Since day one of my decision to go to Macao, I knew that I had made the right choice: Macao is a box of surprises, and every corner is always surprising. The culture and magic of the city are unforgettable and leave a considerable longing.

USJ is an incredible University; the atmosphere and the spirit of unity are magical! The people who work at USJ every day to provide us with the best days of classes are incredible and helpful. For the first time, I wanted to go to classes, which is unusual!

All the events they provide inside and outside USJ to promote our inclusion in the University and Macao are very well organised and neat! They get us closer to the culture of Macao and each other!

I am very grateful for the opportunity; Macao and USJ will always have a special place in my heart!

Carolina Carvalhinho | IADE – Faculdade de Design, Tecnologia e Comunicação, Lisbon, Portugal

Marketing and Advertising | Academic Year 2019/2020

To start, the city of Macao, although quite small has charm and a significant culture. The chaotic every day organisation of the city was a pleasure to discover, going from a narrow pedestrian street surrounded by old buildings to a large paved street in a more Portuguese style, or taking the bus to reach Cotai strip with all the luxurious casinos strewn around a pleasant little neighbourhood. This incoherent succession of architecture gives charm to the city and makes it interesting to experience. Without forgetting obviously, the ease of getting around, the good weather, and typical dishes (I miss cha siu fan!).

The University of Saint Joseph, located under a rock full of greenery just on the top north part of the city, is much like this charming city. Teachers and administrative staff, always smiling and caring, will be able to advise you and help you on whatever problem you encounter. This small University is pleasant to live in and also facilitated the friendships I was able to make with people with different backgrounds, broadening my cultural horizons. Thanks to all of them.

It is without hesitation that I recommend this University, and the city of Macao, for your studies, because of the incredible memories I created there, friends that I was able to meet and the charm that the city exudes.

Thank you PIRO; thank you all!

Benjamin Arsène Connan | Lille Catholic University, Lille, France 

Life Sciences | Academic Year 2019/2020

It was back in February 2019 that it all begun. I decided to take a leap of faith and choose one of the farthest destinations my university had an agreement with, alone, without knowing what would happen, who I would encounter along the way, whom I would befriend.

I had the best months of my life, got to know a whole new culture, new places, and new people. Traveled a lot, checked off some of my dream destinations, but, above all, had a fantastic college experience. I got to know people from all around the globe, with different stories and backgrounds, making friends for life. From staff, professors, and PIRO, everyone was super supportive and allowed us to enjoy these months to their fullest. Macao was also a surprise. It is an incredible and beautiful place, full of things to do and perfect to create some memories.

I could not have asked for a better experience, so believe me, if you want to learn, engage in new experiences, meet people from all around the world, and get out of your comfort zone, the University of Saint Joseph (in Macao) is undoubtedly your best choice.

Maria Castanheira | Universidade Católica Portuguesa – Faculdade de Ciências Humanas, Lisbon, Portugal

Communication | Academic Year 2019/2020

The arrival in Macao was amazing. The flight went from Lisbon to Hong Kong, and then my colleagues and I caught the bus to Macao. It was at night, and in the bridge, the lights from the casinos started to shine brightly as we were closer to Macao. What a vibe!

The remaining 4 months were the best in my life. I do not know about you, but for me, I measure the quality of an experience by taking into account the people I find in my path. So, in USJ, it is not the about the amazing infrastructures it has, it is not about the finest quality of education, it is not about the terrific Residential Hall, the safety, the life quality, etc. For me, it was about the people I encountered and got to know.

The Professors and Staff are friends, the colleagues are like brothers, and the PIRO is like your parents. I could mention a lot more people who would receive and welcome you as if they had known you for their whole lives, but I do not intend to write a book here lol.

If you value relationships, friendship, or creating bonds, you will find your place in Macao, at USJ.

Francisco Brás de Almeida | Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics, Lisbon, Portugal

Business Administration | Academic Year 2019/2020

My months living in Macao and studying at USJ were a rollercoaster of emotions, challenges and discoveries. In Macao, this little piece of magic land, I learned that life is truly amazing when you have the audacity to challenge yourself and go beyond your comfort zone. I did that and, 10 thousand kilometres later, I found a wonderful group of people and together we made a home.

