The University of Macau, an international public comprehensive university in the Macao Special Administrative Region, plans to establish a new campus in Hengqin of Zhuhai, Guangdong province, according to a senior executive of the university.

The new campus, which will be half the size of the current campus, will offer programs in medicine, new engineering, microelectronics, internet of things, artificial intelligence, robotics and quantitative business analytics, according to Song Yonghua, rector of the University of Macau.

The university also received approval from government authorities to establish an advanced research institute in Hengqin, which will promote industry-academia collaboration between Macao and the Chinese mainland.

The establishment of the university's new campus and the advanced research institute in Zhuhai were revealed during its open day, which was held on Sunday in both Macao and Hengqin, part of the China (Guangdong) Pilot Free Trade Zone.

With a theme of connecting Macao and Hengqin, the open day showcased the latest achievements of the university and its Zhuhai-based science and technology research institute in teaching and research, talent cultivation and industry-academia collaboration.

After about five years of development, the university's science and technology research institute in Zhuhai has trained more than 300 researchers. "We are actively establishing and improving a research and innovation transformation system," said Song.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Song said the open day manifested the university's vision and development direction — being firmly rooted in Macao, jointly developing the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, integrating with the nation and going global.

According to a development plan for Hengqin issued by the National Development and Reform Commission in December, Macao-based universities were proposed to promote the teaching of microelectronics, medicine, finance, technology and other fields in Hengqin.

Also, educational institutes holding undergraduate teaching qualifications in Macao are allowed to open new courses in Hengqin, according to the new plan.

A wide range of activities, such as sports games, workshops, science experiments, performances and one-day campus tours were held during the open day.

In line with the development needs of the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin and the country, the university will offer several new degree programs in the next academic year, including master of fine arts, master of science in business analytics, doctor of fine arts, and doctor of public health.

The university has gradually expanded enrollment and added new degree programs since 2018, recruiting approximately 2,000 undergraduate students each year.