A delegation sent by the University of Coimbra in Portugal has spent a week at the Macao Polytechnic Institute (MPI) engaging in academic and cultural exchanges and receiving sports training, MPI says.

MPI issued a written statement saying the visit was intended to facilitate communication and exchanges between the institutions of higher education and to pave the way for further co-operation.

The statement quotes MPI Vice-president Marcus Im Sio Kei as saying MPI will continue to strengthen its ties with institutions of higher education in Portugal and to encourage its students to engage in exchanges abroad, with a view to helping Macao perform its function as a place where China and the Portuguese-speaking Countries can do business.