CESAM participated in the SINOPORT Ocean Conference 2024, the 5th Annual Meeting of the Portugal-China International Joint Research Centre for Marine Biology, held in Macau on 27th and 28th November. Co-organised by the Shanghai Ocean University and the University of Algarve, this year’s event also included participation from the University of Saint Joseph, Macau, standing as a milestone in Sino-Portuguese cooperation, with editions alternating between Portugal and China.
The main objectives of the conference included:
- Enhancing Sino-Portuguese collaboration in marine biological research,
- Facilitating the exchange of scientific knowledge and advancements between Chinese and Portuguese researchers,
- Promoting joint research initiatives in areas such as aquaculture, marine ecology, and biotechnology,
- Discussing sustainable practices and innovations in marine resource management, and
- Strengthening academic partnerships and fostering international cooperation in marine sciences.
CESAM’s Coordinator, Professor Amadeu Soares, gave an oral presentation titled “CESAM, Opportunities for Cooperation in Research, Development, and Innovation”. In his talk, he highlighted CESAM’s broad capabilities, reflecting its interdisciplinary nature, with a particular focus on marine sciences, as well as numerous examples of CESAM’s research projects in partnership with Chinese institutions. Notably, among all the representatives of universities and research units/associated laboratories present, CESAM stands out as the research unit/associated laboratory with the highest number of scientific collaborations with China.
In addition, Professor Amadeu Soares explored opportunities in Macau for CESAM researchers, emphasising the attractive employment conditions at Macau universities, including the University of Saint Joseph. With its ten higher education institutions, both public and private, Macau has the highest number of scientific publications per capita worldwide and offers almost continuous openings for academic and research positions in Marine Sciences and Blue Biotechnology, with highly competitive salaries.
Furthermore, Professor Rosa Freitas, from CESAM/DBIO, invited by the organisers, also gave an oral presentation on Marine Ecotoxicology, titled “Complex Interactions of Rare Earth Elements in Aquatic Ecosystems”. This work exemplifies the significance of CESAM’s research in aquatic ecosystems, making a valuable contribution to the advancement of scientific knowledge in this field.