The University of Macau (UM) and Portugal’s University of Coimbra (UC) co-hosted a conference on public law on Monday and yesterday, gathering over 100 experts and scholars from the Chinese mainland, Macau and Portuguese-speaking countries (PSCs) to discuss developments in international, constitutional and administrative law, according to a UM statement.
UM Rector Yonghua Song (aka Song Yonghua) said in a speech on Monday that the “One Country, Two Systems” policy has provided a clear framework for the development of Macau’s unique legal system and governance model, according to the statement, adding that Macau should leverage its advantages to support the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and deepen legal cooperation with PSCs to nurture outstanding legal professionals.
Meanwhile, in a speech on Monday, UC Vice Rector João Nuno Calvão da Silva praised UM’s progress and highlighted the partnership between the two universities which, he said, has expanded beyond law to include fields such as medicine and cultural heritage, reflecting the longstanding friendship between China and Portugal, the statement said.
Integrated resort operator MGM’s Executive Vice President and General Counsel António José Ferreira de Castro dos Santos Menano said that UM, UC and MGM have signed a four-year cooperation agreement to promote joint research and teaching on topics including the constitutional principle of “One Country, Two Systems” and the reshaping of international law under green transformation, the statement said.
UM Faculty of Law Dean Gabriel Tong Io Cheng was quoted in the statement as saying in a speech that Macau’s success in harmonising different legal systems under the “One Country, Two Systems” framework makes it a model for public law practice, stressing that the collaboration between UM and UC will inject new momentum into legal education and the study of the rule of law.
Themed “Public Law: International Law, Constitutional Law, and Administrative Law,” the joint conference was supported by UM’s public capital enterprise UMTEC Limited and sponsored by MGM, the statement noted, adding that with presentations from 14 scholars representing Angola, Brazil, the Chinese mainland, Macau, Mozambique and Portugal, the event aimed to advance international academic exchange and reinforce Macau’s role as a bridge between China and PSCs in legal research and education.
These handout photos downloaded yesterday from the official website of the University of Macau (UM) show University of Coimbra (UC) Vice Rector João Nuno Calvão da Silva (left) and MGM Executive Vice President and General Counsel António José Ferreira de Castro dos Santos Menano delivering their respective speeches during Monday’s joint conference about public law by the two public universities, on the UM campus in Hengqin.
