Welcome to Institute for Research on Portuguese-Speaking Countries: Nurturing interdisciplinary talents in line with Macao’s development
The Institute for Research on Portuguese-speaking Countries (IROPC), established in 2013, is a key faculty-level academic unit dedicated to systematic academic research, postgraduate education and publication, as well as a local distinctive training base and think-tank for country and regional studies. IROPC is staffed by a team of teaching and research professionals with strong academic backgrounds and extensive experience.
Macao’s first and only one to provide non-linguistic research programmes on Portuguese-speaking countries
IROPC is the only institution in Macao to provide non-linguistic master’s and doctoral degree programmes for the studies of Portuguese-speaking countries within the scope of international relations and country conditions. Such offerings are the third worldwide to provide studies of this profession. The curriculums were designed to align with Macao’s vision to integrate into the development of the Belt and Road Initiative and to build the city into a Commerce and Trade Co-operation Platform for China and Portuguese-speaking Countries.
The master’s degree programme in Portuguese-Speaking Countries Studies offers two specialisations, namely the studies on the development and governance of Portuguese-speaking countries and the studies on relations between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. The Doctor of Philosophy in Portuguese-Speaking Countries Studies programme offers three specialisations, including the comparative studies on the development of Portuguese-speaking countries, the studies on relations between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, and the studies on Portuguese-speaking countries and global governance. The postgraduate programmes have undergone assessments done by the Higher Education Evaluation Center of the Ministry of Education. The curriculums revolve around studies on society, economy and trade, law, international relations, and regional governance and development. During their studies, students will have the opportunity to engage in various seminars and workshops, such as the Academic Salon on “One Belt One Road” and China’s Diplomacy Lecture, take part in research projects and academic exchange activities in the relevant countries or regions.
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International faculty with multilingual and interdisciplinary backgrounds
To better promote postgraduate education and produce research output of the country and regional studies with Macao characteristics, IROPC has built an international faculty and research team with multilingual and interdisciplinary backgrounds. Many are from Portugal, Taiwan, Macao, and mainland China and are proficient in Chinese, English, and Portuguese. The faculty covers a wide range of disciplines, including law, international relations, political science, history, and the Portuguese language, aiming to nurture high-calibre talents with a broad global perspective and solid knowledge background to contribute to the development of the Belt and Road Initiative and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.
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Research projects commissioned by Government carries out significant founding
IROPC has conducted research projects commissioned by governmental bodies and public institutions, which has carried out significant output to serve the development of Macao, the national and the fill in gaps in the country studies in the Portuguese-speaking countries. These institutions are namely the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Macao Foundation, the Macao Higher Education Fund, the Macao Trade and Investment Promotion Institute, the National Association of Hong Kong and Macao Studies, and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Basic Law Committee and the Macao Special Administrative Region Basic Law Committee of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, playing a actively role in providing academic support to Macao and national development.
Starting from 2017, IROPC published a number of research papers and dozens of academic articles. The monographs in local social studies included: the Macao SAR’s External Relations Under “One Country, two Systems” (Beijing: China Social Sciences Press, 2019), the Coping Research of Aging Population in Macao Special Administrative Region (Beijing: Economy and Management Publishing House, 2019), the Legal Guarantee, Policy Coordination and Technical Support of Financial Security in Macao Special Administrative Region (Beijing: Economy and Management Publishing House, 2019). The monographs in country studies in the lusophone countries included: the Studies on Portuguese-speaking Countries and the Unique Role of Macao Special Administrative Region of China (Beijing: Economy and Management Publishing House, 2019), The Challenges, Development, and Promise of Timor-Leste (Macao: City University of Macau, 2019), the Country Report on the Republic of Guinea-Bissau (Beijing: Social Sciences Academic Press, 2020), the São Tomé and Príncipe: The building of an archipelago state (Macao: City University of Macau, 2020), and the China and Portuguese-speaking Small Island States, From sporadic bilateral exchanges to a comprehensive multilateral platform (Macao: City University of Macau, 2021). The publication about the prospect of the Portuguese-speaking countries written by the postgraduate students is currently under progress.
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Exchanges and internships broaden horizons
IROPC actively promotes academic exchanges and encourages student’s engagements in local, the mainland and international exchange activities. The institute has signed cooperation agreements with universities overseas, such as the University of Évora, the University of Coimbra, the University of Lisbon, the University of Minho, the National University of Cabo Verde, and the National University of Timor-Leste. More than 40 students have participated in international academic lectures, summer exchanges, half-year or one-year exchange studies to broaden their academic horizons, enrich their learning experience and gather first-hand information for academic research.
IROPC had arranged field studies for students to visit local firms, such as the Banco Nacional Ultramarino (BNU) and the Institute of European Studies of Macau, for academic exchanges and study visits. Students were engaged in exchange programmes at universities on the mainland, such as the Guangxi Normal University. These programmes aimed to enrich their learning experience and help them put theories into practice.
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High-level academic engagements help students develop their research interests
The Institute actively organises a number of high-end academic lectures and international academic seminars, which have formed an academic brand and generated a greater influence in academia.
Since 2016, IROPC has organised more than 70 sessions of the Academic Salon on “One Belt One Road” in Macao, inviting leading scholars from home and abroad to give students a multi-dimensional understanding of the current international situation and the situation in the Portuguese-speaking countries. Since 2018, its China’s Diplomacy Lecture has invited diplomats from the mainland, including Chinese Ambassador Su Ge, or diplomats who have been active in the frontline, to share their experiences. In addition, the institute has organised thematic symposiums on the studies of Portuguese-speaking countries. Previous editions explored topics on studies on Timor-Leste, Portuguese-speaking countries and island states, and country studies on Angola. The three editions brought together scholars worldwide at CityU to discuss the prospect of these countries, which an English-language conference proceeding published following the conclusion of each edition.
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A promising future for interdisciplinary professionals
With focuses on the socio-economic development of the lusophone countries and the current state of research on the relationships between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, IROPC aims to nurture practical and research-oriented professionals with international perspectives, global vision and innovative spirit to serve Macao and the nation. The career prospects of the graduates include working in universities and research institutes, public bodies and institutions abroad, embassies and consulates, multinational corporations, enterprises and institutions, media agencies, and international and regional organisations.
At present, the Institute has brought over a hundred graduates, some of whom have applied for further doctoral studies at the University of Porto in Portugal or post-doctoral studies at the University of Minho in Portugal. Some have continued their pursue in post-doctoral studies at renowned universities in mainland China, such as Tsinghua University, Peking University, Capital Normal University, Shanghai University and Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Some have even gone on to pursue careers in higher education, playing their roles in key universities such as Sun Yat-sen University, Sichuan International Studies University and Guizhou University of Finance and Economics.
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As a distinctive think-tank in Macao, the Institute for Research on Portuguese-Speaking Countries has always been responsible for serving the Macao community and promoting the development of scientific research, leveraging its teaching and research strengths to play a critical role in building Macao as an exchange platform between China and the Portuguese-speaking countries and promoting Macao’s integration into the overall development of the nation.
Welcome to IRPOC! Let’s play your role as Portuguese professionals and participate in the development of Macao!
Our programmes include:
- Master’s degree programme: Portuguese-Speaking Countries Studies
- PhD programme: Portuguese-Speaking Countries Studies
Click here to find out more about IROPC!
Source: Institute for Research on Portuguese-Speaking Countries
