On 15 June 2026, Professor Zhong Weihe, Rector of Macau Millennium College (“MMC” or the “College”), attended the opening ceremony of the 4^th Forum for Rectors of Higher Education Institutions of China and Portuguese-Speaking Countries. On behalf of the College, he signed memoranda of understanding with the University of Cape Verde, the ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon, and the University of Minho. The cooperation marks a new step for the College in expanding its higher education cooperation network with Portuguese-speaking countries and promoting the cultivation of Chinese-Portuguese bilingual and cross-cultural talent.

This year’s forum was co-organised by the Education and Youth Development Bureau of Macao (the “DSEDJ”) and the Chinese–Portuguese Bilingual Talent Training Alliance, which comprises several higher education institutions in Macao. It was held concurrently with the 35^th Annual Meeting of the Association of Portuguese Language Universities (“AULP”). The event brought together over 150 leaders and representatives from higher education institutions in Portuguese-speaking countries, including Portugal, Brazil, Cape Verde, Mozambique, and Timor-Leste, as well as the Chinese mainland and Macao. Under the theme “Empowerment Through Technology and Interconnection Through Language — Macao‒Hengqin Synergy in Joint Cultivation of Chinese‒Portuguese International Talent”, participants engaged in in-depth discussions on topics such as the internationalisation of higher education, the cultivation of bilingual talent, and the integration of technology and the humanities.

The University of Cape Verde, the ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon, and the University of Minho each possess unique strengths in fields such as Portuguese language education, public governance, social sciences, innovative research, engineering technology, and cross-cultural communication. These strengths align closely with the educational positioning and development direction of MMC. The University of Cape Verde is a key higher education institution in Portuguese-speaking Africa. The ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon has a profound foundation in social sciences, public policy, business management, and interdisciplinary research. Meanwhile, the University of Minho possesses distinct advantages in engineering technology, educational innovation, and the transformation of research achievements. The three partnerships will help the College further expand its international cooperation landscape across different regions and disciplines.

Looking ahead, the College will work with the three partner institutions to promote the implementation of cooperation projects, including cultural and artistic exchange, faculty and student visits, thematic lectures and workshops, joint research and academic publishing, and the exploration of credit recognition and short-term exchange programmes. These efforts will enable the cooperation outcomes to better support student development, academic advancement, and Macao’s role as the China-Portuguese-speaking Countries Commercial and Trade Service Platform.