PIn the presence of the Minister for Education, Science, and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, and a number of prominent figures from the worlds of academia, politics, and business, Universidade Portucalense marked its 40th anniversary with a formal commemorative ceremony on 29 June.
Honouring the legacy built up over four decades and shaping a more innovative and international university committed to quality in teaching, research, and knowledge transfer was the message conveyed by Armando Jorge de Carvalho, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Universidade Portucalense.
In his speech, he highlighted the University’s growth journey since its inception in 1986, emphasizing the evolution of its educational offerings, the strengthening of its research, its international presence, and its unwavering commitment to academic excellence. He also referred to the community of around five thousand students, over 320 lecturers, researchers, and non-teaching staff, and more than 35,000 alumni, which shows Universidade Portucalense’s impact on the upskilling of Portuguese society.
Among the key milestones reached, he highlighted the establishment of Portucalense Business School, the accreditation of six doctoral programmes, and the “Very Good” rating awarded to the four research units by the Foundation for Science and Technology. He also stressed the permanent investment in educational innovation, sustainability, social responsibility, and knowledge transfer.
Armando Jorge de Carvalho also presented the guiding principles of the 2030 Strategic Plan, which is based on strengthening research, internationalisation, links with industry, and the integration of artificial intelligence into education and science. “We have a very clear path and objective: to help Portucalense engage more with the wider world and to bring other worlds to our University,” he said.
Addressing the Minister for Education, Science, and Innovation, he acknowledged the reforms currently underway in higher education, arguing that this is a decisive moment for modernising the sector. He also took the opportunity to reiterate the need for structural measures, such as the establishment of a career framework for teaching and research staff in private higher education, the regulation of blended learning, and the elimination of inequalities in the recognition of foreign degrees and diplomas between public and private institutions.
