The Cultural Institute of the Macao Special Administrative Region government will soon grant a new slew of scholarships for those who have made outstanding progress in research of Macao's history and culture.

The research scholarships for the academic year of 2002/2003 aimed to further encourage scientific studies in the areas of Macao's history, literary, cultural heritage, anthropology and sociology, especially pertaining to the combination of the Chinese and Portuguese culture in the city, said authorities from the cultural institute.

Lured by more than 400 years of mutual penetration of Sino-Western cultures in Macao, a large number of overseas and domestic scholars have shown great zeal in research of the city, prompting the cultural institute to set up the scholarships in 1988.

So far, 59 out of 472 applicants have been awarded the scholarships, including 30 foreigners, 22 inlanders and seven locals, according to the institute.

(People's Daily May 27, 2002)