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Cantonese opera has a long and profound history and has evolved over 700 years, making it unique and distinctive. In a diversified media and entertainment, Cantonese opera culture in Macao, like many other aspects of traditional Chinese cultures, is facing a general decline. Specific challenges include loss of audience, the decline and disintegration of professional groups, and reduced scope of the active repertoire. How can a new venue for traditional Cantonese opera promote a positive response to the contemporary challenges that threaten its cultural vitality? How can a new design approach respond to local issues and contemporary architectural production? Can programmatic diversification of a performance venue (cultural exchange, art display, education) be a useful strategy? This thesis consists of five parts. Part 1 of this thesis outlines the background of research, describes the purpose and significance of the research, and deal with issues of research method. Part 2 considers the artistic characteristics of Cantonese opera, including the spatial characteristics of traditional Cantonese opera theatres, the characteristics of Cantonese opera costumes, and the changing characteristics forms of performance. Part 3 is focused on the uses of parametric models in architectural design. Part 4 offers three case studies of opera houses in China, the Guangzhou Opera House, the Harbin Grand Theatre, and the Xiqu Centre in Hong Kong. Part 5, the core of this thesis, proposes a design of a new performance venue for Cantonese Opera House in Macao. Overall, this thesis offers an account of main considerations in the transformation process from traditional Cantonese opera venues to modern Cantonese opera houses and situates these considerations in the context of contemporary discussions of parametric architecture

The aim of the current study was to explore the relationship between perceived organisational support and co-worker support, with turnover intentions, and the role of perceived job alternatives. Turnover intentions have been a global issue for employers. In this study, we would like to investigate whether the previous global findings could also be applied in Macao. Although some similar researches were conducted in Macau, it’s not exactly the same as ours. We would like to further focus on the front-line and non-frontline group. A quantitative methodology was applied using a cross-sectional design through an online questionnaire disseminated via social media and completed by 339 full-time workers in Macao. We found that only perceived organisational support, not co-worker support, showed a negative relationship on turnover intentions. the effect seems weak for the general sample but stronger for non-frontline workers. Concerning the moderating effect of perceived job alternatives, the analysis confirmed a significant interaction to predict turnover intentions. We discussed that employees may feel trapped in their current positions due to limited job prospects elsewhere. However, employees who perceive high levels of organisational support are more likely to remain loyal and engaged even when external alternatives are scarce. Practical implications include that it might be beneficial for both employees and organisations if organisations in Macao could develop effective human resources policies and retention strategies to enhance employee retention and mitigate the negative consequences of turnover. In this study, we confirmed a negative relationship between POS and turnover intentions, but still, the effect seems weak. The effect of POS on turnover intentions seems much stronger for non-frontline employees. We confirmed co-worker support had a negative correlation with turnover intentions, which was not enough to predict turnover simply based on co-worker support. Moreover, Perceived job alternatives are confirmed to have significant interaction with POS but non-significant interaction with co-worker support on turnover intentions

This dissertation examines the current implementation of specific Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the Macau legal system, despite the non-mandatory nature of these goals and how they were implemented. The SDGs, established by the United Nations, provide a comprehensive framework for addressing global social, economic, and environmental challenges. While Macau is not obliged to adopt the SDGs, this study aims to explore the extent to which the principles and objectives of specific SDGs have been integrated into the legal system of Macau. Through an analysis of relevant laws, and policies, this research seeks to identify alignment and visible gaps between the SDGs and the Macau legal framework. The findings of this study may contribute to a deeper understanding of the voluntary implementation of the SDGs in Macau and provide insights for other jurisdictions facing similar circumstances

The dissertation is about the study on the usage of mediation as the dispute mechanism on the cross-border family dispute issue in the Guangdong -Hong Kong- Macau Greater Bay Area through a comparative law aspects. Under the background of the Country’s Policy in integrating the citizens of the two SARs into China. The citizens of different provinces in PRC and the two SARs have frequent contact such as in business, in personal affairs and so on, the more the contact the more the possibility disputes will arise. With three different jurisdictions and the backlogs from the Courts, to find out the possibility of using another dispute resolution is essential. The study found out the perspectives of the disputed / litigated parties, courts and legal practitioners in usage of mediation, the nature of mediation in use in GBA and the strengths and limitations on the usage of mediation. This research used a mixed methods including doctrinal legal research, comparative legal research method and empirical legal research method. It result from the finding that though there is no specialized legislation in usage of mediation in Macau SAR, there is practice in usage of family mediation. Besides that the judicial mediation in PRC is not the mediation we defined in the literature review, thus it is the conciliation. Whether the recent development in Hong Kong SAR on the procedures M-FDR and M-CDR are in conflict with the facilitative mediation which has all along been practiced in Hong Kong SAR. In conclusion, the perspectives in usage of mediation in PRC and Hong Kong SAR are higher than Macau SAR and the nature of mediation in usage are different in the three jurisdictions. Lastly, in the dissertation provided some reflections on the development of family mediation mechanism in Macau SAR and how to merge the different natures of mediation in GBA

