To discuss the role of East Timor in the "Belt and Road" Initiative, study the paths of its social, economic and political development, and refine CityU's development feature of region and country researches, sponsored by the Macao Foundation, the "International Academic Seminar on East Timor Research: Transformation, Development and the 'Belt and Road' Initiative" was successfully held on October 30th in Taipa Campus.
Over twenty experts in country issue research from the Asian Development Bank, Ministry for Development and Institutional Reform and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of East Timor, Portuguese Institute of International Relations, University of Lisbon in Portugal, Monash University in Australia, National University of Malaysia, National University of East Timor, etc. were invited to the seminar and delivered keynote speeches. The topics discussed this time were classified into three parts, namely "Traditional Challenges Facing East Timor", "'Belt and Road' Initiative and East Timor" and "East Timor, Macao and Sustainable Development".
Mr. Bendito dos Santos Freitas, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste to PRC, said in the welcoming address that Macao, as an important bridge between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, has been playing an important role in economy, education, trade and many other different areas. With the deepening of the "Belt and Road" Initiative, he believes that the areas in which China, East Timor and Macao SAR can cooperate will be increasingly diversified, and more abundant fruits of cooperation will be accomplished, especially regarding mutual promotion of cultural exchanges, investment projects and increase of job opportunities. Meanwhile, he spoke highly of the seminar, and hoped that intellectual support will be jointly provided for the development of East Timor through academic researches.
In his address, Pro-Rector IP Kuai Peng of CityU, said that, as a member of the Forum for Economic and Commercial Co-operation between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries and a key country along the "Belt and Road", East Timor boasts a special geological location and special natural resources and has great development potential, and he hoped that the conference can motivate all circles to learn about and study East Timor, give scope to Macao's role in the Forum for Economic and Commercial Co-operation between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries and "Belt and Road" Initiative, and enhance cooperation between China and other Portuguese-speaking countries.
The guests attending the opening ceremony of the seminar included Chen Jinrong, Division Chief of the Research Office of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, Zhang Jian, Head of the Department of General Affairs of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the PRC in Macao SAR, Chang Kun Hong, Deputy Director of the Tertiary Education Services Office, Ken Yang Chong Wei, Deputy Coordinator of the Office for Personal Data Protection, Rodrigo Brum, Deputy Secretary-General of the Permanent Secretariat of the Forum for Economic and Commercial Co-operation between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries, multiple delegates assigned by Portuguese-speaking countries to the Forum, Lei Chi Wai, Senior Manager at the Lusophone Markets Economic and Trade Promotion Department of the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, Cen Jiayi, Deputy Division Chief at the Department of Education and Youth Affairs of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, Tim Wong, President of Macau Myanmar Chamber of Commerce, and Rector Shu Guang Zhang, Pro-Rector IP Kuai Peng and Pro-Rector Cintia Chan of CityU. Meanwhile, the teachers and students of CityU actively attended and participated in the seminar.
Special research on the development of East Timor is one of the most unique programs of the Institute for Research On Portuguese-Speaking Countries of CityU. In May 2018, "East Timor in Its Transformation and the Belt and Road Initiative", a scientific research project undertaken by the special research, received from the Tertiary Education Services Office a Special Subsidy for the Training of Qualified Bilingual Teachers in Chinese and Portuguese and for Cooperation in Teaching and Research of Higher Education Institutions in Macao.
For many years, the City University of Macau has been sticking to the philosophy of "Distinctive Teaching", and continuously promoting special researches on Portuguese-speaking countries. Through researches jointly conducted by teachers and students, the Institute for Research on Portuguese-Speaking Countries of CityU is committed to organizing distinctive researches on Macao and the development of the “Belt and Road", and Macao and Portuguese-speaking countries and regions. Meanwhile, CityU attaches great importance to promotion of economic and cultural cooperation and exchanges between Macao and East Timor. The two parties have been committed to promoting their social, economic and cultural cooperation and exchanges and jointly boosting the development of the academic field and high-quality education.
