"With this agreement, we will deepen the long-standing relationship with Macau and extend it to other areas of knowledge and expertise." This was how the President of Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Isabel Capeloa Gil, described the protocol signed on May 20 with the Education and Youth Development Bureau of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR), for training and developing qualified staff in Portuguese.
At the signing ceremony, which was attended by a group of Macau students studying at the University, the President said it was "a privilege to continue this path of friendship and an enormous pride to be able to receive, year after year, a very important group, to the academic community, of students from Macau".
Elsie Ao Ieong U, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macau Government stressed the importance for Macau students to take this opportunity to "learn the Portuguese language well", reminding them that "Macau is a platform" and the students "will be the bridge between China and Portugal".
Among the exchange and cooperation activities between the two entities is the organization of Portuguese language and culture education activities by UCP for Macau's secondary school students, as well as the organization of seminars during the summer holidays.
The signing of the protocol was attended, on behalf of UCP, by the President of Católica, Isabel Capeloa Gil, Isabel Vasconcelos, Vice-Rector for Global Education, Peter Hanenberg, Vice-Rector for Research and Innovation, Nelson Ribeiro, Director of the Faculty of Human Sciences and Francisco Mendes-Palma, Director of Global Engagement.
The Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, Elsie Ao Ieong U, Kong Chi Meng, Director of the Education and Youth Development Bureau, Carlos Roberto Xavier, Head of the Higher Education Department, Luís Gomes, Head of the Non-Higher Education Department, and Wong Chang Chi, Deputy Head of the Luís Gonzaga Gomes Luso-Chinese High School, were also present on behalf of the Macau SAR.
