The “International Forum on Mutual Learning among Civilizations 2026” was successfully concluded today (10 November) in Macao. The closing ceremony was attended by the Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government, O Lam; the Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the Macao SAR, Yang Weiqun; and the Deputy Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao SAR, Cheng Lei, among others. Officials from multiple countries and regions, representatives of international organizations, and over 300 renowned experts and scholars from home and abroad attended the Forum, presenting nearly 40 high-quality keynote speeches with fruitful academic achievements.
During the closing ceremony, the new book entitled Um Vislumbre da Cultura Chinesa was launched, and the “Agreement on Publishing Cooperation between the Culture and Sports Bureau of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government of the People’s Republic of China and the São Paulo State University Press Foundation” was signed, further deepening the Sino-foreign cooperation and exchanges.
The project “Um Vislumbre da Cultura Chinesa” was launched in September 2023 in collaboration between the Macao Daily News and the Portuguese newspaper Diário de Notícias. Articles published in the Um Vislumbre da Cultura Chinesa special editions aim to introduce Chinese culture to readers in the Portuguese-speaking countries, leveraging Macao’s role as a bridge for cultural exchanges between China and Portugal. Over the past three year, 160 issues have been published in Portuguese edition, and nearly 1,470 articles were released on overseas social media platforms, covering Chinese traditional festivals, folk culture, literature and arts. The newly released book Um Vislumbre da Cultura Chinesa has two volumes published in Chinese-Portuguese bilingual editions, featuring approximately 150 articles in Chinese and Portuguese from previous special editions respectively. The President of the Association of Publication of Cultural Education of Macao and Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of the Macao Polytechnic University, Lam Fat Iam, introduced the new book at the closing ceremony.
In conjunction with the “China-Brazil Cultural Year”, the Culture and Sports Bureau and the São Paulo State University Press Foundation in Brazil reached a cooperation agreement to jointly launch the “Editorial Project: Transmission of Oriental Literature to the West — Macau Translation and Dissemination Platform”. The project will complete translations, proofreading, publication and promotion of a total of twenty Portuguese editions of Chinese classics in batches, thereby facilitating the dissemination of Chinese classic culture to Portuguese-speaking countries and regions. At the closing ceremony, the Director of the Culture and Sports Bureau, Leong Wai Man, and the President-Director of the São Paulo State University Press Foundation, Jézio Hernani Bomfim Gutierre, signed the “Agreement on Publishing Cooperation between the Culture and Sports Bureau of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government of the People’s Republic of China and the São Paulo State University Press Foundation”.
The keynote speeches of this Forum were centred on “Mutual Learning among Civilizations, Inheritance and Development,” and the event comprised three sub-forums under the themes “Cross-disciplinary Cultural Dialogue”, “Cultural Connections between China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries” and “The Glory of Civilizations in the AI Era”. Through academic discussions and intellectual exchanges, the Forum fully demonstrated its characteristics of cross-disciplinary convergence and high-level international exchange, and establishing a high-quality platform for civilizational exchange and dialogue based on mutual respect and equality that leads to inspire and complement each other among different civilizations.
In response to the theme of the sub-forum “The Glory of Civilizations in the AI Era”, the Forum specially arranged for the digital avatar “Kiki” to greet guests at the welcome dinner. The dinner also featured a captivating performance of traditional Chinese music, immersing guests in the classical ambiance with elegance and grandeur. Various creative performances combined dance, singing, martial arts, costumes and makeup of Cantonese opera were held throughout the event, vividly showcasing the unique charm of Macao’s multiculturism. In addition, a special performance of Tai Chi and music and dance by intelligent robots was held, showcasing the innovative vitality of the integration of technology and humanity. Finally, the guests brought the intercultural dialogue to a more advanced level in the joyful atmosphere of Portuguese folk dance.
In order to promote youth exchange and dialogue among civilizations, the Forum featured a special youth sub-forum as part of the “International Forum on Mutual Learning among Civilizations 2026”. Three overseas scholars were invited to host sharing sessions in campus, interacting with young students and inspiring their thinking.
The success of the “International Forum on Mutual Learning among Civilizations” serves as an important measure for Macao to actively align itself with the national cultural development strategy and implement the global civilization initiative. The Forum highlighted Macao’s unique role and development positioning in mutual learning among civilizations, actively expanded Macao’s international cooperative network, and promoted mutual international cooperation and benefit. It is hoped that the Forum can bring people from all sectors across the globe, taking Macao as a link and culture as a bridge, continuously deepening the dialogue among civilizations and jointly promoting the harmonious coexistence and common prosperity of diverse civilizations in the world, valuing Macao’s contributions to the dialogue between the Chinese civilization and the diverse civilizations in the world.
