City University of Macau and Griffith University of Australia jointly build learning platform

To deepen international academic exchange and cooperation and promote the internationalization of higher education in Macao, the School of Data Science at City University of Macao and the School of Information and Communication Technology at Griffith University, Australia, have been conducting a student exchange program since 2024. This program provides a platform for students from both universities to broaden their global perspectives and enhance their cross-cultural communication skills. The exchange program for this academic year has recently commenced, welcoming a new group of outstanding students from Griffith University. They will spend three months learning and exchanging ideas, immersing themselves in a diverse teaching environment, and discussing cutting-edge issues in their disciplines with City University faculty and students, further solidifying their professional foundations and improving their overall competence.

To welcome the students from CityU Macau, the college held a welcome ceremony. CityU Vice President and Dean of the School of Data Science, Zhou Wanlei, had a cordial conversation with the students, encouraging them to cherish the opportunity, actively explore, and learn from each other and progress together in a multicultural academic environment. Meanwhile, the supervising professors introduced the curriculum, research directions, and learning methods, encouraging them to ask questions and be bold in practice.

The International Training and Testing Center hosted a welcome event for the exchange students entitled "Make Friends with CityU Macau," attracting nearly 20 CityU students. They communicated and got to know each other through games, creatively solved challenges, and strengthened their friendships amidst laughter. During their exchange at CityU, the International Training and Testing Center also organized a series of activities focusing on technological innovation and cultural experiences, allowing students to personally experience the unique charm of Macau's fusion of Chinese and Western cultures through cultural visits.

Currently, University of Glasgow students have participated in numerous study programs, lectures, and workshops, and have also attended regular classes, auditing tourism and convention management courses as "CityU students," leaving a deep impression on CityU's teaching environment and cultural atmosphere. Let's take a look at the University of Glasgow students' reflections on their exchange and learning experience at CityU!

RYAN JACKSON PAUL（Griffith University）

Although placed within classes not specific to our degree, it’s clear that the curriculum is well thought out and designed to improve both the knowledge and soft skills of the students participating in the courses, with many of the tasks asking for students to step outside of their comfort zone to practice the content they learn in a safe environment so that they are ready when they face similar challenges in the real world. Furthermore, this curriculum is supported by the meticulous teaching of the lecturers, who appear to be highly experienced in their fields, working directly with students to enhance their learning through lessons and activities that ensure students are actively participating and learning from each lecturer’s industry insights.

The most significant indicator of this environment being both diverse and inclusive is that it hasn’t felt necessary to adapt. Learning at City University of Macau has felt the same as learning back home in Australia; the environment is both incredibly welcoming and has a unique atmosphere that makes learning and communicating with others incredibly easy. From the moment we arrived, both the students and teaching staff have been incredibly supportive, ensuring that our group feels like a part of the campus community every step of the way.

During my studies at City University of Macau, the most unique campus culture I have experienced is the collective enthusiasm for education from both teaching staff and students. The teaching staff are all supportive and constantly create engaging learning experiences for students that push them to succeed while also supporting their personal development, and the students are always willing to help others, showcasing their enthusiasm through genuine interest in their learning and a desire to succeed in their respective careers. Overall, my time at City University of Macau has inspired me to excel, thanks to the enthusiasm present in every aspect of this University.

KONINGHAM ALEXANDER LEO（Griffith University）

During my time studying at the City University of Macau, I have had a very positive impression of the curriculum and the overall teaching environment. The classes feel thoughtfully designed and the teachers put real effort into making the lessons engaging. What stood out to me most is how interactive the classes are. Instead of just listening to the material, we often take part in discussions, short activities and group tasks that help us understand it more deeply. The professors have also been very friendly and focused on including us into the class work. This makes the environment comfortable and promotes taking part in the class and the students seem to really enjoy the classes.

The City University of Macau has a diverse and welcoming campus, which made settling in feel straightforward. Students and staff are generally friendly, and it was easy to talk to people both in and outside of class. I liked that students naturally interacted with one another during group activities and casual conversations, which made the environment feel open without being overwhelming. Campus events also gave me a chance to experience different cultural traditions and learn more about the mix of backgrounds represented at the university. Overall, the atmosphere felt relaxed and easy to adjust to.

One thing I noticed while studying at the City University of Macau is the general campus atmosphere outside the classroom. The environment is relaxed and has a steady, community feel. Students usually interact in an easy and respectful way, whether it is chatting before class, working together on group tasks or taking part in small activities around campus. The students are approachable, which makes the campus feel comfortable. Overall, the culture is calm, simple and easy to adapt to, and it made the campus feel familiar fairly quickly.

