Since 1999, following Macao's return to China, the region has seen significant support for education from both the central and special administrative governments. This has led to Macao's transformation into a highly international society with a thriving economy and a knowledge-based economy. The Macao SAR government is accelerating the construction of a world tourism and leisure center and a commercial and trade cooperation service platform between China and Portuguese-speaking countries. This is part of a broader effort to achieve moderate economic diversification, enhance comprehensive competitiveness, and promote continuous improvement in public welfare. The development of higher education has become a consensus in Macao for enhancing the quality of talent. Against this backdrop, in September 2013, the Macao Development Research Institute of City University of Macau was officially established to admit graduate students. The Master's and Doctoral programs in Education, approved by the SAR government, have been recognized by both the Macao SAR and central governments, as well as by international professional organizations, and have received a highly positive response from students.
In February 2014, the School of Education at City University of Macau was officially established, continuing to offer Doctoral and Master's degree programs in Education. The Macao Development Research Institute was then transformed into a research center dedicated to the study of Macao's educational development, now known as the "Macau Global Education Research and Innovation Centre," with three research focuses: educational technology, educational assessment and evaluation, and educational psychology. Currently, the School offers three graduate programs: Doctor of Philosophy in Education, Master of Education, and Master of Teaching and Learning Studies, with approximately 500 registered master's and doctoral students, making it a graduate education-focused institution.
Adhering to the university motto of "Virtue, Knowledge, and Practice," and with a rigorous academic approach and student-centered philosophy, the School has invited renowned educational experts from both mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan as distinguished professors and adjunct mentors. This has led to the formation of an international team of graduate advisors who regularly host high-level academic lectures, presenting students with diverse research methods, the latest research projects, and cutting-edge educational research issues. The School also frequently organizes academic and cultural exchange activities between mainland China, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan, various international academic conferences, and graduate forums, as well as undertaking a series of advanced training programs both domestically and internationally.
School of Education remains committed to serving Macao and the world, actively taking on social responsibilities, and strengthening cooperative exchanges with local primary and secondary schools and educational institutions. The school will use the Macao Global Education Research and Innovation Center as a vehicle to promote professional development pathways for local primary and secondary school teachers based on classroom research through cooperative research and teacher action research programs.