Second Forum for Rectors of Higher Education Institutions of China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries held in Macao
The opening ceremony of the Second Forum for Rectors of Higher Education Institutions of China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries (2.ª Edição do Fórum dos Reitores das Instituições do Ensino Superior da China e dos Países de Língua Portuguesa), co-organized by the MSAR Government Education and Youth Development Bureau and members of the Chinese-Portuguese Bilingual Talent Training Alliance (Aliança para Formação de Quadros Bilingues Qualificados nas Línguas Chinesa e Portuguesa), was held today (22). The opening ceremony and the forum hosted by the City University of Macau held in a hybrid format, attracted over 200 participants and online audiences. The event brought together 40 scholars from mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, and Portuguese-speaking countries to explore international cooperation, innovation, and challenges in higher education.
This year’s edition was themed, “International cooperation between higher education institutions from China and the Portuguese-speaking countries in the post-era.” Officials and university heads delivered their remarks at the opening ceremony. They included: Shu Gangbo, deputy director of the Ministry of Education Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Affairs Office; Kong Chi Meng, director of the Education and Youth Development Bureau; Zhu Chaohua, first-level inspector of the Department of Education of Guangdong Province; João Nuno Calvão da Silva, president of Association of Portuguese Speaking Universities (AULP); Jun Liu, rotating president of the Chinese-Portuguese Bilingual Talent Training Alliance and Rector of the City University of Macau; Song Yonghua, rector of University of Macau and Im Sio Kei, rector of Macao Polytechnic University.
In his remark, deputy director Shu Gangbo pointed out that the Ministry of Education attached great importance to higher education exchanges and cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. Backed by the “One Country, Two Systems” and the unique cultural background, Mr Shu said Macao has been strengthening its role as a service platform for business cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, and its function of multicultural exchange has been carried out. He hoped member universities would take this forum as an opportunity to consolidate and further enhance their cooperation achievements.
Mr Kong pointed out that the Chinese-Portuguese Bilingual Talent Training Alliance was established in 2018 with the aim of gathering resources from Macao’s higher education institutions to steer the cultivation of bilingual talents in China and Portuguese-speaking countries. He said that tertiary institutions worldwide carried out diversified cooperation during the COVID-19 pandemic. The higher education institutions in Macao, China, and Portuguese-speaking countries have built long-term collaboration ties, which shall be further deepened in the future. By taking an active role in developing the “Chinese-Portuguese Bilingual Talent Training Alliance,” Macao functions as the platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. Mr. Kong also hoped that the event would promote communication, exchange opportunities and common development between Macao, mainland China and Portuguese-speaking countries.
Regarding the cooperation of higher education between Guangdong and Macao, inspector Zhu Chaohua highlighted the development of the Greater Bay Area International Education Demonstration Zone has achieved positive results, and Guangdong's participation in the "Belt and Road" educational cooperation has made new progress, collaboration has been further strengthened in recent years. Mr Zhu stated that the Department of Education of Guangdong Province would continue to strengthen educational cooperation with Macao, promote exchange opportunities with higher education in Portuguese-speaking countries, and actively build a platform for dialogue. He pointed out that universities in Guangdong Province would learn from the successful experience of their partner institutions, continue to improve management and operation, explore new models of international education exchanges in the post-pandemic era, and better contribute to the construction of the "Belt and Road" in the area of the national and regional higher education development.
In his speech, President of AULP João Nuno Calvão da Silva said that Macao has fully implemented its role as a bridge between China and Portuguese-speaking countries through the Chinese- Portuguese Bilingual Talent Training Alliance and has become an integral part of promoting the strategic cooperation between Chinese and Portuguese-speaking universities. It has been 35 years since the Association of Portuguese-speaking Universities was founded. With more than 140 members, He stressed that AULP would continue to do its best and spare no effort in promoting international cooperation at the university level. President João also wished the forum to bear fruitful results.
