To broaden the international perspective of Macao's higher education, enhance local academics’ understanding of top Middle Eastern institutions and technological advancements, and explore collaboration opportunities between Macao SAR and Middle Eastern universities, the Faculty of Data Science and the Research Management Office of City University of Macau jointly organized the "Data Science Academic Delegation to the Middle East." Funded by the Macao Foundation and the City University of Macau Foundation, the delegation successfully visited renowned educational institutions and tech hubs in Qatar, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai from May 25 to 30, 2025.
Led by Prof. Wanlei Zhou, Vice-Rector of CityU and Dean of the Faculty of Data Science, the 11-member delegation comprised university administrators, academic leaders, and administrative staff, including: Pro-Rector Wicky So; Mr. Sheng Jian, Director of the Research Management Office; Associate Prof. Liu Wenjian, Associate Dean of the Faculty of Data Science; Program Coordinators Associate Prof. Ying Zuobin, Assistant Prof. Kuok Weng Tak, and Assistant Prof. Kong Hoi Io; Associate Prof. Duan Junwei; Assistant Prof. Wong Chi Fong; Administrative staff Ms. Choi Leng Leng and Ms. Wan Ka Sin.
In Doha, Qatar, the delegation explored the internationally acclaimed Education City. As a flagship educational hub established by the Qatar Foundation, this campus hosts eight world-class branch campuses and research institutions, including Weill Cornell Medicine, Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, and Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. The delegation examined its interdisciplinary collaborative education model, advanced library and digital teaching facilities, and discussed applications of data science in healthcare and urban management. Education City’s integrated ecosystem—combining higher education, research translation, and community services—offered valuable insights into CityU’s global development strategy.
In Abu Dhabi, UAE, the delegation visited the world’s first AI-focused research university, Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI). Dedicated to nurturing AI talent and advancing cutting-edge research, MBZUAI offers full scholarships to attract global elites. The delegation toured its core laboratories equipped with high-performance computing clusters and gained insights into groundbreaking research in computer vision, natural language processing, and machine learning. Both parties engaged in substantive discussions on joint AI programs, collaborative research platforms, and scholar exchange mechanisms.
In Dubai, UAE, the delegation investigated Dubai Knowledge Park, a regional education-industry hub integrating over 500 global educational institutions, training centers, and R&D enterprises. The delegation studied its industry-academia collaboration model, including customized talent training, professional certification systems, and startup incubation. The group also visited the University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD), one of the Middle East’s oldest international universities, renowned for engineering and information sciences.
At Huawei’s Middle East Headquarters, the delegation toured its smart campus exhibition center and open lab, witnessing Huawei’s 5G, cloud computing, and AI technologies applied in regional smart cities and energy projects. A dedicated symposium focused on industry-academia integration, discussing Joint R&D centers; Industry-academia training bases for student internships; Data-driven collaborative projects addressing regional challenges (e.g., sustainable development in desert environments). These discussions established an operational framework for future university-enterprise innovation.
Focusing on data science and AI frontiers, the delegation gained profound insights into the rapid development and innovative practices of Middle Eastern higher education, particularly in strategic AI disciplines. Fruitful dialogues with visited institutions covered academic partnerships, student-faculty exchanges, and joint research projects. This successful delegation not only provided CityU academics with invaluable international exposure but also built a robust bridge for deeper, broader collaboration between CityU and the Middle East in education and technology. It marks a significant milestone in CityU’s internationalization and academic exchange efforts.
