To celebrate the 76^th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and the 26^th anniversary of the establishment of the Macao Special Administrative Region, Macao Polytechnic University (MPU) held the “National Games & Future” sharing session featuring Olympic gold medallists who are now MPU students. The event was led by current MPU students as well as Olympic gold medallists Jiao Liuyang and Zhang Yangyang. As the 15^th National Games was around the corner, the two encouraged the youth to embrace a new era with vigour, propelling the growth of the sports sector in the Greater Bay Area. The event attracted an audience of over 300. Distinguished guests attending the session included members of the Administrative Board, deans, vice deans and department heads.

In his opening speech, Rector Marcus Im highlighted that with national and the Macao SAR’s support, MPU’s educational quality and international influence continues to grow. The University has successfully edged into the QS World University rankings and received a QS five-star rating. As the only higher education institution in Macao offering comprehensive degree programmes in Physical Education and Sports Science, MPU has always supported the development of both academics and athletics. Students athletes have won gold medals in international competitions such as the World Wushu Championships, the Asian Games, and the FISU World University Games, bringing honour to Macao and to MPU. Rector Im noted that the 2025 National Games, the first to be hosted as a unified event in the Greater Bay Area, would mark a new phase in the collaborative development of Chinese sports. MPU will be supporting all aspects of the National Games and the strategies for strengthening sports and its influence across the nation.

Olympic Gold Medallists Studying at MPU Encourage Youth to Keep Going and Keep Growing at “National Games & Future” Sharing Session

Moderated by Programme Coordinator of the Doctor of Philosophy in Physical Education and Sports Science Professor Gao Binghong, the session featured two Olympians, Jiao Liuyang, gold medallist in the women’s 200m butterfly at the London Olympics and also setting multiple world records, and Zhang Yangyang, gold medallist in women’s rowing at the Beijing Olympics. Jiao and Zhang’s study at MPU embodies MPU’s educational leap from competitive arenas to the forefront of research, bring both motivational and academic insights to the audience.

Zhang Yangyang emphasised the spirit of teamwork, sharing its common value in both sports and research. The collaborative development of sports in the Greater Bay Area stands as an excellent example of teamwork, breathing new life into sports in China. She noted that studying at MPU is a new starting point in her life and she hopes to leverage research for the uplift of scientific training of more athletes, encouraging PhD candidates to become new driving forces for sports development. Jiao Liuyang reflected on her journey transitioning from swimming pools to classrooms, expressing that perseverance in sports resonates with the exploration required in research. She stressed that breaking one’s limits is the ultimate goal in both fields, and wished many more young people to thrive and shine amidst stress and confusion.

This event was a vibrant practice of MPU responding to the national strategy in becoming a “sports powerhouse” and the “Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Integration Plan”. By bridging between champions and the youth, competition and academia, campus and society, the event further promotes the integrity and fair play of sports and innovative integration of sports education. The Faculty of Health Sciences and Sports of MPU will continue to support collaborative innovation in sports within the Greater Bay Area through high-quality research and talent development, positioning itself as an important base for sports and athletic talents training. With the theme of “National Games & Future”, MPU has aimed to unleash the potential of innovative physical education of the city and raise Macao’s role in the national sports landscape.

Rector Marcus Im of Macao Polytechnic University delivered a speech

Olympic gold medallists Jiao Liuyang (centre) and Zhang Yangyang (right) shared the core of integrity and fair play of sports with MPU members