Sponsored by Macao Foundation and hosted by Macau University of Science and Technology, Session One of this academic year’s “Ambassadorial Lecture Series” was held in Room N101 of the library building in the afternoon of September 26th, 2014. The speaker of this lecture was Dr. Vitor Sereno, Consul General of Portugal in Hong Kong and Macao, Mrs. Maria João Bonifácio, business director of the Consulate General of Portugal, and Prof. Zhang Shu Guang, standing vice rector of Macau University of Science and Technology attended the lecture.
Dr. Sereno started the lecture with an introduction to Portugal’s glorious history and its scientific innovations and high-tech industry in the new age; he also noted the audience the important role that the Lusophone countries are playing in the world market and global economy. He gave a detailed analysis of Macau’s strategic position of serving as a platform for China-Portugal trade, investment and cooperation and the significant role it has already fulfilled; Dr. Sereno emphasized Macau’s role of tie in linking China and the world (especially the Lusophone countries). In addressing students’ questions, he pointed out that Macau is now more than a city of gaming in the world, and it has great premises in terms of leisure, service, exhibition and medical treatment. Dr. Sereno particularly introduced the audience to the facebook consulate services of the Consulate General of Portugal in Macao; such services that he initiated are not only open to the Macanese, but also to Portuguese around the world and people of other nationalities for them to access the relevant information and consulate services.
Dr. Sereno comes from Coimbra, Portugal; he graduated from the law school of University of Coimbra and owns a Master degree in business communication issued by a business communication higher institution. He started his diplomatic career in 1997, and has since been positioned in Guinea-Bissau, Argentina, Germany and Netherland. In 2007, he worked as the coordinator of the Portuguese president’s delegate in the European Union; from 2008 to 2009 he was the chief advisor of the Portuguese Social Community Affairs secretary; he held important positions in the Portuguese government from 2009 to 2013; in 2013, he took office as the Consul-General of Portugal in Hong Kong and Macau and was simultaneously appointed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal as the Portuguese delegate in the China-Lusophone Trade Forum.
