On August 15, Mr. António Braz Costa, General Manager of CITEVE – Technological Centre for Textile and Clothing Industries and Chairman of CENTI – Centre of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials, paid an official visit to WTU. Prof. Xu Weilin, Academician of Chinese Academy of Engineering and President Fu Xin met with the guest from Portuguese in the Chongzhen Hall, Jianquan Auditorium, at Sunshine Campus, and both parties signed a memorandum of cooperation. Representatives from the National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory and the International Office participated in the meeting.
Xu Weilin extended his heartfelt appreciation to António Braz Costa for his substantial support in advancing bilateral exchanges and cooperation, and conferred upon him a certificate of specially-appointed professor. He remarked that WTU is currently on a fast track of high-quality development, and expressed the hope that both parties would work diligently to achieve substantial outcomes through international joint research efforts, thereby fostering academic collaboration and talent mobility between China and Portugal.
Fu Xin warmly welcomed Mr. António Braz Costa’s second visit to WTU. He expressed the expectation that this meeting would mark a new chapter in bilateral relations, with a renewed focus on frontier areas in textile science and technology. He further emphasized the importance of advancing practical cooperation in scientific research, high-level talent development, and academic exchanges among faculty and students. The memorandum of cooperation was signed by both parties in an atmosphere of mutual understanding and friendship.
António Braz Costa conveyed his heartfelt appreciation for the warm hospitality extended by the university and delivered a specialized report. He provided a comprehensive overview of the key research initiatives and innovative achievements undertaken by CITEVE – Technological Centre for Textile and Clothing Industries of Portugaland and CENTI – Centre of Nanotechnology and Advanced Materials recent years, particularly in the fields of smart textiles, functional materials, green sustainable technologies, and their industrial applications. He emphasized that the research domains of both parties are highly complementary and mutually beneficial, expressing strong confidence in the prospects for future collaboration.
Following this, Mr. António Braz Costa toured the National and Local Joint Engineering Laboratory, where he focused on sustainable development and waste textile recycling technologies. He engaged in in-depth discussions with Professor Wang Jinfeng’s research team. Both parties agreed that through industry-university collaboration and information exchange, advanced technology research can significantly enhance the resource utilization efficiency of waste textiles. They also exchanged views on specific research directions, personnel exchange programs, and the feasibility of joint project implementation, thereby clarifying the future cooperation framework and key areas of focus.
António Braz Costa is an alumnus of the 2023 China-Portugal Textile Industry Cooperation Training Program, which marked the first international official inbound training initiative hosted by the university under the auspices of the Ministry of Commerce. This return visit has further strengthened bilateral scientific research collaboration, expanded opportunities for high-level talent development, and promoted the integration of industry, academia, and research, contributing to the advancement of textile industry cooperation between China and Portugal.
