USJ Macao’s Impactful Participation at the 20th OCSC International Education Expo in Bangkok
USJ Macao’s Impactful Participation at the 20th OCSC International Education Expo in Bangkok
19
Nov
19/11/2025
This event marked the university’s third consecutive participation in the fair, deepening its efforts to fostering international education opportunities in the Southeast Asian region.
The University of Saint Joseph (USJ) Macao exhibited at the 20th OCSC International Education Expo, held from 15 to 16 November at the Siam Paragon Hall in Bangkok, Thailand. This event marked the university’s third consecutive participation in the fair, deepening its efforts to fostering international education opportunities in the Southeast Asian region.
The OCSC Expo serves as Thailand’s largest international education exhibition, an important platform for higher education institutions to engage with prospective students. USJ utilised the opportunity to strengthen its long-standing relationships with the Thai academic community while OCSC also introduced local students to various scholarship opportunities available through the Thai government and local institutions for both short-term and long-term study programmes. Additionally, USJ promoted its tailored scholarship schemes designed specifically for students from Southeast Asia during the exhibition.
The USJ delegation, led by Professor Alvaro Barbosa, Vice-Rector for Internationalisation and Academic Affairs, and Ms. Teresinha Fok from the International Affairs Office, assisted by Ms. Inthira Nataveesap, alumna of Thammasat University, engaged with thousands of visitors over the course of the two-day event. A rewarding trend observed was the return of several prospective students who had established initial connections with USJ at the previous year’s OCSC fair. These returning students engaged in detailed consultations regarding programme curricula and application procedures, highlighting the critical importance of USJ’s ongoing presence and relationship-building efforts in the region.
The OCSC Expo 2025 attracted over 15,000 visitors and featured more than 300 leading institutions from around the globe, with significant representation from the United Kingdom, Europe, and China. There was notable interest among attendees in intensive one-year language and culture programs, reflecting current trends in educational aspirations.
A “Podcast Corner” was introduced this year as a new Expo feature, where Professor Álvaro participated in a 10-min live stream on the topic “How Does the University of the Future Look Like?”. This session explored key themes pertinent to the evolution of higher education, including the role of artificial intelligence (AI) as a learning tool, the imperative of fostering global citizenship, and the necessity for academia to lead in innovation.
The event highlighted the importance of sustained engagement, as demonstrated by the presence of returning students and the continuous promotion of Macao SAR as a study destination. Such ongoing interactions are vital for fostering lasting academic connections between USJ Macao and Thailand, ultimately contributing to the development of a robust, collaborative educational environment in the region.
