(I) Background of Establishment

As a much-watched international city, Macao has stood at the forefront of exchange and mutual learning between Chinese and Western cultures since its opening as a port in the mid-16th century, forming a pattern in which "Chinese culture predominates while diverse cultures coexist". Within this pattern, Macao's urban music — with its historical traditions and rich contemporary expression — has become a distinctive and important domain, carrying exemplary significance for regional culture in today's landscape of world civilizations.

The Doctoral Programme in Arts Studies (Musicology) under the Faculty of Innovation and Design of City University of Macau — the first intake of its kind in Macao's educational history beginning in 2022, in step with the development of the University and the programme, has achieved fruitful results in musical technique, artistry, and scholarship through its internationalized teaching philosophy, rigorous academic training, and distinctive artistic activities. It has been widely acclaimed by academic communities across the Mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macao, and has become an important research platform for the University — and indeed for Macao — in advancing academic research on Macao's music culture. Represented by the professors of the Arts Studies (Musicology) programme, Macao's urban music scholars and their teams have produced numerous achievements in the field of Macao urban music studies, forming a relatively systematic academic body of work and enjoying a first-class standing in urban music research within the Chinese musicological community.

The widely influential academic writings of Dr. Dai Dingcheng, Senior Professor of our Faculty, have accumulated rich achievements for Macao urban music research. His research has been highly appraised by music scholars at home and abroad, and he was awarded the Medal of Cultural Merit by the Chief Executive of the Macao SAR. The research team he leads has, in turn, provided ample talent reserves for the establishment of the Center.

To further promote the programme's academic research achievements in the field of music, establish the discipline's distinctive cultural character, and at the same time enhance the programme's influence in music academia and education both at home and abroad — bringing Macao's unique advantage as a meeting point of Chinese and Western cultures into local cultural research through its distinctive music culture — the University approved in June 2025 the establishment of the "Macau Urban Music Research Center, FIAD, City University of Macau" (hereinafter "the Center" or "MUMRC").

(II) Nature

The Macau Urban Music Culture Research Center is a non-profit academic research institution affiliated with the Faculty of Innovation and Design, City University of Macau.

(III) Mission and Philosophy

Grounded in local culture while connecting with regional civilizations, relying on national development, and embracing an international perspective — these form the Center's core philosophy. Building on this foundation, the Center takes as its mission: to promote the development of Macao's urban music culture in Macao, within and beyond the Greater Bay Area, and internationally; to advance academic research on, and practice of, Macao's urban music culture; to strengthen interaction with academic communities at home and abroad; and to cultivate high-quality talent in musical technique, artistry, and scholarship.

(IV) Tasks

The Center's principal research activities center on expanding and deepening the horizons of knowledge in the academic field. Taking as its theoretical essence the excavation of the connotations of Macao's musical-historical traditions and in-depth research into Macao's urban music culture, the Center's main tasks are to foster interdisciplinary and cross-field dialogue, integrate relevant academic resources, and cultivate in depth the research outcomes of Macao urban music.

(V) Vision

The establishment of the Center will provide strong support for the preservation, transmission, and development of Macao's urban music culture. It also aligns with City University of Macau's educational mission of serving Macao society and promoting regional cultural development, with the aspiration of attaining an academic standing that is "authoritative in Macao, first-class in the Chinese-speaking world, and distinctive internationall".