1. - INTRODUCTION:

The Institute of European Studies of Macau was set up on the 23rd October, 1995, and started its activities on the 6th February, 1996.

Its establishment is part of the Government strategy which aims at promoting the Internationalization of Macau and the training of senior staff, having in view the liaison with Europe.

The IEEM is subsequent to the existent collaboration with the European Union which was achieved through the global agreement (third generation) with the Territory, in 1992, and through the set up of the European Documentation Centre and the Euroinfo Centre. It also makes part of the Institutes and Universitary Centres Web recognized by the European Union. It is a confirmation of the role played by Macau as a platform between the European culture and the Chinese culture.

The IEEM is a private organization endowed with legal personality, and at present its partners are public organizations: the Government of Macau, the University of Macau - UM; the Polytechnic Institute of Macau ; Macau Foundation, and Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute .

Its partners are active elements participating in the Institute’s activities by supporting them either in their conception or in their promotion .

According to the Statutes of the IEEM, the number of partners can increase, and it is planned to enlarge progressively its scope in strategic terms.

2. - PURPOSES:

The IEEM’s major purpose is to function as a bridge between the European Union and the Asia-Pacific Region where Macau is situated. Hence, these are its top priorities:

a) - Within its area of influence, to disseminate information upon the concept of European construction in terms of culture, economy, enforced policies, and prospects for development;

b) - To disseminate information in the countries of the European Union, about models of development, processes and perspectives of evolution of the countries and territories of the Asia-Pacific Region, mainly China and Macau;

c) - To gather, process and disseminate information and studies on the countries of the European Union;

d) - To co-operate and/or become a member of other similar organizations and to respond to official and private requests from within or out of the Territory, concerning activities related to its own aims.

e) - Senior staff training.

3. - OBJECTIVES:

To achieve the referred purposes, the activities for the first couple of years were defined:

3.1 - Training;

3.2 - Research;

3.3 - Diffusion.

To attain these goals the IEEM adopted a strategy which aims at making use of almost all the human and financial resources in training and research. However, for this purpose, only members performing activities at a university level are invited.

To the accomplishment of various tasks, the Institute takes advantage of the special vocation of each one of its partners. The European Union Commission (specially the DGI and DG X) has been a valuable support in the preparation of projects, in the establishment of contacts and through the financial support to some undertakings.

3.1 - Training

As for the planning of the training activities, criteria were established aiming at creating specific areas, bearing in mind other organizations’ vocation and activities. Besides courses are also being provided which are not being covered by the Territory Educational System, and which meet at the same time the needs not only of the Territory of Macau but also those of its surrounding areas. It must be stressed that the Institute of European Studies of Macau only operates at a post-graduation level.

Three Programmes were defined for the years 1996 and 1997:

3.1.1 - Short-term Intensive Courses (30/60hours)

For these courses we count on the support of the Politechnic Institute of Macau , through the Continuous Training Centre.

During the first year, the courses’ diffusion focussed on Macau and China. Efforts are being made so that in 1997 the courses promotion may take place in other countries of the region.

In 1996 the IEEM provided four courses:

- Monetary Markets and Financial Markets - Theoretical Basis and Relations with the Economic Policy;

- International Economics, Global Management and International Trade; the WTO; - History of European Culture;

- The Planning and Analysis of Development Projects (January,1997);

The total number of students who attended these course was 135, out of whom -18 were from China.

For 1997:

- Traditional Chinese Culture (from the 30.06.97 to 12.07.97)

- Introduction to the Analysis of the Population (in Portuguese and in English from the 3/03/97 to the 14/03/97);

- Models of Development (in English);

- European Law (in English : October, 1997);

- European Culture (in Portuguese);

- The Conceptualization and the Formulation of Public Policies ( in Portuguese and English).

3.1.2 - Long-term Courses

Two long-term courses are scheduled for 1997:

- Master in European Studies provided by the University of Macau, being supported by the Faculty of Business Administration which presides at the Pedagogic Council. It is made up of three parts: the first one, which in addition to an introductory part allows all the students to enjoy the same knowledge level, has ten compulsory subjects; the second part consists of three seminars; the third one is intended to the ellaboration of a thesis.

- Course on Arts Management - supported by the Polytechnic Institute of Macau, the Visual Arts School and the Cultural Institute of Macau. This course aims at training senior staff able to administrate cultural spaces and activities to be created or scheduled in Macau. It is a new and innovative course which may attract individuals not only from Macau but also from China and other countries of this Region. The course’s plan is ready and contacts are being made to hire teachers and promote the course.

3.1.3 - Programme Language - Introduction to Europe:

With this programme we started the collaboration with the Alliance Française and we are taking the necessary steps to work together with the Portuguese Institute of the Orient, having in view to introduce, in the courses, modules on these subjects.

3.2 - RESEARCH

The research fields were established having in mind the following aspects: the necessity of researchers’training providing them with a wide-ranging background team research work ; The establishment of research nets with the co-operation of other organizations and centres; the planning of projects in order to get themes to be discussed and disseminate; the liaison among research, training and diffusion.

Thus the following projects were selected:

3.2.1. - Comparative Law related with relevant matters in terms of economy and trade, among the European Union and the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong and Macau.

The studies referring to PRC, Hong Kong and Macau are being developed in Macau, with jurists from Macau, PRC and Hong Kong.

3.2.2. - Changing of Models and Scope of the Foreign Direct Investment; Consequences and Perspectives for the Enterprises of the European Union

This project is being carried out, from the beginning, in collaboration with the University of Antwerp, more precisely with the Institute of Development Policy and Management - CIMDA. In the second stage, which started in the beginning of 1997, we established co-operation protocols with several Chinese Institutes. This project is sponsored by the Macau Trade and Investment Promotion Institute.

3.2.3. Models of Development

Two teams are carrying out this study: one team is in Europe - Portugal, and another in Macau, which in the short run will have the collaboration of other centres in this Region.

Its objectives are as follows:

a) - To provide IEEM with a sound knowledge about the European development processes from the post-war to nowadays, and with the results achieved by other countries or territories of the Region. In this region there is a tipical phasing which has been taken into consideration: pre-industrialization phase; phase of substitution of imports; strategic phase to orient exports; economy of services;

b) - To study, in all cases, the role played by the State and by the Market, which allows the different processes an interesting modelling.

c) - Prospects of evolution for the twenty first century.

3.3 DIFFUSION

Two instruments are being used to divulge information about the IEEM:

- The publication of our Newsletter, which is being distributed among 400 individuals and organizations in Europe; in China and in this Region the number of distributed copies is approximately the same: - Seminars and Conferences - a Conference was held when the IEEM was inaugurated and two seminars as well, as it was already mentioned.