The first association in China of doctoral students from the University Institute of Lisbon (ISCTE) was launched on Saturday in Chengdu, Portuguese news agency Lusa reported.

The move comes five years after the Portuguese university and the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China based in Chengdu, jointly launched a Business Management programme.

“The goal is to enhance the connection between students from different PhD programme editions and promote… research and understanding between the two countries and the two universities,” said ISCTE’s director for China programmes, Virgínia Trigo, as quoted by Lusa.

According to the news agency, the body – known as the Chengdu ISCTE PhD Students Association – currently has 120 members. The Portuguese Ambassador to China, Jorge Torres-Pereira, was invited to take part in a launch ceremony for the new association.

ISCTE’s rector, Luís Reto, said that currently, annually an average of 40 Chinese students attend the Portuguese university’s campus in Lisbon to take part in master programmes. He added this was “thanks to the connections ISCTE has developed with Chinese universities”.