Macau and Portugal add value to one another: bridges that generate the future – a reflection
Commentary by Manuel Silvério
Former President of the General Assembly of the Macau Civil Servants’ Association (ATFPM)
It was a very well-attended ceremony at the Consulate-General of Portugal in Macau and Hong Kong, and I thank the Consul-General, Alexandre Leitão, for his kind invitation.
Warm congratulations to Prof. Rui Martins on the investiture of Portugal’s insignia of Commander of the Order of Merit – a rare distinction, recognised across different phases of Macau’s history, under the Portuguese administration and the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR).
And, as a bonus, it was also a real lesson (full of humour): Prof Martins had the room laughing as he presented the Yongzheng Emperor receiving the Portuguese ambassador Alexandre Metelo de Sousa e Menezes in Beijing in 1727 in a “remastered” Copilot version – 1,727 images generated in two minutes. Who would have thought that possible?
“Macau is no longer only about casino chips: today it is also No. 1 in electronic chips, with the University of Macau at the forefront”
Still in connection with this ceremony and the three speeches that marked it, I remain struck by one of the most human passages from Prof. Martins at the start of his remarks. With restrained emotion, he addressed his wife and children who were present. He did not cry – because what followed was a message of joy and hope: the conviction that there is a promising future for those who are willing to work, with merit and persistence, in the field to which he has devoted more than 33 years in Macau.
In that same spirit, and as Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai emphasised in his speech at the Spring Dinner with the Macanese community, the institutional message was clear: Macau grows when it preserves what is its own and, at the same time, opens itself to talent, networks and international cooperation. This balance – to preserve and to open – helps to frame what many people feel: the need for continuity, but also for renewal.
What is required today is not nostalgia, but the renewal and revitalisation of cultural and linguistic presence, with intelligence and respect for today’s context. Rather than closed speeches, the path lies in cultural diplomacy, education, exchange and scientific cooperation. And here, institutions such as the University of Macau (UM) can be engines of generational renewal and connection to the Lusophone world: not only as a meeting point for the Lusophone world, but also as a partner that supports Portugal in its academic and scientific internationalisation, creating bridges, projects and real opportunities.
It is also relevant to recall that the University of Macau was created and consolidated during the Portuguese administration, with support from the government of the Portuguese Republic, and it continues to grow and assert itself. And one fact speaks for itself: under its leadership, the University of Macau reached world leadership (joint 1st place) in the number of papers accepted at ISSCC 2024, and also established itself as No. 1 among Chinese universities (2023–2024). This is how the name of Macau – and of the University of Macau – is projected at the highest international level, through merit and work.
That future is built through very concrete measures:
• Preserve and update: culinary heritage, language, memory, archives, events and bilingual education - not as museum pieces, but as living, shared culture.
• Create reasons to stay or return: careers, scholarships, projects, research networks and also cultural entrepreneurship – so that the link to Macau and to the Portuguese becomes an opportunity, not merely a recollection.
• Involve everyone: Macanese, Lusophone descendants, newly arrived Portuguese, and other communities – without imposing a single definition of what it means “to be Portuguese”.
At the same time, it is only fair to recognise a legacy that continues to serve the community. And here I add a caveat: when I refer to institutions and spaces of Portuguese origin, I do so purely by way of example - aware that there are many others, equally relevant, that I risk failing to name simply through lack of knowledge. What matters is to recognise the broad legacy and the public usefulness of these structures, today also as meeting places for different communities.
Even so, it is worth pointing to a few examples: the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Macau (“Holy House of Mercy of Macau”), with its historic social role; the Clube Militar de Macau, as a space for social life and culture; the “D. José da Costa Nunes” kindergarten, as an educational reference and living memory of a historic presence; the Portuguese-language press – Jornal Tribuna de Macau, Hoje Macau, Plataforma, O Clarim, and Ponto Final – which continues to provide voice, memory and public debate; and the Casa de Portugal em Macau (“Portugal’s House in Macau”), with open cultural activities and participation from various nationalities. I also add the Fundação Rui Cunha (怡基金會), with consistent work in the service of the MSAR, promoting culture, civic reflection and gatherings that bring communities closer together. One may also mention Banco Nacional Ultramarino (BNU) (大西洋銀行) in Macau, as a historic presence of note and one of the two banks with banknote-issuing functions in Macau.
But let us be clear: in some respects, one senses that local dynamics need to strengthen renewal, critical mass and continuity. The most constructive response, in positive terms, is to deepen exchanges, strengthen cooperation and broaden networks of talent and knowledge – accelerating what already exists, without losing local identity and while promoting shared benefits.
All of this can (and should) be said with serenity. The Portuguese community has a tradition of openness and universalism and contributes with respect for the law and sovereignty, without calling into question stability and social harmony. Strength here has never been conflict, but the ability to connect worlds – through work, merit and respect for everyone, always within the law. (And we will leave “disorder” to football stadiums 
)
It is also important to underline the mission of the Consulate-General of Portugal in Macau and Hong Kong, as a point of support and connection: public service, proximity, active listening and a response to the community’s needs.
In this context, the decoration awarded to Prof. Martins takes on even greater meaning. It is worth stressing that it did not arise from an occasional gesture: it was, as shared, the result of a petition signed by a large number of academics, teachers and students, addressed to the Presidency of the Portuguese Republic and forwarded through diplomatic channels - recognition built on merit, impact and the testimony of those who closely followed his work.
Prof. Martins – now Vice-Rector for Global Affairs and Director of the Institute of Microelectronics at the University of Macau – also recalled the courage of the beginning: he arrived in Macau in his early thirties, coming from Mozambique, to a place then unknown to him, to the point that he had to look at a map to find this small territory. He accepted the adventure with his family – and here he found a path of service and international projection. There is also a revealing detail in his story: he has now lived more years in Macau than in Portugal – and it was, to a large extent, from Macau that he began to get to know Portugal more closely, through the opportunities, travel and contacts provided by the University of Macau. It is an inspiring message about how Macau can be a platform for growth, connection and the future.
In this context, it is also worth recording that, on September 30, 2025, Rui Martins, Vice-Rector of the University of Macau and Director of the Institute of Microelectronics, received the Chinese Government Friendship Award (友谊奖) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing – the highest national distinction of the China’s Central People’s Government for foreign experts, in recognition of their contributions and the promotion of international co-operation.
To conclude, I leave a festive greeting: as we have entered the Year of the Horse, I wish everyone health, peace and a year of renewed energy, courage and good projects - for Macau, for Portugal and for the whole community. 
Correction: To err is human… especially when one writes quickly and about “chips”.
As a layman like me, with so much information, one detail escaped me. Fortunately, Prof. Martins helped me fine-tune it: UM was world No. 1 (outright) in 2023 and cumulative No. 1 in 2023–2025, in state-of-the-art electronics (slides 7–9). Now, yes!
