Seize the opportunities: Top reasons to study at CityU’s Institute for Research on Portuguese-Speaking Countries
The Institute for Research on Portuguese-Speaking Countries (IROPC) at City University of Macau is a distinct regional and country-specific research and education base as well as an intellectual platform in the Macao region. It is a key academic unit responsible for systematic academic research, postgraduate education, and publishing. IROPC’s distinctive master’s and PhD degree programs align with the goal of serving Macao’s integration into the Belt and Road Initiative and the vision of promoting Macao’ role as a service platform for trade and economic cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.
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Diverse Cultures and Interdisciplinary Curriculum Setting Prepare Versatile Talents with Global Perspective
IROPC boasts a diverse faculty with multicultural and multidisciplinary backgrounds. The teaching and research staff include professionals proficient in Chinese, English, and Portuguese languages, hailing from Portugal, mainland China, Macao, and Taiwan. The institute offers master’s and PhD degree programs in Portuguese-Speaking Countries Studies, covers various fields such as social sciences, economics and trade, law, international relations, and regional governance and development. The focus is on studying the socio-economic development of Portuguese-speaking countries and the current state of China’s relations with Portuguese-speaking countries. The institute aims to cultivate practical and research-oriented talents with an international perspective, global consciousness, and innovative spirit, meeting the needs of Macao, Greater Bay Area, and the nation. The programs have undergone rigorous evaluation by the Education Quality Evaluation Agency of the Ministry of Education, demonstrating recognition and approval of the teaching quality, academic research, and talent cultivation setting.
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Industry-Academia Collaboration Empowers Research Excellence
As a distinctive think tank platform for country-specific and regional studies in Macao, IROPC actively collaborates with the government and relevant institutions, undertaking numerous key research projects. This provides students with opportunities to participate in various research projects and studies. Funding sources for these projects include the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao SAR, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Macao Foundation, The Central Institute of Socialism, Higher Education Fund, Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Chinese Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, and the Committee for the Basic Law of Hong Kong and Macao of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, among others.
The institute has achieved fruitful research outcomes, including publications such as Colecções de Estudos sobre os Países de Língua Portuguesa: Brasil (English Translation: Collections of Studies on Portuguese Speaking Countries: Brazil) and The Challenges, Development, and Promise of Timor-Leste. It actively provides intellectual support for country-specific research on Portuguese-speaking countries and the overall development of Macao and the nation, resulting in significant achievements.
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Enriching Exchange Activities to Foster Global Perspectives
IROPC has established strong cooperative relationships with several higher education institutions in Portuguese-speaking countries, such as the University of Porto, the University of Coimbra, the University of Minho, the ISCTE-University Institute of Lisbon, the Eduardo Mondlane University, and the University of Cabo Verde. Students have the opportunity to participate in semester exchanges, study visits, summer research programs, and field research abroad, enriching their learning experiences and broadening their international perspectives.
Furthermore, the institute values opportunities for student engagement with the outside world. It collaborates with universities in Portuguese-speaking countries to organize advanced training courses in regional and country-specific studies. Renowned scholars and experts from home and abroad are invited to give lectures on cutting-edge theories and share profound insights, engaging in discussions with students on relevant theoretical issues. This not only enhances students’ research capabilities and knowledge but also strengthens communication and collaboration with the international academic community.
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High-End Academic Conferences Connect Global Scholars to Steer Future of Portuguese-Speaking Countries
Since 2016, IROPC has carried out the Academic Salon on “One Belt, One Road”, with more than 80 sessions inviting top scholars from China and abroad to interpret the international situation and the status of Portuguese-speaking countries from multiple dimensions. Since 2018, it has launched the “China Diplomacy Lecture Hall,” inviting real-world diplomats and experts on diplomatic issues to share their experiences. In addition, IROPC actively creates international conference brands, organizes and conducts the academic seminar series on Portuguese-speaking countries, focusing on issues such as Timor-Leste, Portuguese-speaking countries, and Angola, and has successfully held three sessions and published three English paper collections. In July of this year, IROPC and the Macao “One Belt, One Road” Research Center initiated a joint effort with Agostinho Neto University in Angola and Eduardo Mondlane University in Mozambique to jointly organize the “10th Anniversary of the Belt and Road Initiative and the International Academic Conference on the Development of Portuguese-speaking Countries in Africa.” Nearly 100 representatives from embassies, universities, research institutions, and the business community attended the conference, and the college organized a group of faculty and students to attend and speak at the conference.
