Undergraduate Mira Zhu Zimeng has been recognised regarding her plan to create an educational trip around Yuexiu District Museum’s exhibition “Sea Trade Center – Yuexiu and Maritime Silk Road”
Mira Zhu Zimeng, a Year 1 student on the Cultural and Heritage Management Bachelor’s Degree Programme at UTM, has received an award from the Guangdong Society of Education in Guangdong Province. It was in recognition of her proposal for an educational trip involving the exhibition “Sea Trade Center – Yuexiu and Maritime Silk Road”, held recently by the Yuexiu District Museum in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province.
Mira’s inspiration for her project stemmed from her short-term internship at Yuexiu District Museum during UTM’s latest Lunar New Year break. During her internship, she was actively involved in the promotion and guided tours for the “Sea Trade Center” exhibition. Additionally, she contributed partially to the curation and other preparatory work for the exhibition.
Towards the end of her internship, Mira became aware of an initiative by the Guangdong Society of Education asking for proposals for educational trips. Mira made use of her internship experience, basing her plan on the “Sea Trade Cente” exhibition. The Guangdong body announced last month her suggestion was among the best received and merited a second-place award.
Mira acknowledges the unique challenge involved in developing an educational trip proposal. “In this regard, the scholars at UTM provided me with guidance on how to design the plan,” she says.
Her interest in educational trips was sparked by a project titled “Exploring the Cultural Path of the Macanese Community”, organised by UTM Year 3 undergraduates on the Cultural and Heritage Management programme. That project, realised in November last year at the Mong-Há Campus, aimed to promote elements of Macanese culture, including cuisine and a local form of creole language known as Patuá. Activities comprised an exhibition, a dramatised presentation, a cooking demonstration, and an experience-sharing session.
Through that project, “we were introduced to the idea that culture needs to be promoted and should not be constrained,” says Mira. “Educational trips are a good way for people to gain a deeper understanding of different cultures, beyond merely visiting sightseeing attractions.”
Despite being only in Year 1 of the Cultural and Heritage Management programme, Mira says she is determined to make the most of her time as undergraduate at UTM, striving to immerse herself in learning as much as possible about culture and heritage.
Mira’s enthusiasm for these topics can be traced to her upbringing in Guangzhou, in Guangdong, where she had firsthand experience of the work of the Guangzhou Opera House. “I tried front-of-house and backstage tasks. In the end, I realised I preferred to remain behind the scenes and contribute to the preservation of culture and arts,” says Mira.
Such a desire led her to pursue studies in Cultural and Heritage Management at UTM.
As a ‘people person’, Mira says she gravitates towards roles such as guiding tours and hosting events. That, from her perspective, aligns with the practical components of UTM’s programme.
Editor: UTM Public Relations Team