I also found myself. I discovered more about myself in those months than I had discovered in the past couple of years. And I believe that happened because of the atmosphere that was created, the opportunities that I had and, most importantly, the people that I met, who made me want more and to be more. In those months, I took different classes on diverse subjects. I worked in some University events. I had the opportunity to do amazing projects that I would not be able to do in any other place. I found new passions and unraveled new skills. I tried and failed. But, most of all, I challenged myself and I learned.

I learned that we can be whatever we want. I learned that time is relative. That, if you let it, life is a constant surprise. That there are no possible expectations when everything is too good. That the biggest improbabilities become the best surprises. That you can find family wherever you go.

When I left Lisbon, one of my best friends told me: “Get ready to be the happiest you have ever been. There is nothing like Erasmus. Enjoy it!” and I thought to myself: “I am so happy in Lisbon. Here I have everyone that I love and everything that I need. It is not possible to be happier.”

However, the truth is, within all the improbabilities, I found my happiest side in Macao. It took half a world to get there, but I made it. To that side of the world, that became my world.

Macao of stories, Macao of memories, Macao of me, Macao of us.

See you soon, dear Macao!

Joana Dâmaso | Universidade Católica Portuguesa – Faculdade de Ciências Humanas, Lisbon, Portugal

Communication | Academic Year 2018/2019

Macao is the perfect collision between East and West. Macao is unique, Macao is special, Macao is my second home.

I arrived in Macao, alone, without any idea of what was going to happen. Remembering the moment I landed in Hong Kong and everything was different, English is no longer heard and Cantonese becomes the predominant language. The question that I could not help but think, “Did I make the right decision?!”.
On the way to the transfer from Hong Kong to Macao, I felt the weather for the first time, it was September and there was a mass of hot, humid air that made it hard to breathe.

We have 45 minutes to an hour to reflect on what is to come, lost between the lights of Hong Kong and the casinos of Macao. “Where am I?!”, the question was still in my head. While waiting to disembark, “Bem Vindos a Macao” (Welcome to Macao in Portuguese) appears on the wall in front of me. How wonderful it was, it felt like home again, after more than 24 hours of travel.

The welcome at USJ… oh USJ! The best University I have been to so far! The conditions are fantastic, the staff is second to none, the ambience and University atmosphere is amazing!
Macao was unforgettable, I lived on the other side of the world with a group of people who became my second family. The homesickness was attenuated by my environment. If someone asked me if I would drop everything and go to Macao? THE ANSWER WOULD BE: OF COURSE!

Choose Macao, choose USJ, there is no better place to feel at home.

Raquel Jorge | Universidade Católica Portuguesa – Faculdade de Ciências Humanas, Lisbon, Portugal

Communication | Academic Year 2018/2019

In 2018, I got the opportunity to go to Macao to do a 6-month exchange programme. It was so thrilling to go alone to somewhere outside my country.

It was an awkward hello at first but I never imagined I would feel a little bit sad (actually I was crying for days!) for leaving Macao. USJ is a big part of my story and gave me the best time of my life.

I got to meet a lot of wonderful people from across the globe, to introduce my country and a little bit of my Indonesian culture to others, making new friends along the way. Not only that, educationally-speaking I got to experience new methods of learning in USJ/Macao that are so different to those in my country.

Meeting new people as well as their culture was one of the many perks I experienced since USJ has lots of international students. I could tell you for days about how beautiful my Macao experience was, starting from the food, the never-ending festivals, the fancy malls, hotels and casinos, the beautiful people, the languages and cultures, and the list goes on…

Going to Macao and being a part of the USJ exchange programme was one of the greatest choices I made. Now all I can do is reminisce about the beautiful days in Macao and hope to go for a visit soon!

Ellen Novida | LSPR Communication and Business Institute, Jakarta, Indonesia

Communication | Academic Year 2018/2019

In September 2018, I flew to Macao so I could study a year abroad. I decided to go there because a girl from my University also completed an exchange programme in USJ and she did an amazing job promoting it – she made it seem truly amazing!

It was my first time living alone and the fact that I was in a completely new place with new people and endless possibilities for new things to happen was an equation that resulted in a whole new person at the end.

I made amazing friends from all over the world and had the possibility of making some of my most precious memories with them. Just ask the CPRO team, they know a few of them.

For me, Macao is a little box that you will not regret opening and once it is open you will never want to close it back.

Marianna Sciarra de Sousa | University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal

Architecture | Academic Year 2018/2019