The Centre for Macau Studies (CMS) of the University of Macau was established with a mission to ‘anchor and pursue research on society for the development of Macau’ . The Centre aims to promote interdisciplinary research in Macau with different targets at different times corresponding to the development of the society.

As early as in the 1980s and 1990s, the Centre for Macau Studies, in the form of a social think tank, collaborated with a number of social elites and leaders have been providing advice and suggestions on the issues and challenges faced in the process of transfer of sovereignty. The Centre for Macau Studies was one of the most important academic forces in the Transition Period.

After the handover of Macau, the Centre for Macau Studies has continued this tradition and become an important forum for dialogue between the academic community and the elites from all sectors. The policy discussion platform has conducted in-depth studies on major issues of Macau in various periods, namely the public administration reform and the MSAR governance; the protection of cultural heritage and the value of the Macau Historic Centre; the development of cultural industries and regional cooperation; the implementation of ‘one country, two systems’ and the competitiveness of Macau, etc. We have not only questioned the major social issues in Macau, but also continued to examine Macau’s role in the intersection of East and West through the media, research work, academic activities and publications with scholars around the world.

In recent years, China has proposed the Belt and Road Initiative and the development of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau Greater Bay Area, Macau has entered a new stage in its history and will be closely related to national policies. According to the University of Macau’s vision to ‘root itself in Macau, integrate itself into the Greater Bay Area and relate itself vis-à-vis China and beyond’, the Centre for Macau Studies has repositioned itself to become a pioneering regional centre for interdisciplinary research in Macau and Greater China and we are committed to bring Macau studies to the forefront of global academia.