The Chief Executive, Mr Ho Iat Seng, today met with the Secretary of State for Higher Education of the Republic of Angola, Mr Eugénio Adolfo Alves da Silva. The officials exchanged views on the continuous promotion of higher education cooperation between Macao and Angola.

During the meeting at the Government Headquarters, the Chief Executive said he welcomed Secretary Alves da Silva’s visit to Macao, and gave him a briefing on the development achievements of the Macao Special Administrative Region (MSAR) in the nearly 25 years since its establishment.

The Chief Executive noted education is crucial for the development of any country or region. At present, Macao has a total of 10 institutions of higher education. The MSAR Government has been consistently dedicating significant resources to promoting the development of Macao’s overall education system, and would continue to enhance the educational standards in Macao, especially in science and research area.

Macao and Angola have always maintained close ties and a good relationship, due to historical ties, said Mr Ho. Secretary Alves da Silva’s visit to Macao this time, including meetings with MSAR education officials and with multiple universities, would help deepen mutual understanding in the field of education, and promote bilateral cooperation in educational affairs. Mr Ho added he looked forward to seeing more teachers and students from Angola coming to Macao for exchange and study.

Secretary Alves da Silva outlined his schedule for the current visit to Macao, including exchanges with the Macao Education and Youth Development Bureau, and visits to multiple institutions of higher education in Macao. This was with a view to deepening hi564rtys understanding of Macao's education sector and establishing connections for future educational cooperation.

The Secretary said he believed that Angola and Macao had potential for cooperation in areas such as teaching, research, and curriculum development. Future cooperation agreements could promote reciprocal visits by teachers and students from the two places.  Mr Alves da Silva also mentioned there were currently 22 Angolan students studying at various universities in Macao. The Secretary said that – through the presence of those students – he looked forward to strengthening ties with Macao’s institutions of higher education, thus aiding cooperation in the field of education between the two sides.

Other officials attending the meeting included: the Consul-General of Angola in Macao, Mr Eduardo Velasco Galiano; Deputy Consul of Angola in Macao, Ms Teresa João Alvaro dos Santos Tiago; and advisor to the Office of the Secretary of State for Higher Education of Angola, Mr Benedito Cipriano Malheiro.