The Department of Japanese recently welcomed faculty members and students from the College of Foreign Studies at Jinan University. The visit included faculty discussions, a student speech contest, and a campus tour. These activities gave teachers and students from both universities a chance to meet face to face and also created a good basis for future cooperation and exchange.
On April 15, the two universities first met for a lunch exchange and then held a discussion session. During lunch, Dean Xu Jie and Vice Dean Li Defeng of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities met with the visiting group from Jinan University. They had a friendly exchange about cooperation between the two sides. At the discussion session, Dean Xu spoke on behalf of the the University of Macau, and Secretary Chen Wenju spoke on behalf of the Jinan University. They introduced the history of the two universities and faculties, and shared their hopes for deeper cooperation in the future. Faculty members from both sides then discussed possible future work in student exchange, teaching, and research.
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On the same morning, the Department of Japanese at the University of Macau hosted the 2026 University of Macau Japanese Creative Speech Contest. The theme was “SNS and Human Relationships: Are Connections Real?” The event was chaired by Dr. Ando Miho. Prof. Yang Wenjiang from the University of Macau and Dr. Li Liwei from Jinan University gave opening remarks. A total of nine undergraduate students from the two universities took part in the contest. After judging by teachers from both sides, the first prize went to Hu Di from Jinan University, the second prize to Luo Yuting from Jinan University, and the third prize to Ho Cheok Hang from the University of Macau. Special prizes were awarded to Wang Linzhu and Yang Han from the University of Macau.
After the contest, Ms. Kimura Kumiko from the University of Macau said that the event showed the students’ strong ability in Japanese speaking, critical thinking, and answering questions on the spot. She noted that the students spoke from different angles on the same theme, and that the speeches were rich in content and full of ideas. She also said that the first and second prize winners stood out in pronunciation, pacing, and eye contact, showing careful preparation and repeated practice. In her view, the contest was also a very good learning opportunity for UM students.
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In the afternoon, the visiting group from Jinan University joined a campus tour led by student ambassadors, with University of Macau teachers and students accompanying them. They visited the University Gallery, the library, and the residential colleges. Through the tour, the visitors learned more about the learning environment, the multicultural character of the campus, and the University of Macau’s distinctive college system and educational ideas. The student ambassadors also introduced practical details of campus life, such as ordering takeout and receiving parcels from mainland China, which helped the visitors gain a clearer picture of daily life at the university.
Dr. Hu Yamin from the Department of Japanese said that one especially memorable point was the connection between the contest theme and the afternoon tour. The speech contest had asked, “Are connections real?” During the warm and relaxed campus walk, the students seemed to find a real answer for themselves. In the morning they had been competitors on the same stage. By the afternoon, they were taking photos together and chatting happily. In this way, academic discussion continued in the form of sincere human connection.
