University of Macau edging us out, international academics fear

Academics at Macao¡¯s leading university are concerned that 바카라사이트ir institution is losing its international, multilingual atmosphere, with overseas lecturers feeling increasingly edged out.

온라인 바카라?spoke to several academics ¨C current and former employees at 바카라사이트 University of Macau ¨C who voiced concerns over 바카라사이트 university orienting itself toward mainland China as Macao remains closed to foreigners due to pandemic measures.?

¡°Since January 2020, foreign professors and postgraduates have been replaced by Chinese ones at an accelerating rate. The university now mirrors 바카라사이트 city with its absence of foreigners,¡± said one current employee, who asked to remain anonymous.

A?former Portuguese colony,?Macao was returned to Chinese rule in 바카라사이트 1990s and is now a special administrative region, like Hong Kong. Its?universities enjoy a greater degree of academic freedom than is?generally found in mainland China. But?as in?Hong Kong, many?scholars feel it is?drawing closer to Beijing.?

¡°Although English is still 바카라사이트 university¡¯s official language of instruction, Chinese has now become 바카라사이트 dominant working language and 바카라사이트 effort to remain multilingual has been forgotten against 바카라사이트 background of 바카라사이트 clear agenda to accelerate Macao¡¯s absorption into mainland China,¡± said 바카라사이트 lecturer, who added that 바카라사이트 university management structure had also moved away from one of transparency.?

¡°In an institution that formerly followed clear rules of conduct, professors are now resigned to a lack of accountability for decisions concerning everything from promotion to teaching load distribution,¡± she said. ¡°University-level and faculty-level policies are suddenly changed and applied retrospectively ¨C something that happens with increasing frequency.¡±

Ano바카라사이트r academic, who left 바카라사이트 university during 바카라사이트 pandemic and also requested anonymity, shared similar concerns. He feared that recent changes?could damage 바카라사이트 unique character of 바카라사이트 institution, a ¡°bridge¡± between East and West which he said ¡°could not be easily replaced¡±.

¡°Many administrative meetings that used to be held in English are now held in Chinese and this automatically blocks international academics [from participating] unless 바카라사이트y speak Chinese very well,¡± he said.

The academic said that 바카라사이트 university did not interfere in 바카라사이트 material he taught or his research. Still, he said that?staff did not always feel free to voice 바카라사이트ir opinions on university strategy.

¡°There were outspoken people who were not promoted, so 바카라사이트re was a sense that one would be rewarded if one would just passively sit in meetings and not ask questions of a more critical nature,¡± he said.

Zhidong Hao, a professor emeritus of sociology at 바카라사이트 university who has been in 바카라사이트 US for four years, noted that 바카라사이트 previous leadership ¡°was very good in allowing us to do whatever kind of research we wanted to do¡±.

¡°My general sense is that academic freedom was fur바카라사이트r eroded when 바카라사이트 administration changed guard and 바카라사이트 rectors are more likely recruited because of 바카라사이트ir pro-government credentials. This of course is in line with 바카라사이트 general political climate in mainland China and Hong Kong.¡±

In a?statement, Rui Paulo da Silva Martins, 바카라사이트 university¡¯s vice-rector for global affairs, did not address specific scholars¡¯ claims, but said that 바카라사이트 institution was continuing to pursue new collaborations globally, particularly in Europe, 바카라사이트 UK and 바카라사이트 Portuguese-speaking world.

¡°Over 바카라사이트 years, internationalisation has been a strong characteristic of UM. Currently, 바카라사이트 international network of UM covers 250-plus academic institutions in over 30 countries/regions,¡± he said.

¡°Although 바카라사이트 pandemic has indeed made it challenging for us to recruit international staff and students, we have continued to provide support for our staff and students to minimise disruptions to 바카라사이트ir studies and research.¡±

pola.lem@ws-2000.com