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To advance international collaborations with City University of Macau, and strengthen our ties and communications with European countries – especially Portuguese-speaking countries, the University has recently sent out a delegation for a ten-day visit, itinerary including Portugal, Spain, Britain and Ireland. Led by City University of Macau’s Council Chairman, Mr. Chan Meng Kam and advised by Director of Tertiary Education Services Office, Mr. Sou Chio Fai, the delegation also included the University’s Rector Professor Yan Ze-Xian, Assistant Rector Professor Xing Wen-Xiang and others.
Before this trip, a party led by Professor João Sobrinho Teixeira and Professor Luis Pais, the President and Vice-President of the Polytechnic Institute Portuguese Coordination Committee and the Polytechnic Institute of Braganca visited City University of Macau. Accompanied by Director of Tertiary Education Services Office, Mr. Sou Chio Fai, President of Macau Polytechnic Institute, Professor Li Xiang-Yu and others, the party was received by City University’s leaders, including Rector Prof. Yan Ze-Xian and Assistant Rector Prof. Xing Wen-Xiang. CityU’s leaders and the guests had a pleasant meeting, exchanging views and hopes on future collaborations.
The delegation visited Portugal Open University’s President and heads of related departments in Lisbon. During the meeting, DirectorSou Chio Fai of Tertiary Education Services Office stated that Macau Special Administrative Regional Government remained highly supportive of higher education in Macau, and would fully cooperate with Macau’s tertiary institutes for their international collaborations and exchanges.
Chairman Chan Meng Kam expressed thanks and affirmation towards the long-term support and contributions Portugal Open University provided for City University of Macau and its predecessors, as well as the hope that this long-lasting friendly relationship would continue on, making City U a vital strategic partner for Portugal Open University in Macau, China, even Asia. In this meeting, Chan Meng Kam, representing the founders of City University of Macau’s Foundation, invited Portugal Open University’s President to take on the Vice-Presidency of the University Foundation’s Trust Committee, and received a positive reply.
City U’s Rector Professor Yan Ze-Xian introduced the University’s transformation and development, expressing hope and faith regarding the two universities’ mutual growth and collaboration in the future, and extending congratulations to Portugal Open University’s newly appointed President. Portugal Open University’s President affirmed the possibility that the two universities could collaborate closely in areas such as teaching resources, student exchanges and joint programs. During the meeting, the two universities specially entrusted the task of further discussing and exchanging more details for future collaboration to heads of related departments.
While in Lisbon, City U’s delegation also visited the Alliance of Portugal University Presidents. The Alliance’s Chairman and New University of Lisbon’s President Professor António Manuel Bensabat Rendas welcomed the delegation, and indicated willingness on collaborating with City U in teaching and learning as well as scientific researches. He also suggested that New University of Lisbon could pioneer the Alliance’s collaboration with City U, and then expanding to include other members of the Alliance as well.
The delegation also visited Economic and Trade Office of Macau in Lisbon, Portugal Higher Education Rating and Accreditation Agency and other departments and met with the related leaders, exchanging views on how to expand the cooperation between City U and relevant departments in Portugal.
After leaving Portugal, the delegation then visited ESADE Business School in Spain, City University London and Griffith College in Ireland, searching for more internationally acclaimed partners for collaboration. The purpose of these visits was so that students in City U could have the opportunity to make use of City U’s international network, not only receive top quality education and learn from the books, but could also exchange to and study in various locations around the world, widening their perspectives and applying their knowledge in real life.
While in Ireland, Rector Yan Ze-Xian, Assistant Rector Xing Wen-Xiang and Director’s Assistant Xu Yan-Ping also paid a visit to the Education Office in Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Ireland. Together with Mr. Wu Xiao-Chuang from the Education Office, they thoroughly explored the channels and directions City U could use to establish communication and collaboration with Ireland’s tertiary institutes, and agreed that actively promoting City U’s relationship with related tertiary institutes in Ireland would be very necessary and quite feasible.
This trip undertaken by the delegation from City University of Macau served to move the University, its students and courses towards a broadened, diversified and internationalized direction. Especially by taking full advantage of the historical ties Macau has with Portugal and Portuguese-speaking countries, these visits help to deepen and consolidate the traditional advantages City U has in lifelong education, distance education and Portuguese education, further advancing City U towards becoming a diversified and highly opened University with top quality and comprehensive nature.
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