Marco Carvalho
The University of Saint Joseph is a step closer to fulfilling its aim to demonstrate that it is “a university in, of and for Macau” and “in, of and for China”. The Catholic-run University announced recently that it has signed exchange agreements with two higher education institutions from the neighbouring province of Guangdong.
According to two different statements, the University of Saint Joseph, which was recently allowed to recruit students in the People’s Republic of China, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) both with the Zhuhai Technical Institute (ZTC) and the Guangzhou City University of Technology. Álvaro Barbosa, vice-rector of the University of Saint Joseph in charge of internationalization and strategic development, signed the agreements on behalf of USJ.
Valid for a five-year term, the memorandum of understanding that was signed with the Guangzhou City University of Technology allows USJ students to have access to semester exchange programmes and internship schemes in Guangdong. The agreement also provides for the possibility of joint teacher training and “further exchange and cooperation” for business schools or engineering teachers.
The protocol that was signed with the Zhuhai Technical Institute goes the extra mile, by providing for the creation of joint training programs that will allow USJ students to probe themselves in Zhuhai and ZTC staff to further their education in the Special Administrative Region: “The Memorandum of Understanding intents to create and promote joint training programmes for Macau citizens, post-graduate programme prospects for faculty members of ZTC, professional training for faculty/staff members of ZTC in the USJ, academic teaching exchange programmes and joint student exchange programmes”, the University of Saint Joseph states in a press release.
After the memorandum was signed, the Catholic-run university invited the Zhuhai Technical Institute delegation to visit the Ilha Verde campus in February to discuss future initiatives.
In September, the University of Saint Jospeh has been given permission to recruit students from mainland China on a trial basis for its postgraduate programmes in architecture and design, business administration, information systems and environmental science.
Established in 1996, by the Catholic University of Portugal and the Diocese of Macau, the University of Saint Joseph is a Catholic university, rooted in a long tradition of intercultural exchange that has been the cornerstone of Catholic higher education in South China ever since the College of Saint Paul was founded, in 1594.
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