UM Centre for Macau Studies holds Annual Conference of Macao Studies
The Centre for Macau Studies (CMS) of the University of Macau (UM) and the Macao Foundation jointly held the Fifth Annual Conference of Macao Studies (2025). Under the theme ‘Macao as a World Heritage Site’, the two-day conference brought together scholars from Macao and around the world to discuss Macao’s history and culture.
Speaking at the event, Rui Martins, vice rector of UM, highlighted the university’s achievements and plans in cultural and historical studies as well as international collaboration. Agnes Lam Iok Fong, director of UM CMS, noted that as 2025 marks the 20th anniversary of the inscription of the Historic Centre of Macao on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the conference provided a valuable platform to reflect on how Macao’s heritage has been preserved, interpreted, and passed on over the past two decades. During the conference, scholars from universities across Asia, Europe, Oceania, and Africa presented their research findings, offering comparative and interdisciplinary perspectives.
The conference featured ten sub-forums, covering topics including Sino-Luso exchanges and legacies, the inheritance and innovation of Macao’s cultural heritage, the intersection of Chinese and Portuguese heritage identities, historical encounters, cultural memories, intangible cultural heritage conservation, political-legal legacies, cultural dialogue, global and local perspectives, and historical sites.
The conference invited Carmen Amado Mendes, president of CCCM, to deliver a keynote speech titled ‘Macao’s connections linking East and West: Importance of the Historic Centre’s World Heritage status’, where she discussed the profound significance of Macao’s heritage in fostering intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding. Mendes expressed hope that Macao scholars will have in-depth exchanges with Portuguese researchers working in related fields.
