The Launching Ceremony of the MPI Taipa campus was held in the former campus of the University of Macau on 29^th January. The ceremony was officiated by Dr. Alexis Tam, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Deputy Director Sun Da of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Macao, Director Zhang Jian of the Department of General Affairs of the Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in Macao, Director Sou Chio Fai of the Tertiary Education Services Office and President Lei Heong Iok of MPI in the witness of invited guests, staff and students. The ceremony highlighted the theme of “MPI’s charismatic celebration of the relocation by creative arts”, featuring creative activities such as Dr. Tam’s writing inscription on the painting entitled “The world of colours depicting an artistic MPI”, and MPI students of the Music programme performing acts like “melodious notes celebrating creative arts”. The activities created a lively and vibrant scene.

President Lei Heong Iok gave a speech at the ceremony, in which he thanked the Macao SAR Government for the care and support and expressed gratitude to all walks of society for their assistance to MPI. The official launch of the MPI Taipa campus freed MPI from the constraint of using rented spaces for providing education over the period of 25 years since the establishment of MPI in 1991. The bettering of MPI's condition for offering education reflects the significant improvement in Macao's higher education as well as the progress achieved in the social and cultural undertakings in Macao. This event not only marks a brand new stage of development of teaching and research at MPI, but also ushers in remarkable opportunities for developing Macao's higher education as well as promoting the social and cultural undertakings in Macao. It provides indispensable conditions for MPI to harness its strengths in the teaching and research in the areas of the Portuguese language, gaming and cultural creativity. MPI will further practise the credo of rooting itself in Macao and serving the community, supporting the Macao SAR Government to implement the policy of developing Macao into a centre for international convention and leisure as well as a platform for exchange between China and Lusophone countries (and regions) and training more talents for the community.

The Macao SAR Government has assigned five buildings – i.e., the Research and Development Building, Silver Jubilee Building, Blocks 2 and 3 (dormitory), and Fong Yun Wah Buliding – of a total area of more than 20,000 m2 on the former UM Taipa campus for MPI, enabling MPI to optimise its teaching and research environment and enhance its capacity for providing education. MPI relocates the Design and Visual Arts programmes of the School of Arts from the main campus to the Taipa campus, establishing the Centre for Teaching and Research of the Cultural Creativity Industry, the Centre for Portuguese Teaching and Research, the Gaming Teaching and Research Centre in the Taipa campus, continuing to realise its strengths in the relevant areas of degree-programme education, training and research.

The honourable guests including Social Affairs and Culture Secretary Alexis Tam, Deputy Director Sun Da of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Macao, Director Zhang Jian of the Department of General Affairs of the Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China in Macao, and Director Sou Chio Fai of the Tertiary Education Services Office paid visit to the facilities on the MPI Taipa campus. During the visit Dr Alexis Tam interacted closely with MPI students.