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Serving Society to Strengthen Theoretical Learning
IROPC actively encourages students to understand the development of Macao’s society and participate in academic exchanges and visits to institutions such as the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Trade Co-operation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries (Macao), the Banco Nacional Ultramarino, the Institute of European Studies of Macau (IEEM), and the Portuguese-speaking Countries Food Products Exhibition Centre. During the Macao International Trade and Investment Fair (MIF), students participated in internships to gather experience and put knowledge into practice and experience the unique cultures of the Portuguese-speaking countries.
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Distinctive Activities to Empower Research and Learning Excellence
IROPC is committed to organizing various interactive student activities to expand their academic and social experiences. It regularly hosts activities such as new student orientations, tea parties themed Portuguese-speaking countries, and study briefings to deepen students’ understanding, knowledge, and cultures, while promoting communication and cooperation between faculty and students. In addition, IROPC actively organizes students to participate in various academic activities, competitions, or visitations to help students gain a deeper understanding of Macao’s unique geographical advantages and the diverse cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.
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Let's see what the newcomers have to say about their learning experiences!
First-year student Wang Yinan, Doctor of Philosophy in Portuguese-Speaking Countries Studies
“The learning materials of the PhD program in Portuguese-Speaking Countries Studies is very interesting and challenging. This program helped me to understand the cultural customs, economy, law, education, and other fields of Portuguese-speaking countries, which is very helpful for our development. The courses are lively and interesting, with a diverse learning experience that allows us to better understand and master the knowledge in the field of regional country studies of Portuguese-speaking countries. The professors not only have a deep academic background, but also care about our development. They also organize various academic activities, such as visiting the Forum Macao, allowing us to have a more comprehensive learning and development experience, laying a solid foundation for our future development.”
First-year student Huang Hong, Master of Arts in Portuguese-Speaking Counties Studies
“The academic activities are very distinctive. IROPC has two major research institutions, the Macao ‘Belt and Road’ Research Centre and the ‘Belt and Road’ Portuguese-Speaking Countries Information and Countries Conditions Research Center, which frequently organize academic salons and organize students to participate in seminars and exchange visits, helping us to improve our academic research capabilities and connectivity.”
First-year student Hou Siyu, Master of Arts in Portuguese-Speaking Counties Studies
“I have gained a lot of practical knowledge from the interactive classes and informative lectures. The abundance of online learning materials at the college is the most impressive. In order to enhance the research capabilities of postgraduate students, IROPC arranged for library staff to introduce the use of online electronic databases, literature search methods, literature plagiarism checking methods, and methods for borrowing materials from other universities. This has given me a clearer idea and plan for my future and research direction.”
First-year student Zhang Qiming, Master of Arts in Portuguese-Speaking Counties Studies
“The master’s degree program in Portuguese-Speaking Countries studies is an interdisciplinary course. The teachers are able to take care of students with different professional backgrounds, and the teaching progress is moderate, suitable for students with different level of learning abilities. The teaching methods are diverse, such as group discussions, outdoor teaching, and conducting research investigations, which cultivate the learning abilities needed for graduate students. We can also access cutting-edge academic achievements through a variety of academic activities to broaden our horizons and enhance our academic literacy and knowledge.”
Enhancing academic research capabilities and international perspectives, serving the Macao society with the knowledge you have learned, and integrating into the development of the country. Welcome to the Institute for Research on Portuguese-Speaking Countries at City University of Macau!
Open for program applications! Join Institute for Research on Portuguese-Speaking Countries!
- Master’s degree programs: Master of Arts in Portuguese-Speaking Counties Studies
- PhD programs: Doctor of Philosophy in Portuguese-Speaking Countries Studies
