Professor Amílcar Falcão (left), Rector of the University of Coimbra, and Professor Im Sio Kei, Rector of the Macao Polytechnic University, signed a cooperation agreement on establishing MPU-UC Joint Research Laboratory in Advanced Technologies for Smart Cities
The Macao Polytechnic University and the University of Coimbra, Portugal, held a ceremony at 18:00 on 24 November to sign a cooperation agreement to establish the MPU-UC Joint Research Laboratory in Advanced Technologies for Smart Cities (10:00 AM in Portugal time). This joint effort aims to further strengthen their collaboration in the training of technological and innovative talents, thereby helping Macao to accelerate the construction of smart cities, and promoting stronger ties between China and Portuguese-speaking countries in the fields of higher education and technological innovation. The agreement was signed by Professor Im Sio Kei, Rector of the Macao Polytechnic University, and Professor Amílcar Falcão, Rector of the University of Coimbra. This agreement capitalizes on the strengths of both parties in the fields of computer sciences, artificial intelligence, and information technology. It also provides a platform for technical innovations and training of talented engineers and scientists, who can make contribution to other scientific projects between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. More than 100 teachers and students from the two universities attended this ceremony.
At the signing ceremony, the Rector of the Macao Polytechnic University, Professor Im Sio Kei, stated that Macao Polytechnic University actively supports the construction of the Sino-Portuguese Platform, establishing a series of degree courses to cultivate Chinese-Portuguese bilingualism and innovative technology, placing equal emphasis on teaching and research. With the support of the Chinese central government and the Macao SAR government, two centres have been established: the Engineering Research Centre of Applied Technology on Machine Translation and Artificial Intelligence, Ministry of Education, and the International Portuguese Training Centre for Conference Interpreting. At the same time, the University has established extensive cooperation and exchange with the Greater China region, Portuguese-speaking countries and English-speaking countries. The MPU Faculty of Applied Sciences and the Department of Informatics Engineering of the University of Coimbra are close partners, and have obtained significant achievements in academic exchange, research innovation and joint programs. It is an honour to cooperate with the world-renowned university founded in 1290, the University of Coimbra, to establish the “MPU-UC Joint Research Laboratory in Advanced Technologies for Smart Cities”.
UC Rector Amílcar Falcão said that the Macao Polytechnic University has now become one of the most prestigious higher education institutions in Macao, and has contributed greatly to the educational sector of the Macao Special Administrative Region by providing training of high quality to the young generation and by the internationally recognized academic output in various study areas. Furthermore, the Macao Polytechnic University has played an indispensable role in strengthening the connection between Macao and Portugal by encouraging Macao students to pursue exchange studies in Portugal and by hosting Portuguese students. With the signing of the Cooperation Agreement on Establishing the Joint Research Laboratory, MPU and UC have witnessed another milestone on their long journey of partnership, and this marks the beginning of a new perspective of cooperation in a fast growing study area. With the experience of working together for many years, MPU and UC are confident that the creation of this Joint Research Laboratory will be yet another successful move which produces fruitful academic and scientific accomplishments.
According to the agreement, the “MPU-UC Joint Research Laboratory in Advanced Technologies for Smart Cities” aims to promote close cooperation and strengthen the relationship in academic, research, scientific and cultural cooperation between the two universities. This laboratory also plans to conduct joint research projects in the development of smart cities, including computer science, artificial intelligence, information and communication technology. This can cultivate young researchers for the societies of both sides, promote international academic and research exchanges between the two universities, and help to establish an ecosystem which can further develop advanced technologies in a collaborative way.
The signing ceremony was attended from the University of Coimbra by Professor Cláudia Cavadas, Vice-Rector; Professor Paulo Eduardo Oliveira, Director of the Faculty of Sciences and Technology; Professor Edmundo Monteiro, Dean of the Department of Informatics Engineering; Professor Henrique Madeira and Professor António Mendes, Coordinator of the PhD programs in Informatics Engineering; and from Macao Polytechnic University by Dr. Lei Ngan Lin, Vice-Rector; Lei Vai Fong, Secretary General; Professor Lam Chan Tong, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Applied Sciences; Professor Zhang Yunfeng, Director of the Centre for Portuguese Studies; Professor Ke Wei, Coordinator of the PhD program in Computer Applied Technology; Professor Rui Gama Fernandes, the International Portuguese Training Centre for Conference Interpreting and others.
