MPU eyes global top 100 partnerships while building Hengqin tech hub

Macao Polytechnic University (MPU) will pursue partnerships with top 100 universities in the QS World University Rankings, while using its new Hengqin campus to address weaknesses in science and engineering disciplines, president Zhou Zhongrong said after the graduation ceremony yesterday.

Zhou, speaking to the media, said that under its high-level internationalization strategy, MPU will also strengthen collaboration with institutions in areas of academic strength and deepen research cooperation.

He added that for distinctive internationalization, the university will focus on Portuguese-speaking countries – centering on Portugal and Brazil before expanding to other Lusophone nations.

He noted that MPU has recently signed a formal agreement with Portugal’s University of Coimbra. Talks are also underway with Brazil’s top three universities, with cooperation steadily progressing.

Regarding the Hengqin campus, Zhou said it will focus on engineering and science to address weaknesses in those disciplines and promote the coordinated development of humanities, sciences, and engineering.

The campus will focus on three key areas: advanced manufacturing and robotics, smart transportation and urban-related fields, and computing and artificial intelligence. The university expects to complete the relevant arrangements for the Hengqin campus within the next two to three years.

In the new academic year, seven master’s and doctoral programs will move to Hengqin under a global teaching model, primarily centered on two directions: high-tech and health sciences.