The Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS) at the University of Macau (UM) held an opening ceremony for the 2025/2026 intake of its Doctor of Public Health (DrPH) programme. The programme has admitted 35 new students this year, including hospital directors, heads of nursing departments, chief nurses, senior officials from disease control and prevention centres, public health administrators, psychotherapists, and general managers of e-commerce companies engaged in health innovation and public health services. The diverse backgrounds of the students reflect the programme’s emphasis on practical application and interdisciplinary collaboration.

During the opening ceremony, Chuxia Deng, dean of FHS, gave an overview of the faculty’s development direction and highlighted that the DrPH programme aims to cultivate high-level health professionals with leadership and practical skills, and contribute to the public health sectors of Macao, the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the Chinese mainland, and the international community. He encouraged the new students to leverage UM’s strategic location in the Greater Bay Area and its extensive international partnerships to broaden their global perspective, embrace innovation, and promote innovation and advancement in public health. Xiang Yutao, head of the Department of Public Health and Medicinal Administration, introduced the features, development plan, curriculum, and graduation requirements of the DrPH programme to help students gain a better understanding of their learning objectives. Hu Yuanjia, associate head of the Department of Public Health and Medicinal Administration, also attended the opening ceremony.

The DrPH programme welcomed its first cohort of students in the 2024/2025 academic year. Since its launch, the programme has received many applications from public health and healthcare professionals across the country. Designed for mid- to senior-level professionals in public health and healthcare, the programme covers core disciplines such as epidemiology, biostatistics, and health policy and management. It places a strong emphasis on practical application and leadership development, with the aim of enhancing students’ ability to address complex public health challenges.

Applications for the 2026/2027 academic year are now open. Interested professionals are welcome to apply. For more details and information, please visit: https://fhs.um.edu.mo/en/doctor-of-public-health/.