Against the backdrop of escalating global climate change and China being the world’s largest carbon emitter, this study explores the impact of the carbon trading system on green finance in Chinese power sector. This study uses a quantitative research method, namely a difference-in-differences (DID) model, to investigate power companies that participated or had the potential to participate in carbon trading in 2019 and 2022. The key finding is that companies that participated in carbon trading had significantly higher green finance than those that did not participate, indicating that the carbon trading system has a positive impact on promoting green finance. However, the impact does not significantly intensify after the national carbon trading scheme was implemented in mid-2021. The green finance of listed companies and state-owned enterprises were less affected by carbon trading, possibly because these companies rely on alternative financing options and government financial support. Due to the findings, this study recommends that policy makers should strengthen the promotion of the carbon trading scheme and provide more support for non-listed companies and non-state-owned enterprises. At the same time, the companies should actively participate in the carbon market to take advantage of the industrial policies to enhance green finance, and ultimately promote environmental protection and their own sustainable development

In today's rapidly changing and fiercely competitive environment, talents are the key factor for a company's success and success, and a good strategy for retaining talents is how to use effective management measures to grasp employees' focus, vitality and service on work enthusiasm can generate dedication and loyalty to the enterprise, making the enterprise more consolidated and sustainable. Previous studies have shown that human resource management measures can increase employee contribution. Therefore, this study takes the important role of human resource management as an intermediary to explore how the human resource management of Macau's hospitality industry is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the changes in post-pandemic human resource management. At the same time, the company's commitment to its employees after the outbreak is further analyzed for the success of the solutions made by the human resource management of the hospitality industry in Macau. The research results are expected to be used as a reference for leaders or managers in the hospitality industry when an unexpected pandemic occurs, by enhancing and improving human resource management. The qualitative research method was adopted, and in-depth interviews were conducted with hotel employees. The key findings of this research were that there are five factors affecting human resource management post-pandemic in the hospitality industry. More importantly, we found that Macau’s hospitality industry needs to transform in the future, which will also have a key impact on human resources management

This study delves into the television news practices of TDM (Teledifusão de Macau, S.A.) and TVS (Televisão Santomense) over the past five years (2018-2023), using a systematic approach, this research begins with an introduction outlining the broadcasters' contexts and influences. A content analysis of a representative sample of news programs from both channels forms the core of the study. To gain deeper insights, the research employs a mixed methodological approach. Qualitative data is gathered through interviews with the chief journalist of TVS and 150 residents from Água Grande and Cauê Districts (Angolares ). Additionally, a quantitative analysis is conducted through an online survey targeting the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries in Macao, garnering 150 responses. The findings highlight the need for improvements to increase viewership. While both broadcasters cover similar news topics (politics, economics, social issues), their presentation styles differ. TDM and TVS adopt a formal and structured approach, but their visual storytelling techniques reflect cultural and regional preferences. The study then interprets the results, examining historical context, cultural influences, and audience preferences to understand the divergent approaches to television journalism. This comprehensive analysis provides valuable insights to enhance news viewership and offers a deeper understanding of the factors shaping television journalism in these two distinct contexts

This study analyses how to contribute to the Portuguese cultural language in Macau. Macau has a long Portuguese governing history, which has lasted for around 450 years and formed the Portuguese cultural heritage. One of the elements is Portuguese and Patuá languages, the languages the Macau residents used to speak. Since the Portuguese and Patuá cultural heritage influence happened, the Macau government has tried to preserve the Portuguese cultural language as much as possible. In Macau, the University of Saint Joseph is a part of the Portuguese and Patuá language contribution in conducting Portuguese programmes for students. This study aims to find out how to effectively promote the Portuguese and Patuá cultural language via the Macau education system and how to benefit the development of the Portuguese cultural language in Macau. To find out the efficient way of the Portuguese and Patuá cultural language contribution at the University of Saint Joseph, we applied snowball analysis to find the key interviewees to conduct face-to-face semi-structured interviews with six interviewees. The results show that the Portuguese and Patuá cultural languages are vital to the Macau education system, especially for students learning Portuguese. For students, learning Portuguese should be compulsory in Macau

