The Macao Polytechnic Institute held the Opening Ceremony of the Cultural and Creative Industries Teaching and Research Centre on the Gomes campus on the morning of 1 April. The ceremony was officiated by Dr. Alexis Tam, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, Deputy Director Pu Hailong of the Department of Education and Culture of the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in Macao, Director Sou Chio Fai of the Tertiary Education Services Office, Chairman Leong Heng Teng of the Executive Committee of the Foundation of Cultural Industries, Vice-President Chan Peng Fai of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, and Professor Lei Heong Iok, President of MPI. The attendees included scholars, experts and practitioners in cultural and creative industries from the Chinese Mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao.

In his speech at the ceremony, President Lei noted that, from 2010 onwards, the Macao SAR Government had established a government department, a committee and a foundation to be specifically in charge of the cultural and creative industries, while Macao’s cultural and creative industries, as a whole, had been in an exploration and trial stage. The MPI Cultural and Creative Industries Teaching and Research Centre was timely established on the basis of the personnel-education plan needed for the development of the local industry and also the research on long-term developmental strategies for the industry, in coordination with the operation and development of MPI’s current teaching and research infrastructure in various respects. In particular, the Centre will make use of the resources in the training of the talents in the fields of design, art and music in the School of Arts of MPI – the so-called “cradle of a new generation of creative talents”in Macao – and the graduates of this school who comprise the largest cohort of design practitioners in Macao as well as a high proportion of local personnel in arts and music education, film and television production professionals, and band members and numerous pop music singers, with the conviction that a solid basis will be laid so that MPI can further facilitate the development of the teaching and research on Macao’s creative and cultural industries. Today, the policy of “adequately diversified industries”presents a pressing need in Macao, while the development and spreading of cultural and creative industries opens an avenue to the diversification of industries of the economy. In recent years, owing to the initiatives by the Macao SAR Government and the efforts of the cultural and creative talents of various circles, Macao's cultural and creative industries have stepped forward in many ways. The newly established MPI Cultural and Creative Industries Teaching and Research Centre will make use of MPI’s advantages, drawing on the resources of various areas such as Sino-western cultures, Portuguese teaching, Gaming research, assisting in the training and research of Macao's cultural and creative personnel and being devoted in the long-term education and training for Macao’s cultural and creative industries, academic research, and the research and development of the cultural and creative profession. The Centre will, in the role of academic institution, facilitate the establishment of a cooperative platform between the industry, the government, the academia and the research forces, promoting cooperation and exchange between Macao and other regions in the cultural and creative industries, so as to jointly promote the development of Macao’s cultural and creative industries.

Professor Hsu Hsiu-Chu, the first Director of the Cultural and Creative Industries Teaching and Research Centre, stated that the Centre was established for the objectives of promoting the teaching and research concerning the cultural and creative industries in Macao, conducting in-depth studies on future developmental directions of the cultural and creative industries in Macao, and evaluating the conceptions on the hatching of the industry and on personnel training for cultural creativity. In addition, the Centre will carry out training activities in relation to cultural and creative industries, build a cluster of resources for training personnel for cultural and creative industries, and create a platform of services to support the exchange, showcase, consultation and hatching of the cultural and creative industries so as to strengthen the professional knowledge of local personnel of the cultural and creative industries. Furthermore, the Centre will endeavour to establish cooperation with various cultural and creative institutions – e.g., the Institute for Cultural Industries of Peking University – in order to enhance the professional strength for developing Macao’s cultural creativity industry and promote study and exchange between Macao and professional institutions in China and overseas with regard to the development of cultural and creative industries.

In the opening ceremony, the organiser awarded the letter of appointment to six consultants of the Centre, who were from the Chinese Mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao. President Lei Heong Iok, on behalf of MPI, and Professor Xiang Yong, Vice Dean of the Institute for Cultural Industries of Peking University, signed an agreement on academic exchange and cooperation. In his speech Professor Xiang remarked that, with the major trends in the Central Government’s promotion of cultural industries, Macao, with its special status and in the context of the policy of “One Country, Two Systems”, can exercise the strengths of MPI as a centre for teaching and research on cultural and creative industries, forging connections with Portuguese-speaking countries and contributing more significantly to the implementation of the state's strategy of the “One Belt, One Road initiative” developed by the Central Government, making better use of Macao’s role as a bridge and platform. The MPI Cultural and Creative Industries Teaching and Research Centre would be able to make better use of Macao’s rich historical and cultural resources, adopting a cooperative and innovative mechanism, integrating the mode of resources and promoting the concept of shared use of the platform, in order to allow the Centre to move forward. Professor Xiang looked forward that the strengths of Peking University in research, think tank and human resources can be combined with the Centre's role as a platform in order to carry out pioneering works and take root in Macao, contributing to Macao’s industrial development. 

After the Opening Ceremony, Dr. Alexis Tam, Secretary for Social Affairs and Culture, and the guests visited an exhibition in the venue, which featured the theme of "Macao Cultural and Creative Personnel Database" and displayed local cultural and creative brands and products. The exhibition showcased creative works by current students in the Design Programme of the Art School of MPI as well as a variety of cultural and creative products developed by several alumni, where local cultural and creative practitioners and guests were able to exchange ideas.