Universities in Macau and China launch library alliance of Portuguese resources

The University of Macau (UM) and Chinese counterparts signed a cooperation agreement for the academic library alliance for resources in Portuguese and to create a mechanism for interlibrary loan and document transfer services.

At the on-line ceremony for signing the agreement, UM’s rector, Song Yonghua, stated that the institution has always had as its mission the promotion of the Portuguese language, and the creation of the alliance will facilitate “mutual support and cooperation in the domains of teaching, learning and academic research among the members”, according to a statement sent to Lusa.

In addition to the academic library alliance for Portuguese language resources, UM had proposed the creation of the academic library alliance between the Macau Special Administrative Region and Portuguese-speaking countries.

On the same occasion, the vice-rector of UM, Rui Martins, stressed that UM proposed the establishment of two library alliances to serve “as a basis for academic exchange and collaboration through the sharing and joint collection of library resources in Portuguese”.

More than 50 university representatives from Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Chongqing, Guangdong, Sichuan, Zhejiang, Dalian, Xi’an and Macau attended the online ceremony, including Sichuan Normal University president Wang Mingyi, the dean from the University of St. Joseph (Macau), Stephen Morgan, the Vice President of Tianjin University of Foreign Studies, Yu Jiang, and the Chairperson of the Academic Committee of the University of Beijing Foreign Studies, Yuan Jun.

The alliance’s website, the members’ collective catalogue of resources in Portuguese, and pedagogical resources for Portuguese teachers were also presented at the ceremony.