Previous research has explored the development of online music and singers in Guangdong Province; however, there is a gap in understanding how singers establish and maintain a strong online presence through effective online marketing strategies. To fill this gap, this study employs a mixed-methods approach to deeply investigate how Guangdong singers leverage digital platforms for effective music promotion and fan engagement. Online questionnaires were distributed via Xiaohongshu and WeChat, collecting 153 valid responses from fans, which were analyzed to understand interaction methods and their impact on singers. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with three Guangdong singers and one music company employee, and the interview data were thoroughly analyzed.The findings indicate that Guangdong singers utilize specific social media platforms (such as TikTok) to create and share personalized content and establish direct interactions with fans. These strategies are crucial for successful music promotion and fan engagement. In the highly competitive online music market, adopting such targeted digital marketing strategies allows singers to significantly enhance their visibility and fan engagement. This approach not only holds significant importance for the personal development of singers in Guangdong but also has far-reaching implications for the prosperity of the music industry and the creative economy as a whole

This research analyzed and compared the Instagram content of Victory Philippines and Every Nation Manila to evaluate its impact on the faith perception of university students associated with these churches. In this digital age, institutions have embraced the shift towards online interactions, including adapting religious practices such as worship services to online platforms. Religious organizations are navigating the dynamics between online and offline communication methods as they adapt to engaging with their audience through social media channels. While previous research has delved into online religious content and virtual church services, no prior studies have specifically compared the social media communication strategies of Every Nation churches in Manila, Philippines, and Macau. The research employed a mixed-method approach, compromising interviews, focus groups, and quantitative content analysis. As per the interviews, these took place with four pastors and four media content creators within the Metro Manila region of Every Nation Philippines, commonly recognized as Victory Philippines, and one pastor and one content creator of Every Nation Macau. These interviews helped gather insights into their thought processes and analyze their social media strategies and plans. Three distinct focus group discussions were carried out, involving 15 undergraduate students from Manila and Macau affiliated with Victory Philippines and Every Nation Macau. The participants were equally divided into three groups. These students also actively engage with the Victory Philippines and Every Nation Macau Instagram posts. These focus group discussions were employed to analyze patterns to understand their thought processes. Furthermore, a quantitative content analysis was carried out on Victory Philippines and Every Nation’s Instagram account as part of the study. Despite the active engagement on social media platforms by Victory Philippines and Every Nation Macau, both organizations maintained a strong offline church community. Interviews conducted indicated that the online activities of these churches significantly influenced the faith of students, while their spiritual growth was further supported by an inclusive offline community. This approach exemplified a multi-generational ethos, fostering collaboration between younger and older members towards the shared objective of evangelism. This research validates the Figuring and Disfiguring theoretical framework of Taylor (2007, apud Åhman and Thorén, 2021). The results of the empirical data may provide strong practical guidance to churches of any size as they build and develop their online presence while strengthening their offline presence

I have met many friendly and patient professors and classmates during my two years of university. I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for the support and encouragement when I encountered difficulties, also professors detailed sharing and explanations in my learning and growing. Taking classes with my job at the same time is a very challenging task, especially in the thesis writing stage, it is difficult to manage the time allocation as well as concentration on thesis writing, and I even had the thoughts of giving up for a few times, but I am very thankful to my supervisor for his continuous support and encouragement during the thesis writing period, and for his attentive guidance whenever I have confusion during the time, he has provided me with a lot of practical and valuable advice, which inspired me a lot. In addition, I would like to thank those who helped me to complete the questionnaire survey. Without their help, I believe it would have been difficult for me to collect enough questionnaires. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the two interviewees who agreed to be interviewed, as it is a difficult task to conduct interviews as a student in Macau. I would like to thank both for their support of the academic research, and the experience that they shared with us is very important to this study. Last but not least, I would like to thank my family, friends, and colleagues for always providing me with positive support, listening to my concerns, and helping me to overcome difficulties one after another. Once again, I would like to thank all those people who have helped me to complete my thesis

