The Centre for Macau Studies (CMS) of the University of Macau is a university-level specialised research institute formerly known as the Institute of Macau Studies of the University of East Asia (UEA) established on 1st June 1987 by the Rector-in-office of the University, Prof Paul Ta-Kuang Lin, with the mission to ‘anchor and pursue research on society for the development of Macau’.
From its inception, the Centre for Macau Studies has always been committed to promote local interdisciplinary research. An academic journal, Journal of Macau Studies, to promote local academic publishing as early as 1988. The Journal of Macau Studies was suspended for some reasons, but it was later re-published with the support of the Macao Foundation, making it one of the longest-running comprehensive academic journals in Macau. In addition, since its establishment, the Centre for Macau Studies has led and participated in nearly a hundred research projects.
In the early days, the Rectors of the University of Macau were also the directors of the Centre of Macau Studies. From 1987 to 2001, Mr Wong Han Keung was appointed as the Deputy Director of the Centre, and from 2002 to 2008, Prof Ieong Wan Chong, Senior Advisor to the Rector of the University of Macau, was the Acting Director of the Centre, and from 2009 to 2017, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences Prof Hao Yufan was the Acting Director of the Centre. Associate Prof Agnes Lam Iok Fong has become the Acting Director since July 2017. She was formally appointed as the Director of the Centre for Macau Studies in August 2018.