The Graduation Ceremony for the 2011/2012 Academic Year of Kiang Wu Nursing College of Macau (KWNC) was held at the Auditorium of Kiang Wu Hospital on 22 September 2012. The officiating guests of the Ceremony included Secretary for Administration and Justice of Macao SAR Florinda da Rosa Silva Chan, Deputy Director of the Department of Education and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Macao SAR Xu Ting, Director of Tertiary Education Services Office of Macao Sou Chio Fai, Member of Board of Directors of Macao Foundation Au Weng Chi, Acting Director of Health Bureau of Macao Chan Wai Sin, President of Tung Wah College of Hong Kong Thomas Wong Kwok-shing, Chief Manager (Nursing) of Hospital Authority of Hong Kong Sylvia Fung Yuk Kuen, Associate Dean of the School of Nursing of Peking Union Medical College Chen Jingli, Honorary Vice-Chairman of Board of Directors of KWNC Hoi Sai Iun, Chairman Fong Chi Keong, Vice-Chairman Vong Kok Seng, Vice-Chairman of Board of Directors and Secretary-General of Kiang Wu Charitable Association (KWCA) Ung Pui Kun, President of KWNC Van Iat Kio and Professor Zhu Mingxia.

In her speech, Secretary Florinda Chan points out that KWNC's hard work and achievement in enlarging student admission quotas and actively establishing training courses for nursing and healthcare personnel of different levels to cope with the increasing demand for nursing personnel and the medical development of Macao are well recognized. Embarking on the College's 90 th Anniversary in the next year, Secretary Chan encourages all people of the College to inherit the fine traditions of the ancestors to continuously nurture high calibre nursing professionals for Macao, promote the health of the community and be devoted to serv ing the citizens. Considering the graduates as the important strength of supporting the development of medical and healthcare services in Macao, Secretary Chan encourages them to cope with the demand of the society for medical and nursing services, work for the well-beings of the citizens and give contributions to enhance the development of the nursing profession in their best endeavour. Secretary Chan also indicates that the SAR Government will continue to support the development of the College as well as the nursing profession.

Chairman Fong Chi Keong expresses that the College has received satisfactory results in various aspects including management, teaching, scientific research and social services over the past academic year, laying a concrete foundation for the full implementation of the College's Ten-Year Plan. The SAR Government has also confirmed that the medical complex to be established in the outlying islands of Macao will reserve space for the new campus of the College which will certainly become an essential training base for the medical profession of Macao in the future, and a bright prospect of the College is thereby envisioned. Chairman Fong also indicates that through studying in the College, the 66 graduates have enriched their wisdom, widened their horizon, heightened their knowledge and skills, as well as increased their courage to compete in the society and confidence to overcome difficulties. After graduation, they now continue to adhere to the College's ideology “From Personhood to Benevolence” to take up nursing positions and become a new strength in the medical team. Chairman Fong encourages graduates to be determined to devote themselves to the medical and nursing profession, respect and be pleased about their work and always remember their mission. They should be honest, modest, ambitious, aspiring and kind-hearted. Even in the face of the complicated society, they have to adapt to and change the environment, often draw conclusions from experience, set directions and be well planned for their next stage of life. At last, on behalf of KWCA and the Board of Directors of KWNC, Chairman Fong extends his thankfulness to the Central Government, the Macao SAR Government, the Liaison Office, personages of the society and good friends of different fields for their warm support and assistance offered to the College.

President Van Iat Kio points out that the College pays attention in requiring students to achieve up-to-standard performance in both theory and practice, but at the same time the College attaches even greater importance in fostering students' noble character, ability to work as a team and spirit to serve society. Up to now, the BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) Programme has nurtured more than 300 graduates since it was established. These graduates mainly work for hospitals, healthcare organizations such as community centres and homes for old citizens , and they have already become the chief corner stone of Macao's nursing team. In addition, the College so far has nourished several dozens of qualified specialist nurses who are pressingly demanded by the medical organizations in Macao. The areas of specialist nursing include cardiac nursing, elderly nursing, hospice and palliative nursing, renal nursing, intensive care nursing, peri-operative nursing and diabetes nursing. Some of the specialist nurses are now working in their own consultation rooms in the out-patient departments to tackle citizens' health problems side by side with the doctors.

President Van also expresses that the College pays high attention to the ageing society and its derived health issues. In the previous year, the College has nurtured more than 230 elderly caregivers and caregivers who offer fundamental health care services. Moreover, the College has launched an Education System Project named “Benevolence Lights Up My Later Life” to conduct scientific researches on Alzheimer's disease and offer online learning programme and trainings to relevant professionals. Regarding the quality of the teaching staff, President Van emphasizes that the College on one side recruits outstanding teachers from home and abroad, but on the other side it is committed to cultivat ing local professionals by supporting and encouraging local outstanding graduates to pursue further studies. In order to enhance nurses' all-round competence and promote the establishment of the community of professional practice for nurses, the College has initiated the scheme “Cooperation in Nurturing Nursing Talents” together with the Kiang Wu Hospital. Furthermore, the College is very grateful for Macao Daily News' generous support to the College as well as to the development of Macao's education of lending several floors of its building to alleviate the College's shortage of teaching venue. In the new campus site, facilities that have been lacking including specialist nursing laboratory, research facilities, study rooms and student activity rooms will be built, and the campus is expected to come into operation next year.

During the Ceremony, Chairman Fong conferred certificates to the graduates. This year, there are 45 graduates from the BSN Programme and 21 graduates from the PDAN (Postgraduate Diploma in Advanced Nursing) Programme (areas of advanced studies include renal nursing, peri-operative nursing, intensive care nursing, hospice and palliative nursing and diabetes nursing). The certificate conferment was followed by the presentation of scholarship awards. Representatives of the sponsoring units presented the awarded students with the scholarship awards, including the awards of Health Bureau of Macao, Macao Foundation, Bank of China Macau Charitable Foundation, Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation, Nam Kwong (Group) Co. Ltd., Henry Fok Foundation, Mr. & Mrs. Lei Hon Kei, Ms. Leong Ieong Iok Fu and Adviser Chau Kam Leng and the Glory Award. On that day, the Graduation Ceremony received an attendance of more than 600 guests, teachers, students and family members.