New NTU–Portugal Partnership to Promote Portuguese Language and Culture in Singapore

From left: Jean-François Ghesquière, Estelle Bech, Professor Jacob Stegenga, H.E. Mr. Carlos Pires, Ms. Rita Nogueira

On 20 April 2026, the School of Humanities at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, hosted His Excellency Mr. Carlos Pires, Ambassador of Portugal to Singapore, and Ms. Rita Nogueira, Deputy Head of Mission, for the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between NTU and Camões-Instituto da Cooperação e da Língua (CICL).

The agreement formalizes the co-funding of a Portuguese lecturer at NTU’s Centre for Modern Languages and underscores both institutions’ shared commitment to advancing the teaching and learning of the Portuguese language in the region. This partnership aims to provide NTU students with Portuguese language and Lusophone culture instruction, strengthening historical, economic, and academic ties between Singapore and the Portuguese-speaking world.

The event commenced with opening remarks by the Acting Chair of the School of Humanities, Professor Jacob Stegenga, who welcomed the distinguished guests and highlighted the vital role of language and cultural studies within the humanities. In his address, His Excellency Mr. Carlos Pires, Ambassador of Portugal to Singapore, expressed his great satisfaction, also on behalf of the President of Instituto Camões, at the launch of the first-ever Portuguese language course at NTU and, as a matter of fact, across the Singapore education system. He underlined that the Portuguese language has served for centuries, notably in Asia, as a bridge between cultures, peoples, and continents, and is today one of the most widely used in the world, spoken by more than 260 million people across five continents, representing therefore a universal language of communication, but also of history, cultural creativity, science, business, and sport.

The MOA was signed by Professor Stegenga and H.E. Mr. Pires, and witnessed by Ms. Estelle Bech, Interim Portuguese Coordinator at the Centre for Modern Languages, and Ms. Rita Nogueira, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Portugal to Singapore.

The ceremony was also attended by His Excellency Mr. Luciano de Andrade, Ambassador of Brazil to Singapore, and His Excellency Mr. Alexandre Tilman, Ambassador of Timor-Leste to Singapore, who joined in support of this collaboration among Portuguese-speaking nations. Representing NTU were Dr. Wanda Preiser, Head of the Office of International Engagement; Dr. Jean Lee Choong Peng, Assistant Chair for Communications and Community Engagement at the School of Humanities; and Mr. Jean-François Ghesquière, Director of the Centre for Modern Languages.

In Attendance (from left to right): Dr. Jean Lee, SoH Assistant Chair (Communications and Community Engagement), Mr. Jean-François Ghesquière, Director of the NTU Centre for Modern Languages, Ms. Estelle Bech, Interim Portuguese Coordinator at the NTU Centre for Modern Languages, H.E. Mr. Luciano de Andrade, Ambassador of Brazil to Singapore, Professor Jacob Stegenga, Acting Chair of the NTU School of Humanities, H.E. Mr. Carlos Pires, Ambassador of Portugal to Singapore, H.E. Mr. Alexandre Tilman, Ambassador of Timor-Leste to Singapore, Ms. Rita Nogueira, Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Portugal to Singapore, and Dr. Wanda Preiser, Head of the NTU Office of International Engagement.