CityU delegation, Portugal’s universities sign cooperation agreements to strengthen academic ties

To fully promote the internationalization of education strategies and deepen cooperation with universities in Portuguese-speaking countries, a delegation from City University of Macau, including Vice Rector Ip Kuai Peng, Pro-Rector So Kam Hung, Director Chao Peng of the Macao One Belt, One Road Research Center at the Institute of Portuguese-Speaking Countries, and Assistant Professor João Simões, recently visited Portugal with the sponsorship and support of the Macao Foundation. The delegation visited the Chinese Embassy in Portugal, the Macao Economic and Trade Office in Lisbon, as well as the University of Aveiro, the University of Minho, and the University of Porto, opening a new chapter in multifaceted collaboration.

At the first stop, the delegation was warmly received by counselor Hu Bin from the Chinese Embassy in Portugal. Counselor Hu highly affirmed City as an important platform for research on Portuguese-speaking countries (PSCs) and clearly stated that the embassy would continue to deepen cooperation between Macao and Portugal in the fields of education, technology, and culture, providing new momentum for the mutual understanding and mutually beneficial development between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. 

 

At the University of Aveiro, a memorandum of cooperation was signed to cultivate international talent. Director João Marques and Director Carlos Rodrigues engaged in in-depth discussions with the delegation on topics such as joint curriculum development and student exchanges. Both parties signed the memorandum on-site, laying a solid foundation for cross-regional talent cultivation and promoting the development of higher education in both regions.

 

Professor Luís Aguiar-Conraria, Dean of the School of Economics, Management and Political Science at the University of Minho, engaged in in-depth discussions with the delegation on topics such as discipline development, faculty and student exchanges, and joint postdoctoral training programs. Vice Rector Ip signed a cooperation agreement with Dean Luís, marking a significant breakthrough in high-level academic exchanges between the two institutions. 

 

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At the University of Porto, Dean Paula Pinto Costa and UPTEC Director Raphael Stanzani provided the delegation with a detailed introduction to the university's innovation ecosystem. As Portugal’s science and technology engine, UPTEC has incubated over 630 business projects, creating more than 6,000 jobs. Its successful focus on technology, creative industries, biotechnology, and the maritime economy aligns closely with CityU’s mission to promote the “Knowledge Innovation & Transfer Network between China and the B&R Portuguese-Speaking and Latin American Countries”. This visit not only offered important insights for the development in industry-academia collaboration and marine science but also opened up promising prospects for both sides to carry out specific knowledge innovation and results transformation cooperation in fields such as marine technology through the alliance platform. 

 

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Vice Rector Ip summarized the visit, stating that this trip and the signing of cooperation agreements highlight CityU’s international education philosophy of “promoting development through collaboration”. He emphasized that CityU would continue to leverage Macao’s role as a platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking counties for the successful implementation of “one country, two systems” principle. 

Moving forward, the University aims to expand its international cooperation network and attract more global resources to Macao. It plans to engage in academic resource sharing and joint talent cultivation, actively integrating into the national BRI development framework, actively connecting the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area with the forefront of international higher education and contribute to the construction of a high-quality education system.