MACAO -- The University of Macao (UM) will establish five science and technology faculties through a restructuring of part of its existing faculties, with the new faculties scheduled to officially commence operations on Aug 1, 2026, the university noted Friday.

The plan, approved by its university council, includes the establishment of the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Information Science and Computing, the Faculty of Engineering, the Faculty of Science, and the Faculty of Design. Student enrolment in science and technology disciplines is expected to reach about 14,500 in the future.

Song Yonghua, rector of the UM, said the initiative will significantly expand the scope and depth of the university's scientific and technological innovation capacity and provide strong support for its development into an internationally recognized university of excellence.

The UM also mentioned in the notice that the restructuring will support its dual-campus development across its main campus and a new campus in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, promoting closer collaboration between academia and industry and facilitating the application of research outcomes in Macao and beyond.

Construction of the campus in the Hengqin cooperation zone began in December 2025 and is scheduled for completion in 2029.