In line with the university's goal to serve the local community, the University of Macau (UM) has launched a Doctor of Public Administration (DPA) program, the nation's first DPA program with Chinese as the language of instruction.

As the only public comprehensive university in the Macao Special Administrative Region, UM undertakes the mission of nurturing outstanding talent in Macao. Rector Song Yonghua said that UM is proud of its achievements in various fields including the social sciences and will continue to strive for academic excellence according to the needs of Macao and the nation. The DPA program will enhance the management knowledge and skills of current public administration professionals and nurture aspiring administrators for Macao and the mainland.

Unlike PhD programs that focus on developing students' academic competencies, the DPA program is practice oriented and cultivates students' abilities to solve practical problems. According to Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences Hu Weixing, the DPA program emphasizes practical applications and innovation. Drawing on other institutions' successful experiences, the program introduces state-of-the-art theories of public administration into governance practice in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and integrates interdisciplinary subjects to enrich students' knowledge and improve their practical abilities in e-government and intelligent governance, public crisis management, administrative system reform, and innovative cross-regional cooperation.

The program also cultivates skillful researchers and analysts for public policy research institutes and think tanks. The first 19 students of the DPA program, from Macao and the mainland, started their studies in September 2021.