In order to facilitate the policy initiatives of the Macao SAR government and establish Macao as a prominent hub for international examination and certification services, contributing to the development of Macao as the “World Centre of Tourism and Leisure”, Macao Polytechnic University (MPU) and Kao Yip Middle School have jointly established the pioneering “Base for Training Cooperation Model on IELTS International English Test” in Macao, the plaque unveiling ceremony for which took place on October 19, 2023. The base aims to nurture English talents in a comprehensive way, further promoting the development of students’ English learning and examination skills and enhance the overall standard of English proficiency in Macao.

The grand ceremony of the base was held at Kao Yip Middle School. Dr. Ho King Lun, Deputy to the National People’s Congress and President of the Education Collaboration Association and School Board of Kao Yip Middle School; Prof. Marcus Im Sio Kei, Rector of Macao Polytechnic University; and Dr. He Cheng, Principal of Kao Yip Middle School, jointly unveiled the plaque for the base. The attendees of the lively ceremony also included Dr David Sansom, Director of MPU-Bell; Dr Lily Lim, Deputy Director of MPU-Bell; and several IELTS trainers, along with teachers and students from Kao Yip Middle School, who together witnessed the significant moment.

In his speech, Ho King Lun put emphasis on the importance of having a high level of English proficiency, since English is the lingua franca of global communication and it helps enhance personal competitiveness. Building upon the existing comprehensive bilingual teaching mechanism, Kao Yip will provide students with high-quality English training with the help of the trainers in the MPU-Bell Centre of English, who possess rich experience of and expertise in IELTS International English exam training. With innovative teaching methods, the base will assist students in taking a further step on the international English examination ladder, in line with Macao's positioning and direction in national development and construction, nurturing a new generation capable of aligning with the international community.

Im Sio Kei highlighted how, in order to align with the work of the Macao SAR government, MPU continues to expand its international and national-level examination and certification services as well as offering various types of continuing education courses, thereby contributing to the “1+4” adequate economic diversification development for Macao. Harnessing the strength of its rich academic resources, MPU cooperates with Kao Yip to jointly establish the "Base for Training Cooperation Model on IELTS International English Test” to enhance the English learning and examination abilities of students and elevate the standard of English teaching in Macao, thus promoting the local English learning culture.

The MPU-Bell Centre was a pioneer in being the first venue in Macao to host the IELTS test and is an esteemed Gold Partner of the British Council to administer the IELTS test, which makes MPU-Bell Centre the first and sole testing point in Macao to have earned such a prestigious honour. The Centre takes pride in having a team of experienced English trainers, and in addition to providing IELTS and SAT training for students, has also offered the Cambridge Teaching Knowledge Test (TKT) for teachers. Over the years, MPU-Bell has been providing high-quality English teaching and training for teachers and students from a large number of institutions and schools in Macao as well as from both domestic and international entities while offering a diverse range of international examinations and certifications. This initiative aims to promote English study tours at Macao for students, teachers, corporates and institutions from home and abroad.

Coincidentally, as well as this embarkation on a new mode of collaboration with Kao Yip, this year also marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the MPU-Bell Centre in Macao, validating the continuous innovation of MPU-Bell in the areas of international English examinations, English teacher training, and English learning for students and citizens. The Centre also promotes English study tours to contribute to positioning Macao as a hub for English training and international examinations.