A highly anticipated partnership was officially sealed on January 14, 2024, between the Virgen Milagrosa University Foundation Inc. (VMUF) and the Macau Digital Library Association (MDLA). The signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was conducted simultaneously at the VMUF President's Conference Room and Macau, China, via a Zoom conference call.

The signing was officiated by VMUF President Dr. Ma. Lilia Posadas-Juan and MDLA President Lori Luo as the official signatories, organized and coordinated by Dr. Caroline L. Castillo, VMUF University Head Librarian and Ms. Jhen D.A. the Association Director of MDLA. This collaboration is a transformative opportunity to strengthen ties in education and research, enabling us to reach new milestones in our shared mission," Dr. Castillo said, expressing her excitement about the partnership.

Also present in the Zoom conference call was MDLA Association Director Jhen D.A., while VMUF was represented by key officials, including Vice President for Administration Dr. Angelo B. Juan, Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Catherine G. Jorio, Data Privacy Officer Mr. Adonis Caguioa, Dean of the College of Information and Computer Sciences Dr. Efren Y. Ignacio, and Internationalization Representative Dr. Ma. Lyn Cortez.

The partnership grants VMUF students and staff access to an extensive array of resources, including more than 3,000 SCI journals and 1.2 million papers in medical fields such as Biology, Endocrinology, and Oncology. MDLA's digital library comprises 4,383 open-access journals and 1.77 million free articles, facilitating participation in international medical conferences across 34 disciplines and involving experts from over 70 countries.

The MOU establishes a framework for cooperation, providing VMUF access to the MDLA Digital Library Platform. This platform offers advanced features, including saving items and exporting data, subject to access permissions. This partnership represents a significant step toward enhancing research and learning opportunities for VMUF's academic community.