A delegation from Macao Polytechnic University (MPU) attended the closing ceremony of the “Spring Seminar 2024” organized by the Macao Scientific and Cultural Center (CCCM) on the afternoon of the March 20th, on the occasion of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Portugal. The delegation, committed to expanding the role of Macao as a platform for Sino-Portuguese cooperation, was warmly welcomed by the President of the CCCM, Carmen Mendes. At the closing ceremony, Vivian Lei, Vice-Rector of MPU, and Mendes delivered speeches and signed on behalf of the two institutions a cooperation agreement. Teng Sio Hong, Deputy Director of the Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) of the Macao SAR Government, attended and witnessed the signing ceremony. 

In her speech, Vivian Lei expressed gratitude for the support of the CCCM over the years and looked forward to the future cooperation between the two parties to carry out more scientific research projects, to promote academic research and its applications, and to organize international academic conferences or cultural exchanges, jointly driving the development of the educational and cultural undertakings of China and Portugal. She also expressed confidence in MPU-CCCM cooperation, and in the role of MPU as a platform for academic exchanges and cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries, to make greater contributions to the academic community.

Mendes stated in her speech that the signing of the cooperation agreement with MPU at the closing ceremony of the “Spring Seminar 2024” was of significant importance. She said that CCCM considered as it mission the promotion and dissemination of knowledge about Macao, and thus actively showcased Macao’s role as a platform where Portuguese and Chinese cultures converge. She hoped that the cooperation between the two parties could further strengthen the connection between the academic communities of China and Portugal, and achieve more fruitful results in promoting cross-cultural exchanges and cooperation between China and Portugal.

Established in 1999, CCCM is a department of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education of Portugal, aiming to promote and facilitate academic cooperation between China and Portugal through activities conducted in Macao. The CCCM houses a museum, a library and archives, and is dedicated to the promotion of research related to Chinese language, culture, history, art and religion. It provides comprehensive and modern academic resources for studies about China within Portuguese-speaking countries and has attracted active attention from academia and related persons worldwide. The signing ceremony was also attended by Carlos Roberto Xavier, Head of the Department of DSEDJ of Macao SAR Government; Zhang Yunfeng, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Languages and Translation (FLT) of MPU; and Joaquim Carvalho, Coordinator of the PhD in Portuguese Program at FLT-MPU.