Idea-cation @ UTM

Key Dates

* Overseas applicants will need to cover the costs of their visa.

Study Tour to Jiangmen/Kaiping

This is a two-day, one-night trip to Jiangmen and Kaiping, organised around three visits, one for each competition track. Participants go underground at a major particle physics laboratory, walk through the UNESCO-listed Kaiping Diaolou and its villages, and spend time at Wuyi University with the China-Germany AI Institute. Between the visits there is a village banquet, an evening of music, and free time in the countryside. Each stop gives teams first-hand material for their proposal.

Three Visits

The trip is built around three site visits, one per theme. Each visit takes place on site and gives participants direct contact with the work and the people behind it.

Theme 1: Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO)

The Theme 1 visit is to the Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO), a major particle physics laboratory. Participants take part in a safety briefing and underground training before descending more than 700 metres into the mountain to the detector hall. Few people outside the research community go down to that level, and the visit shows what the facility is and how the work is carried out. The design question that follows is how a site of this kind, which the public cannot normally enter, can be turned into an educational tourism experience.

Theme 2: Kaiping Diaolou and Villages

The Theme 2 visit is to the Kaiping Diaolou and Villages, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Participants walk among the diaolou, the multi-storey towers built by overseas Chinese families, and through the surrounding villages. They hear how the towers came to be built, how the diaspora shaped the area, and how its heritage and community life are maintained today. The material gathered here supports the design of a heritage tourism experience that connects culture, civic values and rural revitalisation.

Theme 3: Wuyi University

The Theme 3 visit is to Wuyi University and its China-Germany AI Institute. Participants tour the campus and the Industrial Training and Intelligent Manufacturing Hall, meet staff and students, and see demonstrations of artificial intelligence, digital heritage and smart tourism. The visit shows the technologies that can support Macao’s ‘1+4’ economic diversification, and gives teams the chance to ask how they are used in practice.

Food, Music and Free Time

The trip is not only visits. In the evening there is a village banquet with local Kaiping dishes, along with the firecrackers and celebration that accompany a rural welcome. Afterwards there is an informal evening of music and shared reflections, which gives participants from different schools a chance to meet. There is also free time to walk the village lanes, meet residents and take photographs, and to explore the creative town, where old buildings have been converted into bookshops, studios, cafés and guesthouses.

Practical Details

Dates: 7-8 November 2026 (two days, one night).
Departure from: Gongbei Port, Zhuhai, 08:30 on the first day.
Return to: Gongbei Port, Zhuhai, about 18:20 on the second day.
Transport, meals, accommodation and travel insurance are covered. Overseas participants arrange and pay for their own visas.
Bring comfortable walking shoes, a notebook, a camera or phone, and questions.

Mode of Participation

In-person

Who May Participate?

Team Size

Working Languages

Chinese as the main language for communication, supplemented by English

Three Competition Themes

Applicants may choose one of the following tracks by indicating their preferred theme in the online application form:

Theme 1: Educational Tourism
Jiangmen Underground Neutrino Observatory (JUNO)
Transform a world-class scientific facility into STEM-based educational tourism experiences.

Theme 2: Heritage and Civic Education
Kaiping Diaolou
Integrate heritage conservation, rural revitalisation, and civic education through the Kaiping diaolou.

Theme 3: Technology-Enabled Applications
China–Germany AI Institute, Wuyi University
Apply AI innovations to the “1+4” sectors that support Macao’s economic diversification.

Entry fee (non-refundable)

The above entry fees cover the study tour, expert talks, and seminars. The fees are non-refundable.

Competition Requirements

Participants are expected to actively participate in all activities.

• 7-minute presentation with PowerPoint or equivalent format
• 7-minute Q&A session
• 1 slide poster (PowerPoint) – for winners display in the ceremony (including your group name, team member’s name, school name, core elements of your idea)

Evaluation Criteria

The four assessment items are as follows:
1.Market Relevance & Research Validation (30%)
2.Heritage Innovation & Resource Utilization (25%)
3.Model Scalability & Industry Adoption (30%)
4.Presentation Excellence (15%)

Team Prizes and Awards

High School Student Category	Open Category
Trophy (gold), winning certificate, with MOP 3,000 cash	Trophy (gold), winning certificate, with MOP 4,000 cash
Trophy (silver), winning certificate, with MOP 2,000 cash	Trophy (silver), winning certificate, with MOP 2,500 cash
Trophy (bronze), winning certificate, with MOP 1,000 cash	Trophy (bronze), winning certificate, with MOP 1,500 cash

Value-Added Benefits for Personal and Career Development

• Learn how to apply entrepreneurial and innovative thinking
• Support national and local government policies
• Enhance social network and improve CV
• Certificate of attendance issued by UTM

Application and Payment

Online Application
(Application deadline: 5 October 2026, 23:59:59)

As the number of available places is limited, applications will be assessed on a rolling basis. The selection committee will prioritise applications that demonstrate quality, originality, and innovation. Qualified teams may be admitted as applications are received.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply early to improve their chances of securing a place and completing payment before the competition reaches full capacity. The application process will remain open until all available places have been filled.

All payments are non-refundable unless the event is cancelled by UTM.

For enquiries, please email: ideation-lab@utm.edu.mo

Judges

Mentors

Organising Committee