To further develop the academic advantages of the Sino-Portuguese area of Macao Polytechnic Institute (MPI) and promote the exchange and cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries and regions, as well as to highlight Macao's role as a "Sino-Portuguese platform", MPI and the FORGES – Management Forum of Higher Education in Portuguese Speaking Countries and Regions launched the "Lecture Series with Sino-Portuguese Celebrities" online on the occasion of MPI’s 40^th anniversary. Renowned experts and academics from China and Portuguese-speaking countries and regions will be invited to share advanced knowledge in their respective specialties and exchange their professional and academic experience. The lecture series will cover topics such as Chinese and Portuguese cultures, history, education, economic and trade cooperation, tourism, science and technology, smart city construction and regional studies, with a view to providing a diverse and interdisciplinary intellectual feast for academics, industry experts and stakeholders. The lectures will also enhance exchanges between China and Lusophone countries in priority areas of cooperation in the context of the country's development strategy, as well as actively play a role in Macao’s unique position as a bridge between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.

The first lecture of "Lecture Series with Sino-Portuguese Celebrities" will be hosted by Professor Margarida Mano, President of FORGES (Management Forum of Higher Education in Portuguese-speaking Countries and Regions) and Vice-Rector of the Catholic University of Portugal. Margarida Mano served as Minister of Education and Science of Portugal, Member of Parliament in the 13^th Legislature and Vice-Rector of the University of Coimbra, Portugal. She is currently an Education Specialist at the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM). She is also one of the founders of renowned institutions, such as the Network of Ibero-American University Administrators (RAUI) and the Heads of University Management and Administrators Network in Europe (HUMANE), and has extensive experience in public management, international cooperation and quality assessment of higher education in Portuguese Speaking Countries.

Margarida Mano will present the first lecture "Higher Education in Portuguese Speaking Countries and Regions Facing Global Challenges". In the context of globalisation, the number of exchange projects between higher education institutions and cooperation in scientific research has been increasing. On the one hand, scientific and technological innovation provides facilitating conditions for multimedia and distance learning. On the other hand, higher education also faces new opportunities and challenges. This lecture will address the current status of teaching and learning in higher education in Lusophone countries and regions, and examine the mission of higher education in the context of this new era. It will also discuss some key topics including institutional cooperation, international project management, innovation of curricula and raising the quality of higher education.

The first lecture of the "Lecture Series with Sino-Portuguese Celebrities" themed "Higher Education in Portuguese Speaking Countries and Regions Facing Global Challenges" will be held online on 27 July at 04:00 pm (Macao time)/09:00 am (Portugal time). The lecture will be conducted in Portuguese with simultaneous interpretation into Chinese and will be free of charge. Interested parties may access the QR code on the poster to attend the lecture. For further information, please contact the Center for Portuguese Studies of the Macao Polytechnic Institute on 8399 8692.