The President of the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores (Assembleia Legislativa da Região Autónoma dos Açores), Luís Garcia, stated in Horta that the Universidade dos Açores finds on Faial one of the places where a defining conviction of the Region is most clearly expressed: its maritime vocation.

“Here, the sea has never been merely a horizon. It is a route, it is work, it is science, it is a link to the world. And today it remains one of the Azores’ greatest strategic opportunities,” the President of the Legislative Assembly said at the event marking the 50th anniversary of the University of the Azores, held yesterday in Horta.

According to the press release, the President of the Azorean Parliament emphasized that the Region’s maritime vocation has been consolidated on Faial, above all through the University of the Azores, the Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, OKEANOS, and collaboration with scientific, technological, and business institutions—making it possible “to create a true ecosystem of knowledge.”

The School of the Sea, the future MARTEC Technopole, the Free Technology Zone, the Drone Runway, the Azores Research Vessel, and the legitimate ambition to host the European Deep-Sea Observatory were also highlighted by President Luís Garcia, who described them as “strategic pillars for affirming the Azores’ presence in the Atlantic and in the world.”

While recognizing the “work of excellence, internationally acknowledged” carried out at the Faial Campus, the President of the Legislative Assembly nonetheless underscored that “this path was forged with persistence, overcoming limitations,” recalling, by way of example, “the long struggle to build the University’s current facilities,” and noting that “here, everything has always been wrested by sheer determination.”

On the occasion, President Luís Garcia also recalled that 2026 will mark the 50th anniversary of Regional Autonomy, stressing the inseparable bond between that historic milestone and the founding of the University of the Azores, which he described as “an essential pillar of the autonomous project,” both in training qualified professionals and in advancing regional knowledge.

At the close of the session, the President of the Legislative Assembly offered a message of gratitude and recognition to all those who, over five decades, have contributed to the development of the University of the Azores.

In Correio dos Açores – Natalino 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.