Ma Chi Ngai, the President of the Administrative Committee of the Science and Technology Development Fund (FDCT) and his delegation had been invited by the National Office for Science and Technology Awards (NOSTA) to attend “2018 State Science and Technology Awarding Meeting of the People’s Republic of China” held in Beijing on 8th Jan 2019. President Ma Chi Ngai visited the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), China Association for Science and Technology (CAST), National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and China Internet Development Foundation (CIDF), and was welcomed by the Vice President of CAS Zhang Yaping, Chairman of CIDF Ma Li, Executive Secretary of CAST Shu Wei, Vice President of NSFC and Deputy Director-General of Department of International Cooperation (Office of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan Affairs) of MOST Xu Jie.

      During the meeting with the various departments, Ma Chi Ngai said the development of science and technology in Macao cannot leave the strong support by the Central Government and relative science and technology departments, and he thanked their long-term support for technological industry in Macao. He mentioned that Macao SAR’s emphasis on the advancement of technological innovation, which was also included in the 2019 Policy Address, focusing on the deployment of various aspects, including top-level design, platform, talents and projects. The budget of FDCT in 2019 was greatly increased in order to put further investment in State Key Labs (SKLs), to launch major programs of innovative technology, to support  recruitment of high-level post-doctoral fellows and to build new SKLs and to subsidize purchase of research equipment for higher educational institutions. Meanwhile, FDCT would organize a series of activities with national scientific departments to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Macao’s return to China.

      FDCT had an in-depth conversation on the details and arrangements of the work in 2019 with various departments, including the negotiation for signing the agreement of innovative technology cooperation between Mainland and Macao, openness of the outstanding youths fund for Hong Kong and Macao, further opening-up the State key research plans to Macao,  enhancement of joint projects subsidy, the 13th conference arrangement of the Mainland and Macao Science and Technology Co-operation Committee, consultation of 8th Training Course in Chinese Medicine Quality Assurance, preparation of Internet + Smart City Summit, the discussion of joint research center building, preparation for China Adolescents Science and Technology Innovation Contest and National Science Week, the scheme of Macao Scientists Training Course, co-organization of seminars and staff-exchange program. Moreover, there were preliminary discussions on several topics, such as the Macao position in the construction of the research institute base on the west bank of Pearl River, the transformation function in Macao’s development as a Commercial and Trade Co-operation Service Platform between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, Macao’s participation of China and Portuguese Speaking Countries cooperation in oceanography. Each of the group agreed that the technology development in Macao was in rapid growth, the cooperation between Mainland and Macao researchers was active and diversified. They would also continue to support scientific research, technology development, innovative entrepreneurship, of technology popularization, platform construction and talents training in Macau to jointly take forward the technological cooperation and exchange with Mainland.

      The delegation also met with the Chairman of the Evaluation Committee of the Macao Science and Technology Awards Zhu Lilan, the committee members Mei Hong and Han Yingduo to listen to their views and comments on Macao Science and Technology Awards. They also visited Institute of Public Safety Research of Tsinghua University to understand the joint research progress with Macao higher institutions. The delegation also included Administrative Committee Member of FDCT Cheang Kun Wai, Deputy Director-General of the Economic Affairs Department of LOCPG in Macao SAR Xu Jun, Senior Manager of S&T Development and Research Department Ip Kuai Lam.

Visit to the National Natural Science Foundation of China