The rotating president of the alliance, also rector of City University of Macau, Prof Jun Liu, expressed his gratitude for the participation of representatives of universities from Portuguese-speaking countries, China and Hong Kong, as well as the support of the Macao member universities. Prof Liu stressed that the forum would put light on four major challenges, including the role of higher education in social economy, culture, business, and other fields; the vital role of higher education in promoting Chinese-Portuguese economic and trade cooperation; the fundamental role of language in global partnership; opportunities and challenges encountered by universities in international cooperation. According to Prof Liu, four key points of universities in the process of international cooperation would be discussed in the forum, including the implementation of international cooperation as a strategic plan; the development of universities should reflect their strength and the potential and room for collaboration; integrate internationalization into courses, research, and staff developments; setting out clear the strategic goals for international cooperation. Rector Liu believed the forum would provide insights, innovate ideas, and create new opportunities for strategic collaboration between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.
MPU Rector, Prof Im Sio Kei said that building the platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries is an important role given by the central government to Macao. He stressed that MPU would actively integrate into the country’s development and continue promoting cultural and educational cooperation and exchanges on both sides. Through the interactions of faculty members and students with universities in Portuguese-speaking countries, various projects, such as cooperation in university operations, and joint research laboratories, have created a good atmosphere of close collaboration between Chinese and Portuguese universities and continued to contribute to the construction of Macao’s Chinese-Portuguese platform. He said that MPU would look forward to working with all members in the forum to advance international education cooperation into a new era and to promote the common development of higher education in China and Portuguese-speaking countries.
The forum began after the ribbon-cutting ceremony joined by Kong Chi Meng, director of the Education and Youth Development Bureau; Jun Liu, rotating president of the Chinese-Portuguese Bilingual Talent Training Alliance and Rector of the City University of Macau; Song Yonghua, rector of University of Macau; Im Sio Kei, Rector of Macao Polytechnic University; Álvaro Barbosa, vice-rector of University of Saint Joseph; Leong Man Wai, associate vice president of Macau University of Science and Technology.
In the keynote speech session, university heads and representatives from mainland China, Portuguese-speaking countries, and Macao gave unique insights on the forum topic. They included: José Arlindo Barreto, rector of Universidade de Cabo Verde; Li Yansong, rector of Shanghai International Studies University; Zhong Yinghua, rector of Tianjin Normal University; Song Yonghua, rector of University of Macau; Manuel Guilherme Júnior, rector of Universidade Eduardo Mondlane of Mozambique; Luís Manuel dos Anjos Ferreira, rector of University of Lisbon; Agostinha Rita, Dean of São Tomé and Principe Instituto Universitário de Contabilidade e Administração e Informática; João Soares Martins, rector East Timor Universidade Nacional Timor Lorosa’e.
This two-day forum will be held in an online and in-person setting. The first-day ceremony was held at Macao Polytechnic University and will continue with virtual conferences on the second day. Rectors, experts, and scholars from universities in China, Portuguese-speaking countries, as well as the United Kingdom, Australia, and Macao, focused on five major topics to carry out discussions, namely “the role of higher education in promoting cultural exchanges and economic and trade cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries,” “the role of higher education in the curriculum development and quality assurance under the global context,” “language and technology: new elements of higher education cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries,” “challenges and experiences in launching dual degree and joint degree projects,” and also “cross-border mobility in international education.”
Representatives from Macao who attended the opening ceremony of the forum also included: Wong Chi Fai, head of Academy of Public Security Forces; Tong Kai Chung, President of Macau Institute of Management; Teng Sio Hong, deputy director of the Education and Youth Development Bureau; Rui Martins, vice-rector of the University of Macau; Lei Ngan Lin, vice- rector of Macao Polytechnic University; Zhang Hongming, Dean of International College of Macau Science and Technology University, José Alves, dean of Faculty of Business of the City University of Macau, Francisco B. S. José Leandro, associate dean of the Institute for Research on Portuguese-Speaking Countries, and Boyol Ngan Henrique Fátima, Acting Director of the Centre for Teaching and Learning Enhancement of Macao Institute for Tourism Studies.
