I accepted the responsibility of joining and coordinating this Commission because the University of the Azores is, in all likelihood, the institution that has most profoundly contributed, over the past fifty years, to improving the lives of countless Azoreans and residents of the Region, standing as a true engine of social mobility. The University of the Azores represents one of the most significant achievements realized in the Autonomous Region of the Azores in the period following April 25, 1974, and it is therefore imperative to ensure the conditions that will allow it not only to endure, but to strengthen and elevate its mission.

It is essential to safeguard its long-term sustainability as an insular university—Azorean in identity, Portuguese in heritage, European in vocation, and firmly connected to the Azorean Diaspora. Within this broader context, it was impossible not to offer my contribution by joining a Commission whose principal mandate is the preparation of a proposal for the Strategic Plan of the University of the Azores.

This Commission is composed of individuals of recognized academic, scientific, and/or professional distinction, drawn both from within and beyond the University. Their collective expertise includes regional development and international relations, and their backgrounds span a wide range of professional and institutional sectors. As befits the public spirit that underpins this initiative, all members serve the Commission without financial cost to the University, on a strictly pro bono basis, placing their knowledge, experience, and capacity fully at the service of this mission. The shared objective is that this work will give rise to a University that is inclusive, a generator and disseminator of knowledge, a driver of productive research, and an institution with a tangible and positive impact on society and on the country.

To achieve this purpose, the Commission will undertake a broad and inclusive process of consultation, engaging civil society, the academic community, and representative entities from the economic, cultural, and scientific sectors of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, as well as representatives of local government and the Region’s self-governing institutions. With the active support of society— which must fully embrace the understanding that this is its University—together with the commitment of public and private institutions, we are confident that the University of the Azores will continue to advance with purpose and clarity, fulfilling the mission for which it was created and reaffirming its central role in the life of the Region and beyond.

In Diário dso Açores-Paulo Viveiros, director.

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.