Moreover, with the support of the Government of Macau, the University had once offered a free course in education, which had trained many teachers who are still in their posts now.

In 1985, after the visit of Ji Pengfei, Director of the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office of the Chinese State Council, it occurred to him that UEA could be helpful in fostering talents for both Macau and mainland China. Therefore, with the support of the State Education Commission of China, the University then was able to recruit students from mainland China.

Rector Iu Vai Pan of the University of Macau gives a speech

At the beginning, only two provinces, Guangdong and Fujian, were open for recruitment. It was still a significant progress for the University although the number of students was very limited.

Upon the success of the cross-border cooperation, the State Education Commission of China entrusted the University to help educate talents for the country. As a significant testimonial of its support and confidence, the famous "Nine Dragon Wall" was escorted and transported from China to Macau as a gift to the University. It now still stands at the center of the campus.

On January 15, 1988, China and Portugal signed the joint declaration upon the future of Macau. It was then only 12 years before the sovereignty of Macau would return to China.

To ensure human resources before the handover of Macau, it resulted in that the privately owned UEA was acquired by the Macau government and was entrusted to be managed by the Macau