At the plenary meeting of the Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities (CRUP) at the University of Évora, the Rector of the University of the Azores (UAc), Susana Mira Leal, was appointed a member of the Standing Committee of this body.

According to a press release published by the University of the Azores, CRUP is a coordinating body for university education in Portugal and its full members include all public universities, ISCTE – University Institute of Lisbon, the Portuguese Catholic University, and the IUM – Military University Institute, for a total of 16 higher education institutions, thereby seeking to constitute a significant representative core of an important part of the national higher education system.

Its activities are organized around several strategic axes, including: ensuring the coordination and overall representation of its member universities, collaborating in the formulation of national education, science, and culture policies, commenting on legislative projects and budgetary issues directly related to public university education, and contributing to the development of teaching, research, and culture. At the same time, it promotes the dignity of the functions of the university and its agents, and the strengthening of links with similar foreign organizations.

For the UAc, the appointment of the Rector to the Permanent Commission of the CRUP “strengthens the representativeness of academia in national university coordination bodies, ensuring the active participation of the UAc in defining policies and strategies that impact higher education in Portugal.”

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