of methodological tools, enabling them to start from their own research interests and identify academic questions worth exploring in depth.