UM Rector Yonghua Song visits the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Lisbon
The University of Macau (UM) continues to strengthen its strategic partnerships with higher education institutions in Portugal through various initiatives, including joint degree programmes, collaborative research projects, talent development schemes, and the promotion of the Portuguese language and culture. These efforts have yielded tangible results. Yonghua Song, rector of UM, said that the university will further expand joint talent cultivation initiatives and enhance academic exchange between the two sides.
The UM Faculty of Health Sciences will officially restructure as the Faculty of Medicine on 1 August. In parallel, the university will launch a joint programme in clinical medicine with the University of Lisbon, which is underpinned by a cooperation agreement signed by Song during his visit to Portugal earlier this year in April. Delivered through a combined bachelor’s/master’s pathway, graduates of the programme will be awarded a Bachelor of Medicine from UM and an Integrated Master of Medicine from the University of Lisbon. Both qualifications are recognised in Macao, Hong Kong, and the Chinese mainland, as well as Portugal and other EU member states, offering graduates international career opportunities.
UM has also launched dual doctoral programmes with the University of Porto and the University of Lisbon, in which candidates receive joint supervision from faculty members at UM and the respective partner university. Student exchange activities have become routine through inter-institutional agreements, the EU’s Erasmus+ programme, and the AULP Mobility Programme. In the 2025/2026 academic year, UM rolled out exchange programmes with seven Portuguese universities, sending 12 students to Portugal and welcoming an equal number of Portuguese students to Macao, broadening students’ academic horizons and enhancing their intercultural competence.
In terms of research, UM and its Portuguese partners have established four major research platforms. These include the Joint Laboratory of Precision Nanomedicine with the University of Porto, the Joint Laboratory of Cognitive Aging with the University of Coimbra, the Centre for Ocean Research between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries with the University of Lisbon and other institutions, and the Joint Centre for Law and Artificial Intelligence with the University of Coimbra, which will be launched in 2026. The aim of these platforms is advance research in emerging interdisciplinary fields, including pharmaceutical sciences, neurophysiology, marine sustainability, and the intersection of law and technology. Additionally, two research projects jointly undertaken by UM and its Portuguese partners—an intelligent long-range autonomous underwater vehicle and a portable sensor platform for detecting plant infections—were awarded funding by the Science and Technology Development Fund of Macao in 2026 to facilitate their translation into practical applications.
UM is widely recognised as the largest hub for Portuguese language education outside Portugal and Brazil. Its Department of Portuguese and Faculty of Law have cultivated a significant number of Chinese‑Portuguese bilingual professionals and legal experts, especially those specialising in Portuguese law. The university has also promoted language and cultural exchange through various initiatives. The LAPE centre, established in collaboration with the University of Lisbon in 2018, provides Portuguese language assessment services for international students and non-native speakers. Furthermore, UM has developed a Chinese-Portuguese machine translation system to overcome language barriers and facilitate communication. In 2025, the university joined the UNESCO Chair on Intercultural Dialogue on Heritages of Portuguese Influence, strengthening its academic and cultural ties with Portuguese-speaking countries.
Meanwhile, UM plays a key role in several international alliances. It serves as vice-president of the Association of Portuguese Speaking Universities (AULP) and is an invited member of the Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities (CRUP), among others. The university continues to expand its global network of cooperation in Portuguese language education. On 15 June this year, UM will host the 35th AULP Annual Meeting and the Forum for Presidents of Higher Education Institutions of China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, with a view to further enhance academic and cultural exchange between the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and Portuguese-speaking countries, opening a new chapter in China-Portugal cooperation in research and education.
Song noted that UM and Portuguese universities have already built a comprehensive, diverse and well-established model of collaboration. Looking ahead, the university will continue to serve as a bridge between China and Portugal by strengthening cooperation in areas such as research, education, talent development, and cultural exchange, thereby promoting the high-quality development of higher education cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.
