Language teachers and researchers from around the world are to gather in Macau in November for an international congress on the Portuguese language, the director of the region’s Portuguese Institute of the Orient (IPOR) told Lusa on Monday.
“We can expect a great meeting of world-class experts in Portuguese, not only from Portuguese-language countries, but from other regions,” said Joaquim Ramos, IPOR director, stressing the “global dimension” of the event.
Titled ‘Macau and the Portuguese language: New Bridges to the Orient’ and organised jointly by IPOR and the Macao Polytechnic Institute (IPM), the congress is to take place between 27 and 29 November, in a year that is to see various events marking the 30th anniversary of IPOR.
“I think it made sense to include a more scientific dimension here,” said Ramos, adding that the congress will “bring together teachers, researchers, editors and people working in the field of culture”, to share their research on topics relating to the Portuguese language.
This year also marks 20 years since the handover of Macau from Portugal to China, and the creation of the Special Administrative Region, and 40 years since diplomatic relations were established between Portugal and the People’s Republic of China – marking the restoration of links between the two countries that had previously stretched back centuries.
Macau’s role as a platform to promote trade cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking countries has been built up as part of China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ strategy and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area.
IPOR, a public entity, which was set up on 19 September, 1989 by the Fundação Oriente, a Lisbon-based foundation, and Portugal’s Camões institute for cooperation and the Portuguese language. Its stated mission is contributing to promote Portuguese language and culture.
Ramos took over as its director on 1 September last year from João Laurentino Neves, who had overseen IPOR for the previous six years.
