Macao Polytechnic University (MPU) receives the 2026 Times Higher Education (THE) Award Asia in the category of “International Strategy of the Year” for its outstanding achievements in global development and high-quality international collaboration. This marks the first time a university from Macao has received a THE Award Asia, representing a significant milestone in the internationalisation of Macao’s higher education sector.
MPU Rector Professor Marcus Im stated that the accolade represents strong recognition by the international higher education community of MPU’s long-standing commitment to advancing internationalisation. Moving forward, MPU will continue to leverage Macao’s unique role as a Sino-Lusophone platform, further strengthen the development of its “Global Campus”, and expand diversified and high-level international partnerships. These efforts aim to support Macao’s development as a higher education cooperation hub linking China with Portuguese-speaking countries and the wider international community.
The “International Strategy of the Year” Award honours higher education institutions that have demonstrated outstanding achievements in establishing and deepening international partnerships. The award jury highly commended MPU for its excellence in building cross-cultural capabilities across Lusophone, Sinophone and Global South communities, exemplifying international strategy at its very best: ambitious in scale, genuinely interdisciplinary, and transformative in its impact.
The award ceremony was held on 22 April in Hong Kong. MPU Vice-Rector Dr Vivian Lei attended the ceremony on behalf of the University and accepted the award. In the presence of Mr Phil Baty, THE’s Chief Global Affairs Officer and Chief Operating Officer, and Ms Mei Mei Lim, President of THE Asia-Pacific, the award trophy was presented by HKUST President Professor Nancy Ip. The core MPU team involved in the award submission included Rector Professor Marcus Im, Vice-Rector Dr Vivian Lei, Dean of Faculty of Applied Sciences Professor Lam Chan Tong, Associate Dean of Faculty of Languages and Translation Professor Joaquim Carvalho, and Head of Academic Affairs Department Dr Christy Cheong.
MPU’s internationalisation strategy is closely aligned with the development vision of a “Global Campus”, driven by innovative models of international cooperation. The strategy spans four key pillars, namely talent development, multi‑stakeholder collaboration, social inclusion, and international mobility, integrating strengths in education, research, and societal engagement. This strategy leverages Macao’s unique role as a Sino-Lusophone platform and MPU’s bridging role as a “precise connector” between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. With China-Portugal higher education collaboration at its core, the strategy extends to eight other Portuguese-speaking countries and regions and continues to expand MPU’s international network across multiple regions worldwide.
Established in 2019, THE Awards Asia was widely regarded as the “Oscars of Higher Education”, recognising outstanding achievements by Asian universities in innovation, leadership, and social impact. The judging panel comprises distinguished experts and scholars from leading global institutions and authoritative organisations, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard University, and the World Bank, ensuring a professional and rigorous selection process. This year’s awards attracted over 500 submissions, with 10 winning projects finally selected.
