To support the development of Macao as a base for international examinations and language training and to implement the “Education + Tourism” project, Macao Polytechnic University (MPU), in collaboration with the Global Hippo Association and ASDAN China, co-organized the Hippo “English Without Boarders” Olympiad (China National Finals). This three-day competition took place at MPU and attracted students and parents from all provinces and cities across the country to participate in Macao, driving the joint development of education and tourism with outstanding results.

The Hippo “English Without Boarders” Olympiad is the world’s most influential challenge and assessment for young learners of English as a foreign language. It adheres to the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and includes challenges across 12 different levels of difficulty. The organizer is the Global Hippo Association which was founded in 2012. The winners receive certificates issued by the Gatehouse Awards, an authoritative and international certification body officially recognized by Ofqual, the Office of Qualification and Examinations Regulation of the UK. Since its inception, students from more than 60 countries and regions around the world have participated in the competition, which consists of the Preliminary Round, the China National Finals, the Regional Qualifiers, and the Global Finals. This year’s initial round saw participation from nearly 100,000 competitors, breaking all previous records, with nearly 10,000 from the Chinese mainland. Out of them, 2,247 advanced to the China National Round, including over 100 students from various secondary schools in Macao. The world’s top 180 contestants will compete in the Global Finals in Italy.

Lily Lim, deputy director of the MPU-Bell Centre of English, said that Macao Polytechnic University continues to develop diversified projects to integrate tourism with training, competition, and education. These initiatives expand the Centre’s international and national-level examination and certification services, supporting Macao’s ‘1+4’ strategy for moderately diversified economic development. The China National Finals of the Hippo Olympiad this year, hosted at Macao Polytechnic University, marked the first time for Hippo English Olympiad, a large-scale global international English competition, to be held in Macao. It provided local students the opportunities to participate in international competitions and exchange and compete in English with participants from mainland China and around the world. The China National Round lasted three days at Macao Polytechnic University, with teachers from the MPU-Bell Centre of English serving as judges and mentors. The co-organizer, ASDAN China, expressed gratitude to Macao Polytechnic University for its full support and assistance in this international English competition.