Macau-Hengqin University Town opens with international focus and dual-degree plans

The Macao-Hengqin International Education (University) Town opened yesterday with an English-medium curriculum and plans to partner with top global universities for dual-degree programs.

The first phase of the university town officially opened yesterday, with a joint launch ceremony held in Hengqin and attended by Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture O Lam, Education and Youth Development Bureau (DSEDJ) director Kong Chi Ming, and other senior officials.

The campus began welcoming students in mid-August, with more than 1,450 already enrolled. Students can take courses across institutions this semester, with full cross-campus course selection set to be introduced next year. The three universities offer more than 30 programs, focusing on science and technology disciplines, interdisciplinary fields, and frontier sciences such as artificial intelligence, financial technology and health sciences. Notably, the university town has a total capacity of 20,000 students, and the three institutions will also offer “micro-programs” that students from any of the universities can take for credit.

The secretary said the initiative was designed to foster collaboration through course sharing and joint program development, enabling the three universities to pool their academic strengths and cultivate interdisciplinary talent. She described the full operation of the first phase as a solid step forward for the university town and encouraged students to make full use of the shared platform, embrace internationalization and contribute to national development by translating research outcomes into real-world applications.

Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the ceremony, DSEDJ director Kong said the university town is being built in three phases, with the first phase now complete. The second phase, led by the University of Macau (UM), broke ground last year and is expected to be partially completed and fully operational by 2029. The third phase, which will house Macau Polytechnic University (MPU) and Macau University of Tourism (UTM), is set to undergo land transfer with the Guangdong-Macau In-Depth Cooperation Zone within the next one to two months, with design work slated to begin in 2027 and construction targeted for completion by 2030.

He noted that the campus currently hosts more than 1,450 postgraduate students, with dormitory facilities sufficient to meet current demand. All supporting facilities, including the student canteen, sports center and various research and laboratory spaces, are already in use. He added that the university maintains close communication with students, the campus is operating smoothly, and student satisfaction with the facilities and environment remains high.