About Macau University of Science & Technology

Founded in 2000, Macau University of Science and Technology (M.U.S.T.) has rapidly developed into the largest multi-disciplinary university in Macao is ranked among the Top 20 Universities in Greater China¹. M.U.S.T. endeavors to educate students specialized in various fields, attaches equal importance to teaching and research, focuses on the quality of programs, pursues excellence, and has continuously reached new heights in academic development. For ten consecutive years, M.U.S.T. ranked among the Top 100 universities in the “Ranking of Top Universities in Greater China” released by Shanghai Ranking, in the 17^th in 2020. M.U.S.T. ranked among the top 300 universities in the “World University Rankings” for three consecutive years (2020, 2021 and 2022) and placed 32^nd at the “Asia University Rankings” in 2020 and 2021 by Times Higher Education (THE). Furthermore, in the “World Young University Rankings” (THE), it was ranked 38^th and 32^nd in 2020 and 2021, respectively². The University sits on Taipa with a campus of 210,000m². The beautiful surroundings and convenient transport render it an ideal place for students to pursue higher education and carry out research.

Faculties and Programs

The Macao S.A.R. government has authorized M.U.S.T. to award academic degrees at doctoral, master and bachelor levels. To cater to different interests from different people, M.U.S.T. offers tens of programs that are conducted mainly in English, with some conducted either in Chinese, Portuguese or Spanish. In addition to local students, M.U.S.T. attracts a great many students from Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Currently, there are more than 16,000 students enrolled at the University, including 6,200 master and doctoral students and 10,500 undergraduate students³. As of today, M.U.S.T. owns the following faculties/departments: Faculty of Innovation Engineering, School of Business, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Chinese Medicine, Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Faculty of Humanities and Arts, Faculty of Medicine, University International College, School of Pharmacy, School of Liberal Arts and the Department of General Education, providing a wide range of courses, including social sciences, science, law, management, business, medicine, pharmacy, tourism, art, communications and language. In addition to degree programs offered by The School of Liberal Arts, the School also provides evening degree programs and a wide range of short courses (daytime/evening) for lifelong learners and people who wish to enrich their knowledge.

So far, the employability and the opportunity to further studies of M.U.S.T. graduates proves to be highly satisfying. A number of graduates have received scholarships from world-renowned universities to continue further studies abroad, and an even greater number of graduates have taken up employment in government departments and well-known enterprises in Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao.

Faculty Members and Research Development

The key to excellent education and extraordinary research is to have a knowledgeable, professional, experienced, and internationalized faculty team. M.U.S.T. has hundreds of chair professors, professors, distinguished professors, associate professors, and assistant professors. The majority of the academic and research staff hold Ph.D. degrees and have either worked or studied in world-renowned institutions and universities. In addition, M.U.S.T. has invited a group of world-class specialists and experts to teach undergraduate and postgraduate courses. These specialists include academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Chinese Academy of Engineering, the Academia Sinica in Taiwan, the United States National Academy of Sciences, Highly Cited scholars, and other top scholars. By teaching courses and supervising graduates, these outstanding scholars impart the newest knowledge, disseminate the latest research findings, and introduce students to international horizons and diverse cultures.

Academic freedom has always been the pursuit of the University. M.U.S.T. supports academic staff and researchers to develop diverse research projects, and encourages teachers to collaborate and produce new knowledge, new technology, and new products, to advance diversified academic development, and provide services both for Macao’s and national progress. M.U.S.T. focuses on developing characteristics and research areas where the University has strengths, for example, quality control and innovative drugs in Chinese medicines, lunar and planetary sciences, cancer and rheumatism treatment, system engineering, environmental science, smart city, architecture and city planning, human resources management, and gaming tourism management. Other areas of interest are studies on Macao society, culture, and sustainable development, comparative studies of cross-regional laws in the cross-strait region, art design, media studies, intellectual property protection, marine protection, development and utilization, next generation internet, innovation for robotics technologies, mathematical sciences, Latin America studies, Macao history studies, Macao intellectual property service, etc. M.U.S.T. encourages the faculty to publish high-quality research findings. In recent years, our research publications at the Q1 zone of international SCI/SSCI academic journals have increased continuously, and the number of national and international patents granted has increased several times.

