UM and Portuguese universities achieve tangible outcomes through diverse collaboration

Advancing together with a joint clinical medicine programme recognised by China and Portugal

In a significant milestone for China-Portugal higher education cooperation, UM and the University of Lisbon signed a cooperation agreement in April 2026 to launch a joint programme in clinical medicine at UM. Delivered through a combined bachelor’s/master’s pathway, graduates will receive a Bachelor of Medicine from UM and an Integrated Master of Medicine from the University of Lisbon. Both qualifications are recognised in Macao, Hong Kong, and the Chinese mainland, as well as Portugal and other member states of the European Union, offering medical graduates international career opportunities.

UM Rector Yonghua Song visits the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Lisbon. The two universities will launch a joint clinical medicine programme.

Cultivating global talent through dual doctoral programmes

At the heart of UM’s collaboration with Portuguese universities lies the shared commitment to cultivating global talent. UM has established dual doctoral degree programmes with the University of Porto and the University of Lisbon, where doctoral candidates receive joint supervision from faculty members at UM and the respective partner university.

Following her collaboration with researchers at UM while studying at the University of Lisbon, Stephanie Andaluz enrolled on the PhD programme in Biomedical Sciences at UM.

Promoting intercultural competencies via student exchange

Student exchange remains a cornerstone of the collaboration between UM and Portuguese universities. In the 2025/2026 academic year, UM rolled out exchange programmes with seven Portuguese institutions, sending 12 students to Portugal and welcoming an equal number of Portuguese students to Macao. These exchanges, supported by inter-institutional exchange agreements, the Erasmus+ programme and the AULP Mobility Programme, offer participants the opportunity to broaden their academic horizons and enhance their intercultural competencies.

UM rolls out exchange programmes with seven Portuguese institutions.

Advancing breakthroughs in collaborative research through four joint platforms

UM and its Portuguese partners have made ongoing efforts to deepen research collaboration in frontier fields. To date, four significant research platforms have been established. The Joint Laboratory of Precision Nanomedicine, created with the University of Porto, advances research in pharmaceutical sciences. The Joint Laboratory of Cognitive Aging, developed with the University of Coimbra, focuses on neurophysiology and cognitive health. The Centre for Ocean Research between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, established with the University of Lisbon and other institutions, focuses on areas such as ocean circulation and marine energy, responding to the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. Most recently, in April 2026, UM and the University of Coimbra established the Joint Centre for Law and Artificial Intelligence to address a gap in interdisciplinary cooperation between China and Portugal in the emerging field where legal studies meet AI.

Sofia Costa is among the first cohort of the dual doctoral programme jointly offered by UM and the University of Lisbon. The programme is delivered through the Joint Laboratory of Precision Nanomedicine.

Robust financial support is essential for research and innovation. In 2026, two collaborative projects developed between UM and its Portuguese partners—an intelligent long-range autonomous underwater vehicles and a portable sensor platform for detecting plant infections—received nearly MOP 7 million in total funding from the Science and Technology Development Fund of Macao, facilitating the translation of cutting-edge research into tangible technological applications.

Drawing from a strong foundation in the Portuguese language and culture

Behind these recent achievements lies a long-standing commitment. UM has offered Portuguese language education for decades and is recognised as the largest hub for Portuguese language education outside Portugal and Brazil. The university has trained a significant number of Chinese‑Portuguese bilingual talent, as well as legal professionals specialising in Portuguese law. Over the years, UM’s Department of Portuguese and Faculty of Law have produced many outstanding graduates who have made meaningful contributions to academia, government, and the private sector. Additionally, in partnership with the Centre for Evaluation of Portuguese as a Foreign Language (CAPLE) of the University of Lisbon, UM established a LAPE centre in 2018. To date, the LAPE centre at UM has provided Portuguese language assessment services to international students and non-native speakers, further reinforcing Macao’s role as a hub for Portuguese language education.

UM has long been dedicated to the preservation, research, and promotion of the Portuguese language and culture, serving as a bridge between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.

The university also played a pioneering role in developing a Chinese‑Portuguese machine translation system, facilitating bilingual communication and cross‑cultural exchange. In 2025, UM joined the UNESCO Chair on Intercultural Dialogue on Heritages of Portuguese Influence, led by the University of Coimbra. This further strengthened its academic ties with Portuguese‑speaking countries in the field of cultural heritage.

Connecting with the wider Portuguese-speaking world

UM’s partnerships extend beyond Portugal. Through its active involvement in five alliances—including its role as vice-president of the Association of Portuguese Speaking Universities (AULP), an invited member of the Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities (CRUP), a council member of the China-Portuguese Speaking Countries Ocean Research Alliance and the University Alliance for Portuguese Language Education in China, and a founding member of the Academic Library Alliance between Macao Special Administrative Region and Portuguese-speaking Countries—UM continues to foster collaboration among member institutions in the areas of education, research, and cultural understanding.

UM continues to expand its network with higher education institutions in Portugal

Looking ahead to a gathering of minds in June 2026

This June, UM will host two major events that highlight the depth of its ties with Portuguese-speaking countries. UM will host the 35th AULP Annual Meeting, coinciding with the university’s 45th anniversary and AULP’s 40th anniversary. The conference will adopt the theme ‘International University Collaboration: Strengthening Academic and Cultural Ties between the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Macao-Hengqin and the Portuguese-Speaking Countries’, further promoting research and educational exchange between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. Another major initiative, also taking place in June 2026, is the Forum for Presidents of Higher Education Institutions of China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, which will be co-hosted by UM and other partners. Building on the success of the 2024 edition, which brought together presidents and representatives from 44 higher education institutions across Macao, the Chinese mainland, and Portuguese-speaking countries, the 2026 edition is expected to open new avenues for partnership.

The collaboration between UM and Portuguese universities has become increasingly comprehensive, diverse and well-established, spanning areas including talent development, research and innovation, dual degree programmes, and the establishment of alliances. Moving forward, the university will continue to act as a bridge, driving cooperation between China and Portugal in research and education to new heights.