A delegation from the University of Coimbra (UC), led by Nuno Mendonça, Vice-Rector for Innovation, Business Relations and Employability, and including Ricardo Dias, Co-ordinator of the UC Global special project, visited Shanghai last week to strengthen institutional contacts and identify opportunities for co-operation.

The mission followed up on work carried out by UC in Macao, seeking to expand its presence in China and deepen academic and business relations.

The visit included a meeting with Sílvia Inácio, Portugal’s Consul-General in Shanghai, to discuss the Portuguese presence in the region and opportunities for institutional and economic co-operation.

At academic level, the delegation met with Chuanjun Pang, President of Sino-Wisdom Business School, to explore opportunities for collaboration and closer links with Shanghai’s business community.

At the Shanghai Technology Innovation Center (SHTIC), opportunities for co-operation in incubation, entrepreneurship, innovation and knowledge transfer were identified during a meeting with representatives of the centre and the Shanghai Business Incubator Association.

The mission also included a meeting with a representative of the Portugal-China Chamber of Commerce for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), to deepen contacts with SMEs from the two countries and identify opportunities for closer ties between UC and businesses.

The meetings laid the groundwork for future academic and business co-operation initiatives as part of UC’s internationalisation strategy in Asia.

(Source: University of Coimbra, 16 September)