The President of the Assembleia Legislativa da Região Autónoma dos Açores (ALRAA), Luís Garcia, today urged the Minister of Education to revise the funding model for the Universidade dos Açores (UAc), arguing that it must fully account for the additional costs associated with insularity and ultraperipheral status.

“This is a matter of equity and of ensuring that the institution has the appropriate means to continue fulfilling, with quality, its public mission in the service of the Region and the Country,” stated the President of the Legislative Assembly during the formal ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the University of the Azores, held this afternoon in Ponta Delgada.

During the solemn session, which was attended by the Minister of Education, President Luís Garcia recalled that, in addition to the inherent challenges of insularity and ultraperipherality, the University is spread across three islands—a circumstance that entails “substantial and permanent structural costs that must not be overlooked.” He argued that investment in the institution “is essential to affirm a truly national system of higher education.”

Despite this demanding context, the President of the Azorean Parliament praised “the growing external visibility of the University of the Azores,” grounded in scientific cooperation and participation in international projects. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that the University’s knowledge serves the Region, its institutions, and its businesses.

In a year also marked by the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Regional Autonomy, President Luís Garcia highlighted the inseparable link between this historic milestone and the founding of the University of the Azores, describing it as “an essential pillar of the autonomous project”—one that must be strengthened and projected forward to secure a solid and sustainable future for the entire Region.

At the close of the ceremony, the President of the Legislative Assembly offered a message of gratitude and recognition to all those who, over the past five decades, have contributed to the development of today’s “universal and Atlantic” University of the Azores. He addressed students in particular, reaffirming that “the knowledge they acquire here is an essential contribution to the future of our islands.”

From Press Release


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.