This is the second year that the DSEDJ has taken part in the Lisbon educational fair, held this year from March 26 to 29. Speaking to the media, Carlos Roberto Xavier, head of the Higher Education Department at the DSEDJ, emphasized that “Portugal is a strategic country for Macau” and highlighted the continued focus on the Portuguese market to “promote” the region. He also noted the interest in fostering “more collaborations in courses, scientific projects, and research.”
“Simply being present at a fair like this brings publicity and visibility,” acknowledges João Veloso, director of the Portuguese Department at the University of Macau (UM). Veloso explains that the UM aims to develop its master’s and doctoral programs even further, stressing that “international students are very important,” and reiterates that Portuguese “is a major focus” for the university.
For the Macau University of Tourism (UTM), attending Futurália helps internationalize the student body, ensuring a competitive advantage. “We have a different kind of exposure. Students who come to study in Macau experience a different cultural dynamic and a new perception of reality and the job market because we have international hotels from the United States (…). This is something they are not used to in Portugal,” says Henrique Boyol Ngan, coordinator of the UTM’s Education Quality Management Center.
At the Macau University of Science and Technology (MUST), there is significant interest in institutional partnerships, as well as the creation of programs tailored to international students. “We want to launch a bachelor’s degree in Chinese Studies exclusively for foreign students, especially Portuguese students,” says Francisco Song Haoyan, director of the Portuguese program at MUST. Addressing the frequently asked question of scholarships at the fair, he states that they plan to request “more support from the Macau and Mainland China governments” to make the university more attractive.
The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) was represented by its Vice-Rector, Álvaro Barbosa. With its own booth, since it has been attending the fair for four years, Barbosa remarks that internationalization “is vital.” “It is with great pleasure that we follow the DSEDJ’s initiatives, and we have achieved very good results,” he notes, adding that he is beginning to see “recognition of the brand” in Portugal.
At the City University of Macau (CityU), efforts are directed at countering “excessive asymmetry, as many students from Macau and Mainland China come to study in Portugal, but not vice versa.” The Vice-Rector, José Paulo Esperança, explains that CityU has been focusing “on cooperation with Portuguese-speaking countries” and regards Futurália as “an interesting opportunity.” He calls for more support for student mobility, saying it is “one of the main factors” in students’ decisions. “We aim to provide support for accommodation,” he underscores, pointing out how well the Erasmus program “has worked.”
The Macau Millennium College highlighted four key areas at the fair: hospitality, technological sciences, computational sciences, and education. “We have very good professors. We teach in English and combine different areas of study,” says Paul Wei, director of the Rector’s Office.
Carlos Roberto Xavier also underscores the advantage Macau has enjoyed since 2019, when its higher education degrees began to be recognized in Portugal. “Students can earn their degrees while gaining international experience outside their own country and in China at the same time. Macau is a platform, and students can, for example, undertake internships in Mainland China,” he concludes.
