From March 25 to 28, the “2026 Asia-Pacific Youth Work Symposium” was held in Macao. The event was sponsored by the Social Welfare Bureau of the Macao SAR Government and organized by the Union of Neighborhood Associations of Macao. Professor Wan Guowei, Director of the Office of International Affairs and the Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs of our university, along with Associate Professors Jin Hui and Wang Yaohui from the School of Public Affairs and the Modern Service Research Institute, were invited to attend the symposium. The attendees, including experts, scholars, and social work representatives, engaged in in-depth discussions centered on the theme “Integration and Innovation of Smart Technology and Mental Health”, exploring new pathways for the mental health development of adolescents and achieving fruitful results through exchanges.

During the symposium, the delegation visited the Union of Neighbourhood Associations of Macao and met with its President, Wu Xiaoli. They reviewed previous cooperation and discussed the joint organization of an academic exchange conference themed the “Development of Digital Community Home Economics Services in Zhejiang and Macao”, as well as the co-publication of textbooks and other scholarly materials. President Wu expressed strong support for our university’s efforts to apply for authorization of master’s degree programs in related disciplines. The delegation also visited Macau University of Science and Technology, where they held discussions with Associate Vice-Rector Liang Wenhui and reached preliminary plans for short-term study programs, discipline-based competitions, student exchanges, graduate student recommendation for admission, faculty visits, and collaborative research programs. At Macao Polytechnic University, the delegation engaged in extensive discussions with Lin Faqin, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, on topics such as graduate student recommendation for admission, joint research programs, student exchanges, and academic communication. Both parties agreed to prioritize the substantive launch of the graduate student recommendation mechanism.

This visit to Macao not only allowed our delegation to learn first-hand about advanced practices in youth mental health work in the Asia-Pacific region but also helped build bridges for inter-institutional and cross-regional exchanges and cooperation. More importantly, it deepened collaboration between our university and relevant organizations and higher education institutions in Macao. Moving forward, our university will take this symposium as an opportunity to draw on advanced concepts and practical achievements, leverage its disciplinary strengths, further strengthen research and education in adolescent mental health and related fields, and deepen international and cross-regional exchanges and cooperation, contributing to Shuren’s strength in the healthy development of young people.