The inaugural ceremony of the first honorary class of City University of Macau was held at Ho Yin Conference Center, Taipa Campus of City University of Macau on September 6. Zheng Quanshui, honorary doctor of City University of Macau, chief honorary professor of the honorary class, and academician of the CAS Member, President Jun Liu; Vice Presidents Wanlei Zhou, Wei Han, and Kuai Peng Ip; Consultant Peng Kin Ip; Council Members Cintia Chan and Sandy Chan; Associate Vice President Robert Chon Pat Chan; as well as faculty and student representatives from the Faculty of Data Science and other faculties attended the ceremony. 

Before the ceremony, President Jun Liu and Academician Quanshui Zheng signed a joint training cooperation agreement for the honor class on behalf of City University of Macau and Shenzhen X-Institute, respectively. In the future, both parties will fully rely on their respective advantages to achieve resource sharing and jointly cultivate high-end applied data science talents with innovative consciousness and practical problem-solving abilities. 

At the ceremony, President Jun Liu congratulated the 30 outstanding students selected for the honor class on behalf of the university and expressed deep gratitude to Academician Quanshui Zheng and Shenzhen X-Institute for their guidance and support in the work of the honor class. The Honor Class of City University of Macau has high-quality faculty and abundant resources. It works closely with Shenzhen X-Institute to create an innovative talent training model and provide students with valuable opportunities to experience and learn from well-known technology companies and academic institutions. At the same time, the honor class will ensure the high-quality development of talent cultivation through rigorous educational models and management systems. President Jun Liu encourages honor class students to fully tap into their potential, explore boldly, maintain their original intention of learning, and pursue excellence on the academic path in their future studies. The elite mentor team of the honor class will become a solid support for the students. Finally, President Liu Jun hopes that with the efforts of City University of Macau and ShenzhenX-Institute, the honor class will become a model for cultivating innovative talents at City University of Macau and cultivate talents to make positive contributions to the development of Macau and the Greater Bay Area. 

Academician Quanshui Zheng stated in his speech that the transformation of society and the times poses a huge challenge to traditional education models. The establishment of the Honor Class aims to explore a new education model that has new requirements for both teachers and students. The Honor Class of City University of Macau is the fourth class he participated in the construction of, and also the first class established overseas. He hopes to explore and grow together with the mentors and classmates of the Honor Class in the future. 

In his speech, Tianqing Zhu, the homeroom teacher of the honor class and Vice Dean of the Faculty of Data Science at City University of Macau, raised two expectations for the students of the honor class. Firstly, we hope that students can use the most advanced concepts and cutting-edge knowledge they have learned to bring more positive impacts to other students in learning, research, and innovation. The honor class will also continue to work hard, hoping to provide more opportunities for students to contact the top mentors. Secondly, we hope that students can learn teamwork and maximize their individual abilities within the team. The outstanding mentors in the honor class will provide strong support for everyone's learning and growth. 

Wenjian Liu, representative of the Honorary Class mentors and Vice Dean of the Faculty of Data Science at City University of Macau, stated in his speech that as the main pilot of the first Honorary Class, the Faculty of Data Science has selected 12 mentors to provide guidance to students along with three other outstanding mentors. The mentors of the honor class are all academic elites from top universities, with experience in leading fund projects and collaborating with the industry. I am looking forward to growing again with everyone through the honor class, reexamining every step we have taken on the academic research path over the years, sharing with our classmates the failures, learning methods, and progress we have made. 

Haojia Qiu, the student representative of the honor class, mentioned in her speech that studying in the honor class will not only be academic advancement, but also the cultivation of personal growth and social responsibility. As freshmen of the honor class, we embark on the path of learning and research with curiosity and enthusiasm. Along the way, we may encounter difficulties and challenges, but these are opportunities for growth and self-transcendence. Data science is one of the most rapidly developing fields in the world today, and we look forward to the students in the honor class working hard to contribute to this field. 

After the launch ceremony, Academician Quanshui Zheng gave a master lecture at the City University of Macau on the topic of "Enjoying Learning and Teaching", bringing practical and reflective ideas on the new education of the digital age. In the subsequent "Academician Face to Face" activity, students actively asked questions and had in-depth exchanges on the importance of education and thinking quality, as well as the role of technology in learning, life, and the future. Academician Zheng provided valuable guidance for students' learning and growth. He earnestly encouraged students to be brave enough to create opportunities that are conducive to their growth and to bravely break through themselves. Under the guidance of excellent teachers, students should find their areas of interest and explore paths that are suitable for their growth and success. At the end of the lecture, President Liu Jun expressed his gratitude to Academician Zheng and gave encouragement and support to the students in the honor class. I hope students will cherish opportunities, cultivate interests, learn with passion, overcome difficulties and challenges in learning, and reap fruitful results.