MCINTOSH LACHLAN SYDNEY（Griffith University）

Given the exchange’s facilitation under and nature of the Faculty of Data Science (FDS) the curriculum could be more concentrated on data science, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and statistics/probability as opposed to hotel management. Through attending Making Friends with CityU and the FITM classes I was surrounded by CityU students where I experienced the student’s attitude of intrigue, curiosity, and welcoming. The engagements I had with students through dialogue, exchanging WeChat’s and Xiaohongshu’s helped others and I feel embraced and matriculated into CityU. Running into students on campus and talking, waving, and greetings one another whom I’ve met at other events and classes has furthered my sense of community within university. The campus design and architecture have, through its rising cascading scaling buildings, developed a unique campus cultural experience through intra-campus transit. The density has increased student-to-student interaction without being congested, and the abundant greenery in spite of the environment has curated a unique study, social, and professional environment being able to facilitate casual unplanned social activity.

SKILTON STEPHEN CHRISTOPHER（Griffith University）

During my studies at City University of Macau, I gained a clear impression of the university’s curriculum design and teaching environment, even in a short time. What stood out to me most was how structured and well-paced the lessons were. Lecturers followed a clear teaching plan while still allowing room for discussion and student participation. Even though I wasn’t a full student, I could see how the blend of theory and practical examples helped students connect concepts to real-life applications.

One moment that left a strong impression was a class discussion where the teacher encouraged students to express their opinions freely. Despite coming from different backgrounds, students interacted respectfully and confidently, which reflected the effectiveness of the teaching environment. The instructors I observed were approachable and patient, often checking whether students understood the content before moving on. Although my time there was brief, the atmosphere felt supportive and engaging. Even though I was only at the City University of Macau for a short amount of time, I immediately felt the impact of its diverse and inclusive campus atmosphere. Students came from various cultural and linguistic backgrounds, which created a lively and open environment. Despite not being a full participant in the classes, I never felt out of place; people were friendly and willing to answer questions or share their experiences. What helped me adapt most was the natural way students interacted with one another. During group activities I observed, everyone contributed their ideas respectfully, demonstrating a culture of cooperation rather than competition. During my short time at City University of Macau, the aspect of campus culture that stood out most to me was the genuine respect students showed toward one another and their lecturers. Even though I was only an observer, I could clearly sense the atmosphere of cooperation and mutual understanding. In classrooms, discussions were conducted calmly, with students listening attentively before responding. Another unique cultural element I noticed was the multilingual environment on campus. Students often shifted between Chinese and English in their conversations. Overall, the most unique aspect of the campus culture I experienced was the harmonious blend of respect, diversity, and openness that shaped everyday interactions, even during my brief stay.

DOXFORD ZANE FISHER（Griffith University）

My Hotel Management courses at City University of Macau provided hands-on experience through practical simulations. We rigorously practiced configuring event spaces including classroom-style layouts for lectures and U-shaped arrangements for interactive sessions, learning to optimize sightlines and participant engagement. A core project involved role-playing hotel crisis scenarios using actual front-desk equipment - I specifically worked on a case where a guest reported losing a valuable watch. Through repeated drills, my team developed standardized procedures for: 1) Immediate response protocols using calming language techniques, 2) Systematic search coordination between housekeeping and security departments, 3) Documentation processes for lost-and-found items. We used physical props like a watch and documents to simulate real operations. This training directly improved my understanding of Macau's hospitality protocols, particularly the balance between swift problem-solving and maintaining guest relations as observed in local hotel internships.

My experience at City University of Macau directly mirrored the hospitality industry's core values through its intentionally collaborative environment. Lecturers consistently modeled professional guest service principles during practical sessions, whether demonstrating banquet table setups or conflict resolution drills, ensured equal participation through structured role rotations where international students alternated as team leaders. This philosophy extended organically to peer interactions: when navigating Macau's culture, classmates became cultural liaisons, sharing local insights like the best food spots and quiet study spots. During my visit to Macau’s famous Ruins of St. Paul in the “Macau exploration” course I was able to experience the Portuguese influence in Macau and how the culture is integrated. During the experience I met some students from CityU who were interviewing foreigners about Macau. I was able to absorb this experience to improve my knowledge about the culture. During this trip I was also able to visit the various art museums in the area to better grasp the culture.

Source：Faculty of Data Science