Technological advancements have enabled machines to offer more efficient assistance to people across several domains. Art and creativity are what distinguish people or societies the most. The arrival of AI has caused a fresh wave of concern among many of us; it is crucial that we evaluate the weight of the positives and the drawbacks of how people employing these technologies will influence societies. Legislation is frequently delayed because of the various revolutions througout history. Along with the difficulties raised in the continuing debate, it is critical to identify a route or alternative to assist existing challenges for artists. This dissertation includes our case studies, analysis, and conclusions, which explain the effects on imagination, creativity, communication, and culture when individuals use AI technologies to create art or/and images. According to our findings, AI technology should be considered as one way to solve problems. The vast majority of created outputs are unable to accomplish the desired reach. Furthermore, even if the ethical issues cannot be resolved, individuals should not ignore it and keep their moral compass. Importantly, we must realise that individuals should always be involved in and influence the intricacies and components of the creative process. However, it is commonly understood that the deployment of artificial intelligence has an influence on people’s communication and societies. There are still no standards, frameworks, or norms on this front of Ai-generated images. This might contribute to an increase in industrial imbalance and discrimination. As a result, to safeguard our individuality, we must take the initiative to uncover any answers or directions that would aid in this scenario. As with any experience, whether internal or external, we should use it to our advantage to apply our creative process, something the computer cannot accomplish. Still, it gives many benefits and is effective in assisting people in completing challenging tasks, so it is smart not to avoid teamwork. Furthermore, because social media and the internet provide powerful expression and communication tools, their advantages should help build universal rules to safeguard artistic work

This research study explores the corporate communication strategies and media shifts adopted by large enterprises in Macau during the COVID-19 pandemic and post-pandemic era. Taking SJM Resorts, a large enterprise roots in Macau for over 60 years, as an example to analyze the shift and changes in its corporate communication practices and media usage during the pandemic and post-pandemic era. Moreover, recent literatures on related topic were reviewed to support this research. The researcher invited eight leaders from the case study to conduct semi-structured interviews for qualitative analysis, whilst to distribute 500 e-questionnaire surveys to public for collecting empirical data for quantitative analysis. Issues such as the proportion of offline and online media usage and corporate communication and media strategies and impacts were raised. The study result provides theory and practice reviews for related academic fields. Since there are relatively few research reviews on enterprises’ corporate communication and media landscape during the pandemic and the post-pandemic era at recent stage, this study can fill this gap, provide new research results to the related field as well as enrich the current literature database in related fields

The emergence of the virtual world through social media, technical advancements, digital fashion, and the concept of the Metaverse begs the question of whether Macau's fashion sector can transfer to the virtual sphere. Macau fashion designers have different needs for virtual fashion vs traditional fashion manifestations. The designer's experience, Macau residents' interest in the virtual world and metaverse, and communication inside the metaverse all play an important role in this study. This research study shows our design work, analysis, and conclusions, which explain the concepts and research incorporating the Metaverse virtual platform, virtual characters, user interaction for various target groups, and survey feedback. This detailed research provides a deeper understanding and insights into the Metaverse concept's usefulness in marketing Macau fashion businesses and providing essential information to local Macau fashion designers, fashion industry experts, and Macau people. According to preliminary investigation, utilising avatars and virtual fashion in the virtual world is a novel and promising way for fashion brand operations and expansion. This technique provides cost savings, endless creative options, and effective brand messaging, with the opportunity to predict future virtual fashion trends while keeping a real retail presence

The research highlights the significance of souvenirs in contributing to the preservation of cultural heritage and communicating cultural messages to tourists. However, a need for more study exists on the visual elements and brand communication employed in designing cultural and creative products that represent local culture. This research aims to investigate the cultural and creative products industry's status and identify the essential visual elements for designing Macau's cultural and creative products. The study also seeks to understand the visual elements and communication strategies that significantly influence product design and brand communication while capturing the image and style of Macau. The research collected 265 valid questionnaires from online participants and interviewed four designers from small local artist brands. The analysis revealed that local consumers prefer products from small local artist brands, but there needs to be a higher brand awareness. Respondents suggested that utilising social media platforms would effectively increase brand awareness and engage with consumers. Furthermore, it was found that Macau's cultural and creative products can integrate various local elements and design styles to represent its unique style. These visual elements are deemed adequate for cultural and creative product design. This research contributes to the creative and tourism industries by providing designers and scholars with insights and references to better comprehend visual and brand communication for local small artist brands

