To support the Macao SAR government’s endeavours in developing the Macao-Hengqin International Education (University) Town, and to celebrate Macao Polytechnic University (MPU)’s 45th anniversary, Professor Marcus Im, Rector of MPU and Professor Amílcar Falcão, Rector of the University of Coimbra (UC), signed a Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of the two universities. The agreement strengthens strategic collaboration in developing the MPU campus in Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin, with a focus on establishing “joint global campuses”. The objective is to foster a hub for international high-calibre talent, thereby advancing the nation’s higher education in the global arena.
Building Joint Global Campuses Through Sino-Lusophone Partnerships
Rector Marcus Im emphasised MPU’s proactive efforts in supporting the Macao SAR government’s integrated development of education, technology, and talent. To promote the international dimension of the Macao-Hengqin International Education (University) Town, MPU leverages Macao’s role as a “precision liaison” in Sino-Lusophone collaboration. Centred around establishing a higher education hub in Hengqin alongside the internationally renowned University of Coimbra, MPU focuses on academic domains in cutting-edge technology and health sciences. By constructing a Sino-Lusophone partnership network extending across nine Portuguese-speaking countries and beyond, MPU is establishing joint global campuses. Moving forward, MPU will collaborate with world-renowned universities through joint degree programmes, collaborative research, faculty and student exchanges, joint laboratories, and dual-degree initiatives. This collaboration is poised to position the MPU Hengqin campus as a pivotal nexus linking Sino-Lusophone higher education, infusing fresh impetus into higher education and contributing to the establishment of China as an educational powerhouse.
Opening a New Chapter in Collaboration for Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin
A delegation led by Rector Amílcar Falcão and representatives from MPU paid a visit to the Economic Development Bureau of Hengqin, the Centre for Science and Technology Exchange and Cooperation between China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries, and the Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Industrial Park of Co-operation between Guangdong and Macao. UC expressed eagerness for the future development of Hengqin with MPU in creating new opportunities for collaboration with Portuguese-speaking universities within the context of Macao-Hengqin integration.
Thirty Years of Collaboration between MPU and UC
MPU and UC have shared over three decades of collaborative experience, yielding fruitful outcomes in academic exchange, research innovation and talent cultivation. The universities have jointly established the Joint Research Laboratory in Advanced Technologies for Smart Cities and the Artificial Intelligence Joint Laboratory for Healthy Longevity. They offer a dual doctoral degree programme in the field of information technology. In conjunction with Peking University Health Science Center, the universities have fostered collaboration in the translation and publication of Chinese medicine and health-related literature, joint research projects, academic conferences and workshops. Research outcomes from jointly supervised doctoral students have been published in top international academic journals such as Nature Communications, demonstrating the effectiveness of collaborative efforts in talent development and research while promoting higher education in Macao.
