Spread over one day, the ‘First Lecture’ event offered secondary school students from Macao and elsewhere an overview and hands-on experience of UTM bachelor’s degree programmes
A student’s first higher-education lecture makes a lasting impression in terms of their understanding of university life. UTM’s ‘First Lecture’ initiative, held in April, attempted to replicate that experience, but was aimed at young people yet to enrol as undergraduates.
The inaugural First Lecture initiative took place on 20 April, at the Mong-Ha Campus in the morning and the Taipa Campus in the afternoon.
Featured were introductory ‘experiential classes’ for each of the bachelor’s degrees within the UTM curriculum. The initiative attracted scores of secondary school students from Macao and beyond, many accompanied by their parents.
The morning session of the event included classes related to the Hotel Management, Tourism Event Management, and Culinary Arts Management programmes at UTM. Each lecture lasted about 30 minutes and was followed by a campus tour.
One of the prospective students attending the morning session was Philippines-born Rivera. She is currently studying at Macao’s Luís Gonzaga Gomes Luso-Chinese Secondary School and anticipates enrolling at UTM for the academic year 2025/2026. She joined the experiential classes in Hotel Management and Tourism Event Management.
Rivera mentioned that, following her attendance at the First Lecture initiative, she considered UTM programmes to be well attuned to the needs of the Macao market. The event also helped her decide to pursue studies that could lead to a professional career in hospitality.
She said one of the factors attracting her to UTM was the availability of English as the medium of instruction. She also noted that the institution had recently attained university status, opening new paths for its development.
Rivera’s mother accompanied her to the event, and praised the UTM initiative, believing it had helped her daughter gain a better understanding of university study life. The parent added that studying at UTM would be a good fit for Rivera, not only because she enjoyed interacting with people, but also because hospitality was a vital industry in Macao.
Discovering what UTM has to offer
Lei Chi Kei, a secondary school student from the Chinese section of Santa Rosa de Lima Secondary School, also attended the First Lecture event. She commended the scholars that delivered the experiential classes, as the classes had succinctly explained each programme.
“At first, I thought there were not many job categories in the events sector, but after the lecturers’ very clear explanation, I realised that there are actually many career options in this area,” she explained.
The student intends to enrol on a bachelor’s degree programme in the field of event management. She is also seeking a university that can provide her with a multicultural academic life. According to her, this makes UTM her top choice in Macao for several reasons: English is available as the medium of instruction; the university offers an international education style; and UTM provides students with opportunities to undertake curricular internships overseas with reputable international companies.
Attendees of the First Lecture initiative had the opportunity to gain first-hand insight into a new bachelor’s degree programme UTM is launching next year: International Business and Innovative Communication.
Among those interested in the new offering were Flora Xiong, a secondary school final-year student from Guangdong province. She was accompanied by her mother. Following the First Lecture initiative, mother and daughter formed the view that the study environment in Macao was more relaxed than on the Mainland, and that UTM’s international education environment was quite attractive. Moreover, the fact Macao is next door to Guangdong province made UTM a convenient choice. Taking everything into account, Flora commented that UTM was one of her top choices for advancing her studies.
Also travelling from the Mainland to Macao to attend the First Lecture event was Violet Yan. She is currently a finalist secondary school student in Zhengzhou, Henan province, and plans to join UTM next academic year, either to study on the Cultural and Heritage Management programme or on the Tourism Business Management programme.
“UTM is my first choice because of the high standard of education and my interest in the available subjects,” she said. “The flexibility regarding the medium of instruction is also attractive, as I can choose Mandarin, which will allow me to fully engage in the classes.”
While the First Lecture event primarily targeted secondary school students, it also attracted individuals interested in pursuing postgraduate studies in Macao. Among them was Wang Hong Fei, from the Mainland, who plans to begin in the next academic year studies for a master’s degree programme. He mentioned that the First Lecture initiative helped him gain a better understanding of the educational environment in Macao, enabling him to make a more informed decision about his next study destination. “I really appreciated the friendly and interactive educational environment at UTM,” said Wang.
Editor: UTM Public Relations Team
