The Chinese Ministry of Education has given the University of Saint Joseph in Macao permission to accept students from mainland China, the Macau News Agency (MNA) reports.

MNA says University of Saint Joseph Rector Stephen Morgan announced in writing on Friday that the Catholic university has permission to begin enrolling mainland Chinese postgraduates on a trial basis.

Mr Morgan said the postgraduates could study architecture and design, business administration, information systems and environmental science, beginning in this academic year.

He said this would allow the university to work more closely with mainland Chinese institutions of higher education and research that it has links with.

Those institutions recognise that the University of Saint Joseph is a special place, and a place for cooperation by China and lusophone countries that is unique in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, according to Mr Morgan.