“Silver-Haired Dreams Take Flight” – Celebrating Lifelong Learning at USJ
"Silver-Haired Dreams Take Flight" - Celebrating Lifelong Learning at USJ
17
Feb
17/02/2025
The Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) proudly hosted the event “Silver-Haired Dreams Take Flight: A Journey of Dream Realization” on January 24, 2025, in collaboration with Casa para Anciãos da Paróquia de Santo António and the Dream Theatre Association.
The Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) proudly hosted the event “Silver-Haired Dreams Take Flight: A Journey of Dream Realization” on January 24, 2025, in collaboration with Casa para Anciãos da Paróquia de Santo António and the Dream Theatre Association. This inspiring initiative, part of the “Silver Blossom” community art project, took place at the USJ Ilha Verde Campus and represented a meaningful event in the promotion of intergenerational engagement and lifelong learning.
With careful preparation by all involved parties, the event successfully bridged the gap between generations, allowing 51 elderly participants to embrace their roles as “students” for a day. This diverse group included seniors from the local community, elderly volunteers, young volunteers, and social work students from USJ, all coming together to showcase the vitality of collaboration across age groups.
The morning kicked off with a warm welcome from Prof. Jacky Ho, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at USJ, who humorously greeted the participants as “students”. He presented a lecture on “Creating an Age-Friendly Community in Macao”, followed by group projects where the participants collaborated in teams to explore issues related to the “Macao Friendly City” initiative, integrating their personal life experiences into meaningful discussions. Elderly participants and young students exchanged ideas based on the outline provided by Prof. Ho, reporting on topics such as transportation, housing, and employment, reflecting the importance of balancing knowledge and practical experience.
In the afternoon, participants enjoyed a guided tour of the campus, culminating in a heartfelt “graduation ceremony”. Honorable guests included D. Stephen Lee Bun-sang, Chancellor of USJ and Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Macau; Prof. Zhang Shuguang, Vice-Rector of USJ; and Fr. Yoo Jaehyung from St. Anthony’s Church, delivered inspiring speeches. Bishop Lee highlighted the essential connection between love and learning, encouraging all to pursue knowledge with gratitude. Father Yoo succinctly captured the event’s spirit by quoting the ancient Chinese saying, “Live and learn.”
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