Following its being enlisted in the World Directory of Medical Schools by the World Federation of Medical Education, the Faculty of Medicine of Macau University of Science and Technology became a founding member of the World Portuguese-Speaking Countries Medical School Alliance. Besides the University, the Alliance has 12 other founding members including, from Portugal, the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon, the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto, the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Coimbra; from Brazil, the Faculty of Medicine of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, the School of Medicine of the University of São Paulo, the School of Medicine of the University of Sao Paulo at Ribeirao Preto, the School of Medicine of the Federal University of Minas Gerais, the School of Medicine of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, the School of Medicine of the Federal University of Ceara, the School of Medicine of the Federal University of Bahia; and from Mozambique, the School of Medicine of the Agostinho Neto University and the School of Medicine of the Eduardo Mondlane University. All the above mentioned universities provide first-class medical education in the Lusophone world. Prof. Niv Patil, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of M.U.S.T., represented the University to sign the agreement for the Medical School Alliance at the University of Lisbon in Portugal on November 14, 2019.

This September, the Faculty of Medicine of Macau University of Science and Technology was officially inaugurated, and was given warm welcome and support by the National Health Commission of the People’s Republic of China, the Macao Health Bureau, and senior leading medical experts, diplomats, and politicians across the Portuguese-Speaking countries. Prof. Fok Manson led the students and read the Hippocratic Oath promising to devote to medical studies. The first class of the Faculty of Medicine of M.U.S.T. has 49 students, of whom 80% are from Macao while the rest comes from mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and other Portuguese-Speaking countries and regions.

When speaking in light of the establishment of the Alliance, Prof. Fok Manson, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of M.U.S.T. marked that “The movement opened a new milestone for Macao Special Administrative Region to seek global cooperation with medical schools across the Portuguese-Speaking world, which represents a historical consensus reached and shared by the medical community to undertake integration of resources of senior medical experts and medical organizations. This will also lead to more profound impacts on cultural and academic exchanges. As what we’ve always been doing, we’ll continue to exert the international strengths of the Macao S.A.R., create favorable blessings for the Macao public, and contribute to the development of China and the Greater Bay Area. In the meanwhile, the Alliance has also afforded great blessings for the in-study students at the Faculty of Medicine of M.U.S.T. as well as for the prospectus students of the Macao medical community. We’ll take the opportunities to write a new chapter for medical development, and make scientific explorations and create scientific achievements of higher standards.”

Currently, the Faculty of Medicine of M.U.S.T. is planning to seek collaborations with more international medical institutions so as to expand its specialty areas and coverage. The Faculty has been receiving tremendous support and recognition from Macao and other regions, and is working hard to do well in the 2020/2021 admission and attract more excellent students to enroll in the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery.