UTM stated the agreement also includes professor exchanges, talent training, and joint academic research.

Development of education

The two institutions "intend to promote the development of education" in the areas of tourism and culture between Macau and Portugal, the university from the Chinese region emphasised.

According to the statement, during a visit to the UTM campus, Nova's rector, Paulo Pereira, described the partnership as "an important step" in internationalisation, consolidating the institution's presence and influence in Asia.

He added that the partnership will establish a solid academic and cultural bridge, allowing Portuguese educational resources to reach the Asian market.

The rector of UTM, Fanny Vong Chuk Kwan, emphasised that the agreement with Nova is part of the institution's efforts to expand educational partnerships with Portuguese-speaking countries.

High-quality exchange platform

She hopes the collaboration will provide a high-quality exchange platform and help train globally-minded professionals.

The director also pointed to the integrated development of education across tourism and culture among Portugal, Macau, and the Greater Bay Area as a goal of the agreement.

The Greater Bay Area is a Beijing project to create a world metropolis integrating Hong Kong, Macau, and nine cities in Guangdong province, with approximately 86 million inhabitants and an economy exceeding one trillion euros.

UTM argued that the integration of the Estoril Higher School of Hospitality and Tourism (ESHTE) further strengthened Nova University's specialisation in tourism and hospitality education.

Integration of ESHTE

On 21 May, Prime Minister Luís Montenegro announced the integration of ESHTE, which has approximately two thousand students and professors, into NOVA University of Macau. This had already been approved by NOVA's General Council in May 2025.

The agreement between NOVA and UTM was signed on the sidelines of the opening ceremony of the 35th Meeting of the Association of Portuguese-Speaking Universities (AULP), held in China.

The event brought together 36 rectors and presidents of higher education institutions over three days and coincided with the IV Forum of Rectors of China, Macau and Portuguese-Speaking Countries.

During the meeting, the Pedagogical University of Maputo signed a cooperation agreement with the University of Macau, and the Polytechnic University of Macau signed a protocol with Eduardo Mondlane University.