After years of development, M.U.S.T. now owns three state-level research platforms: State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Lunar and Planetary Sciences, and Macao Coastal Zone Ecological Environment National Observation and Research Station. What’s more, a number of prominent institutes and research centers have also been established, such as Macau Institute for Applied Research in Medicine and Health, Institute for Sustainable Development, Space Science Institute, Institute for Social and Cultural Research, Macau Institute of Systems Engineering, Macau Research Center for International Standard of Chinese Medicines, Research Centre on Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Resolution, Macau Media Research Center, Macau Environmental Research Institute, Macao Institute of Fintech Innovation, Macao Institute of Smart City, Macao Academy of Cinematic Arts, Macao Architecture and Urban Planning Institute, International Institute of Next Generation Internet, Macao Media Studies Center, Macao Centre for Innovative Chinese Medicine and Industrialization Technology, Innovation Centre for Robotics Technologies, Macao Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Macao Centre for Research of Latin America, Research Centre for Macao History, Chinese Academy of History, and Macao Intellectual property Service Center. The University also established Macao’s first Laboratory named after a Nobel Prize Winner, “Dr. Neher’s Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery”. Furthermore, the Ministry of Education of People’s Republic of China authorized M.U.S.T. to jointly establish the Key Research Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences Partner Base and Joint Laboratory with five higher institutions in Mainland China. In 2021, the University newly founded Macao Institute of Materials Science and Engineering; in March, 2022, the Key Laboratory of River Basin Digital Twinning of Ministry of Water Resources, jointly applied by the University and the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research, was officially approved for establishment. These institutes and laboratories perform the functions of teaching and research simultaneously, not only providing practical training opportunities for outstanding research talents but also making great contributions to the studies on the sustainable development of Macao and the adequate diversification of Macao’s economy. In 2019, the University signed a framework cooperation agreement with Zhuhai Municipal People's Government aimed to explore in-depth cooperation in innovative education, cutting-edge science and technology, quality health and medical research, medical and health industry, Next Generation Internet, Geospatial Big Data, artificial intelligence, aerospace, outstanding cultural heritage, youth innovation entrepreneurship, and others, and eventually work together for the joint promotion of the Greater Bay Area’s science and technology innovation and development. In 2021, the First Affiliated Hospital of Faculty of Medicine was jointly established by M.U.S.T. and the Zhuhai People’s Hospital. As a teaching hospital, it offers ample opportunities for student internship, medical training, and frontier inter-disciplinary research. To better integrate into the development of the Greater Bay Area, the University established the MUST Science and Technology Research Institute in Hengqin, Zhuhai.

Campus Life and Facilities

With respect to campus facilities, M.U.S.T. has a beautiful campus and several modern teaching buildings, well-established laboratories, and rich collections of library resources. M.U.S.T. advocates a harmonious, professional, and caring campus that facilitates students to achieve all-round development and fulfil whole-person education. M.U.S.T. has set up a Mentor scheme to assist students in coping with problems in their studies and life. By holding many forms of student social activities, M.U.S.T. encourages students to actively participate in extra-curricular activities to develop organizational skills, improve social and cognitive abilities, and broaden their knowledge span. M.U.S.T. provides diverse facilities for students to engage in different kinds of colorful extra-curricular activities, for example, the establishment of a student center with multiple piano rooms, rehearsal rooms, multi-functional rooms, and other rooms that are open for students to use for free all year round. The Art Troupe has become a brand of the art and culture of the University and offers students a stage to showcase their artistic talent. The Center for Entrepreneurship and Career Planning helps students to find their personal strengths and expertise to explore their own potential, establish a healthy, upright core value system in terms of career development, and enhance their competitiveness as well as planning and preparation to enter the labor market or entrepreneurship. The Student Affairs Office organizes visits, field trips, and community activities for students. The University encourages students to participate actively in various professional competitions locally and abroad. Based on students’ interests, the Student Affairs Office coordinates all kinds of training and provides students with guidance and counseling services.

The campus has convenience stores, bank centers, student restaurants, a teaching restaurant, a food studio, coffee corners, a computer store, an Olympic-standard track with a field stadium and gymnasium, and a tennis court, providing conveniences for students to exercise and satisfy all their needs. The University Hospital is located at the campus providing 24-hour support and handles emergencies for students and staff. The hospital carries advanced equipment; in addition to a local professional medical team, there is also a specialist team of well-known specialists from Mainland China, Hong Kong, and other countries. Moreover, the University has a security force that patrols the campus and dormitories to safeguard an orderly campus environment.

The University owns five dormitories located on campus, and others in Macao and Coloane, providing sufficient work, study, and living arrangements for teachers and students. The newly completed Block O teaching complex has been put to use, providing a large number of classrooms, staff offices, and teaching facilities. The Block R teaching complex is newly completed. It has a multifunction hall and movie house, as well as classrooms, research and practical teaching laboratories, studios, college offices, and logistics support rooms. These facilities provide a substantial upgrade in educational facilities for the University.

Academic Exchange and International Cooperation

Internationalization has been an important momentum for M.U.S.T. It is also an important direction for its future development. In terms of academic management, M.U.S.T. integrates the experience of world-renowned universities with specific local, social, and cultural characteristics, and establishes its own management principles and culture, model and framework, mechanisms and procedures, which fit well with the University’s international outreach, and aims to become an international university with leading management standards. At present, M.U.S.T. has established multiple forms of partnerships with more than two hundred institutions in Europe, America, Australia, Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong in educational programs, academic research, personnel training, student exchanges, and other areas. It has also become a member of the Association of Universities of Asia and the Pacific (AUAP) and the International Association of Universities (IAU); starting from March 2022, the University has become a partner of Times Higher Education’s “THE Campus +”. M.U.S.T. encourages students to engage in overseas exchange programs and provides long-term, mid-term, and short-term funding for outstanding students to study abroad. It also supports students to pursue further studies or employment overseas in various ways, including helping students to seek further studies abroad through recommendations, among other means.

Looking ahead, M.U.S.T. will continue to attach equal importance to teaching and research, attract talents from all fields, hold tight to the two key elements: “quality” and “innovation”, give full play to the advantage of a non-profit private university to continue to improve through excellent education and outstanding research and serve the society by fulfilling its mission.

1 “Ranking of Top Universities in Greater China” released by Shanghai Ranking.

2 “World University Rankings”, “Asia University Rankings”, “World Young University Rankings” released by Times Higher Education (THE).

3 Statistics based on the number of students in September, 2021