Chief Executive of the Macao SAR Witnesses MoU Signing between USJ Macao and Singapore University of Technology and Design
Chief Executive of the Macao SAR Witnesses MoU Signing between USJ Macao and Singapore University of Technology and Design
03
Sep
03/09/2026
The Chief Executive of the Macao SAR, Mr Sam Hou Fai, witnessed the Signing Ceremony of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between University of Saint Joseph and Singapore University of Technology and Design aimed to advance Urban Environmental Health Research.
Professor Álvaro Barbosa, Vice-Rector for Internationalisation and Academic Affairs of the University of Saint Joseph (USJ), visited the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) on 31 August for an institutional exchange. Later, at the reception hosted in Singapore by the Macao Special Administrative Region Government (SAR), both institutions signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the presence of Mr Sam Hou Fai, Chief Executive of the Macao SAR; Ms Gan Siow Huang, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Trade and Industry of Singapore; and Mr Cao Zhongming, Chinese Ambassador to Singapore, among other distinguished guests, establishing a strategic partnership to jointly advance an urban environmental health research initiative.
The MoU was jointly signed by Professor Cheong Koon Hean, Chairman Lee Kuan Yew Centre for Innovative Cities (LKYCIC) at SUTD, and Vice-Rector of USJ Professor Álvaro Barbosa. This collaboration marks a deepening of cooperation between Macao and Singapore in higher education and scientific research, and opens new opportunities for the implementation of the Macao SAR’s Third Five-Year Development Plan and the National 14th Five-Year Plan.
Prior to the signing ceremony, Professor Barbosa toured the SUTD campus and engaged in in-depth discussions with the academic team to learn about research achievements in smart cities, sustainable urban development, and environmental health, laying the groundwork for the implementation of subsequent collaborative projects. Under the MoU, both parties will establish an integrated urban environmental health research programme that links climate change, urban heat islands, and soundscapes with built and natural environments, human behaviour, and population health outcomes, with the aim of promoting the well-being and quality of life of urban residents.
This collaboration aligns with the policy directions of the National 15th Five-Year Plan and the Macao SAR’s Third Five-Year Development Plan to advance the greater health industry, high-end technology, and smart city development. USJ will leverage its strengths in health and environmental sciences, architecture, and design to work hand in hand with SUTD in promoting interdisciplinary research, contributing to the sustainable development of Macao and the Greater Bay Area. USJ continues to expand its international cooperation network and deepen academic exchanges with higher education institutions in Southeast Asia, fostering professionals with a global perspective and advancing regional scientific research and innovation.
