The Regional Secretary for Youth, Housing and Employment, Maria João Carreiro, took part today, on behalf of the President of the Government, José Manuel Bolieiro, in the ceremony commemorating the 49th anniversary of the University of the Azores, which took place at the Aula Magna in Ponta Delgada.

On the occasion, the Regional Secretary praised the “legacy” of the Azorean academy built up over the last four decades which, like the Autonomy of the Azores, is “strengthened” daily.

“Like the Autonomy, the University of the Azores has a legacy that grows stronger every day. It is this legacy that must be valued, continued and deepened in each of the strategic areas for the Region, as an open institution that promotes cooperation with other universities and research, science, technology and knowledge centers in other geographies,” he said.

As a “strategic partner in the construction of the region’s development”, the University of the Azores has been throughout its history and will continue to be “decisive in collectively facing the challenges facing the region”, said Maria João Carreiro.

“Today, the University of the Azores is the living expression of the ability of those who believed in decentralized public higher education; of those who understood the importance of education as a social, cultural and economic elevator; and of those who promoted culture, science, research and innovation as essential for collective and civilizational progress,” she noted.

In this sense, the Regional Secretary reiterated the Region’s “solidarity” in “justly demanding” from the Government of the Republic a national model for university funding that differentiates support for an island university, which can play an “even more important role in higher education, in the production of scientific research and in national and European science.”

In the last four years, regional public support for the extra costs of the University of the Azores’ tripolarity has risen from 350,000 euros in 2020 to 950,000 euros last year, an increase of more than 171% with annual increases of around 150,000 euros.

“Support for the University of the Azores cannot be in the realm of good will and intentions, but in the realm of implementation. When we affirm the central role of the University of the Azores in the process of building autonomy, we are consistent. This is what we stand for. This is the principle we put into practice, in a logic of co-responsibility,” he argued.

The Government of the Azores, through the Vice-Presidency, plans to launch a new program to attract and retain researchers this year, with an estimated value of 350,000 euros, as well as implementing a new support model for research centers worth 350,000 euros, commitments made in the Plan for 2025.

In the first half of this year, the scientific research and technological development projects within the scope of “Azores 2030”, aligned with the Intelligent Specialization Strategy (RIS3), and the MAC-Azores 2030 co-financing protocols will begin, with a strong presence of UAç and the Gaspar Frutuoso Foundation, with an investment of over 6 million euros by 2030, the largest ever to support projects by the regional research and innovation community.

Maria João Carreiro also recalled the ongoing implementation of the measure to support the attendance of master’s degrees in the area of teacher training through a 90,000 euro program contract with the Azorean Academy, with 80 scholarships having already been approved for an investment of 403,000 euros, as well as Qualifica Superior, a PRR program to support lifelong learning, which has contributed to the diversification of the postgraduate offer at the University of the Azores and an increase in the number of students.

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.