On Friday 21^st August Macao Polytechnic Institute held its Opening Ceremony to welcome 804 freshmen. President Lei Heong Iok encouraged all the freshmen to read widely, think wisely and exert themselves to be practical and innovative.

During the ceremony President Lei extended his warmest welcome to all the new MPI family members who outstand from more than 7,000 applicants. Among them, he said, were “excellent students from local secondaries, top candidates eligible for admission to key mainland China universities, as well as exchanges students from Taiwan, South East Asia, Portugal, the UK and the US”. President Lei stressed that MPI encourages students to think independently, to be keen to discover problems, and to take the opportunities available at MPI to both think about the past and be creative for the future, living to the full MPI’s motto: “Knowledge, Expertise, Global Vision”.

MPI is the first higher education institution in Macao to have achieved a successful Institutional Review by the UK’s Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, and President Lei said he hoped that in this new academic year MPI would carry on with its communal efforts to maintain and enhance its teaching and learning quality, building a tertiary educational institution that conforms to international standards of higher education, and producing yet more high-quality professionals for the community.

On behalf of all MPI teaching staff, Associate Professor Maggie Wang of the School of Languages and Translation said she expected all students to learn at least three things in the four years of college: how to behave, how to handle matters and how to learn. She hoped students would equip themselves with extensive knowledge, an honest attitude and a noble personality and, at the same time, believed that all MPI teachers would lend students a helping hand on their future voyage.

The freshman representative, Leung Ka Man, a first year student of the Bachelor of Arts in Design Programme, speaking on behalf of the students, noted that she and her fellows should strive for self strengthening and improvement in return for the support given by their parents and teachers. In addition all students needed to acquire knowledge, seek truth, learn to be better persons and thus contribute to the local community, Macao, China and the world. She hoped that all her fellow students would follow in their senior classmates’ footsteps and urge themselves on to study hard and keep moving forward.

A number of representatives from government departments, organizations, enterprises and individuals, who sponsored MPI’s most excellent students with nearly 300 scholarships, also attended the ceremony. They were from the Macao Foundation, Henry Fok Foundation, Macao Public Administration and Civil Services Bureau, Macao Health Bureau, Macao Cultural Affairs Bureau, Macao Government Tourist Office, Macao Sport Development Board, Macao Social Welfare Bureau, Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Macao Productivity and Technology Transfer Center, Association for Adult Education of Macao, Companhia de Electricidade de Macau – CEM, S.A., Companhia de Telecomunicações de Macau S.A.R.L. – CTM , China Telecom (Macao) Co., Ltd, Sociedade de Jogos de Macau, S.A, The Venetian Cotai Limited, Wynn Resorts (Macao) S.A., Galaxy Entertainment Group, MGM Macau, Bank of China Macao Branch, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (Macao), Tai Fung Bank Limited, Seng San Enterprises Ltd., Inspirational Youth Association, Macao Polytechnic Institute Alumni Association, CPA Australia, The Institution of Engineering and Technology, LT Game Limited, Macao Gaming Equipment Manufacturers Association and Macao Polytechnic Institute.

Witnessed by all the guests, and both solemn and touching, all the freshmen swore an oath - “MPI’s heart, our new start” - in joining the MPI family. More than a thousand guests, teaching staff, freshmen and parents attended the Opening Ceremony for Academic Year 2015-2016.

MPI’s Opening Ceremony for Academic Year 2015-2016

President Lei Heong Iok expresses his encouragement to students

Leung Ka Man, freshmen’s representative speaks on behalf of all freshmen

A sponsor awards excellent students with scholarships