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the most advanced technology nowadays and has already been adopted by the media industry globally. Some research has stated that journalists use these technologies to improve their work. Studies found that the extent to which journalists use these technologies depends on the size of their organization and regional circumstances. This study explores how interviewed Macao journalists integrate AI tools into their work, focusing on text processing, translation, and idea generation to improve efficiency and creativity. In addition, respondents expressed that there is not enough information about AI for a small place like Macao. And the problem of application in a “three primary written languages and four spoken languages” environment. At the same time, respondents’ concerns about AI’s accuracy, reliability, and impact on journalistic professionalism are discussed, emphasizing the need for credible and trustworthy AI outputs. This study reveals a significant difference in AI tool adoption between Chinese and Portuguese respondents, with the former group showing a higher inclination towards using these technologies. Therefore, further research is suggested. In the absence of media competition in Macao, the use of AI and its knowledge is spread by journalists sharing it among different organizations, and there seems to be no official decision on the use of AI by media organizations in Macao

The aim of this study is comparing the jurisdiction of the National Security Law in Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR, also reviewing the practical implementation of the law in the two SARs, analyzing the Chinese government's participation in the governance of national security in two SARs, and exploring the future sustainability of National Security Law in two SARs

This dissertation examines the critical need to continuously update the international tax law against tax avoidance: “status quo” and perspectives for development of the current regime. Employing a doctrinal methodological approach, the research first seeks to uncover the most common forms of international tax avoidance through an extensive literature review. This crucial step provides invaluable insights into the diverse strategies and mechanisms utilized by individuals and businesses to circumvent taxation on a global scale. The dissertation then proceeds to examine how current international tax law addresses the identified forms of tax avoidance. This implies a multi-faceted analysis, including an identification of the relevant international norms and treaties, and an exploration of the main sources of international tax law and their practical application. Recognizing the dynamic nature of the global tax landscape, the dissertation also provides perspectives for the future development of international tax law to better address the challenge of tax avoidance. By thoroughly examining the strengths and limitations of the current international tax law regime, the dissertation offers recommendations for potential improvements to the application of international tax avoidance conventions. The findings of this comprehensive study contribute to the broader understanding of international tax avoidance and its regulation within the framework of international law. The research questions and objectives serve as a guiding framework, enabling a thorough analysis that can inform practitioners, and scholars engaged in the ongoing discourse surrounding global taxation and its implications for economic fairness and transparency

The rapid development of counselling began after World War II. Meanwhile, texting services became available in the 1980s. Texting has been widely applied in both health area and mental health areas. A chatbot is a specific type of artificial intelligence (AI) that can have conversations with humans through texting. The combination of counselling and texting is known as chat counselling. The effectiveness of chatbots in alleviating psychological symptoms was supported by scientific research. Nonetheless, people hold different perceptions towards chatbots. Some common factors in counselling, including empathy and warmth, were also important in evaluating AI chatbots. Other important factors included acceptability, satisfaction and trust. The current study is the first to use AI as a counsellor. This study investigates people’s perceptions of human and AI counsellors (ChatGPT) and whether people can differentiate between human and AI. Participants needed to rate the counsellors in three scenarios: the original scenario taken from a training book, the human counsellor scenario generated from a text conversation with a human counsellor and the AI counsellor scenario produced by texting with ChatGPT, which acts as the counsellor. Prompts used to generate conversation with ChatGPT are included. The dialogues were parts of the conversations containing similar client responses and were presented using the WhatsApp interface. Questionnaires were delivered both online and in paper form. Results demonstrated that people’s ratings of human counsellors and AI counsellors did not differ in perceived empathy, acceptability, and satisfaction. While the warmth and trustworthiness of AI counsellors were perceived to be higher than those of human counsellors. On the other hand, people were unable to differentiate between human and AI counsellors in uncertain conditions. Younger people and the general population are more accurate in identifying between humans and AI, while people above 40 and psychologists or counsellors are less capable of doing so. The current study supports the potential of utilising ChatGPT in counselling. Having people experience and evaluate real chat counselling with human and AI counsellors can potentially eliminate some limitations of the current studies. Future studies can investigate how prior knowledge contributes to AI detection and examine AI counsellors' efficiency in longitudinal studies