The President of the Board of Directors of the Institute for Higher Education (IES, IP), Joaquim Mourato, is part of the delegation of the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, and the Secretary of State for Science and Innovation, Helena Canhão, on an official visit to China, with stops in Tianjin, Beijing and Shanghai.
The trip is part of the deepening of bilateral relations in the areas of Research, Innovation, Education and Higher Education, and was accompanied by the Portuguese Ambassador to Beijing, Manuel Carvalho.
The visit began in Tianjin, where Minister Fernando Alexandre participated in the plenary session of the World Vocational and Technical Education Development Conference 2026 , at the invitation of the Chinese Minister of Education, Huai Jinpeng. In the same city, the delegation visited Tianjin Foreign Studies University and Nankai University , in addition to engaging with the technological research and development sector.
In the political and scientific sphere, the trip to Beijing was marked by the holding of the 10th Joint Committee on Science and Technology with the Chinese Minister of Science and Technology, Yin Hejun, which signaled the formal resumption of work interrupted since 2019 and the signing of a Joint Declaration for the 2027–2030 horizon.
The meetings in Beijing further boosted the negotiation process for the mutual recognition of academic degrees and diplomas, along with institutional visits to Peking University, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the National Institute of Biological Sciences, and the humanoid robotics innovation center.
The itinerary concludes in Shanghai with visits to Shanghai Ocean University , the marine research center developed in conjunction with the University of Algarve, and the ULisboa School – Shanghai University campus, established in 2021. The program also includes meetings with the Portuguese academic and business community, stops at Suzhou University, and visits to ShanghaiTech University and the iHuman institute.
Also accompanying the delegation are the president of the Agency for Research and Innovation (AI2), João Barros, the Deputy Director of DGEPA, Sofia Cordeiro, the president of the Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities (CRUP), Luís Ferreira, and the president of the Coordinating Council of Higher Polytechnic Institutes (CCISP), Luís Loures, as well as rectors and researchers from various Portuguese institutions, with a view to consolidating partnerships and exploring new opportunities for cooperation in the country.
Published in October 22, 2026 | Updated on October 22, 2026
