Delegations from a number of leading universities in mainland China visited the University of Macau (UM), including UM’s strategic partners such as Peking University and Tsinghua University, as well as partner institutions from the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance, the Jiangsu-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance, and the Shandong-Hong Kong-Macao University Alliance for Innovation. UM representatives had in-depth discussions with each delegation to explore new opportunities for future development and deepen cooperation with the mainland universities.

Fang Fang, vice president of Peking University, led a delegation to visit the Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences and the Ministry of Education Frontiers Science Center for Precision Oncology, UM. Yang Bin, vice president of Tsinghua University, led a delegation to visit the residential colleges. Zhou Zhi-Hua, vice president of Nanjing University, delivered a speech as part of UM’s University Lecture Series. Zhou Jianghong, vice president of Zhejiang University, led a delegation to visit the State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City. Shan Zhiwei, vice president of Xi’an Jiaotong University, led a delegation to visit the Institute of Applied Physics and Materials Engineering. During their visits to the University Gallery and meetings with UM Rector Yonghua Song, the members of each delegation gained insights into UM’s achievements in research and innovation, talent cultivation, and international development, as well as the university’s development plan for the UM campus in the Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. They all spoke highly of UM’s campus development and academic and research achievements. They also expressed hope to further strengthen their strategic partnership with UM.

Li Shucai, president of Shandong University, and his delegation had in-depth discussions with the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, with the hope of strengthening cooperation in the field of pharmacy. Zhang Junfeng, president of Ocean University of China, led a delegation to visit the State Key Laboratory of Internet of Things for Smart City and the State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine. Zhang expressed hope that the two universities will continue to promote cooperation in ocean research under the China-Portuguese Speaking Countries Ocean Research Alliance, so as to contribute to ocean research between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. Jiang Hong, secretary of the Party Committee of Southern University of Science and Technology, led a delegation to visit the UM Wu Yee Sun Library. Jiang expressed hope that the two universities will continue to strengthen their strategic partnership, especially in joint training of talent, to build the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area into a hub for high-calibre talent.

In addition, UM, in collaboration with South China Agricultural University, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and City University of Hong Kong, established the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau University Joint Laboratory of Marine Bioresource Conservation and Exploitation, with a plaque unveiling ceremony held during the visit of Xue Hongwei, president of South China Agricultural University, to UM. Li Kejian, president of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and Yao Hequan, vice president of China Pharmaceutical University, led their respective delegations to visit the Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences and held in-depth discussions with UM representatives on further cooperation in Chinese medicine. Zhu Shiping, vice president of the Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen), led a delegation to visit UM and gained insights into the university’s campus development and recent development.

All the delegations look forward to fostering deeper cooperation with UM, especially in seizing the development opportunities presented by the UM campus in the Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. Together with UM, they aim to promote the development of higher education in China, produce more research achievements and cultivate more outstanding talent for the country, and contribute to the establishment of an international centre for innovation and technology and an international hub for high-calibre talent, thereby promoting the development of world-class universities with Chinese characteristics.