Portugal’s President has appointed Azorean academic Susana Goulart Costa as the new Representative of the Republic in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, marking a significant moment in the intersection of scholarship and state leadership in the archipelago.

The announcement, made by the Presidency of the Republic, confirms that Costa will assume the role under the provisions of Article 230 of the Portuguese Constitution. She succeeds Ambassador Pedro Catarino, bringing to the position a career deeply rooted in the study of Azorean history, identity, and cultural memory.

A native of Angra do Heroísmo, where she was born in 1969, Costa has built her academic life at the University of the Azores. She currently serves as an associate professor and holds key leadership roles, including director of the Department of History, Philosophy and Arts. She is also deputy director of the Center for the Humanities (CHAM), a joint research unit between NOVA University Lisbon and the University of the Azores.

Her appointment places a prominent figure from the Azorean academic community into one of the highest offices representing the Portuguese state in the region—an office that plays a crucial role in balancing national sovereignty with regional autonomy.

Costa’s scholarly work has long focused on the historical trajectories of the Azores, exploring themes of identity, heritage, and collective memory. That intellectual foundation now transitions into an institutional role with significant political and symbolic weight, particularly in shaping the relationship between Lisbon and the autonomous region.

The nomination signals not only a change in leadership, but also a broader gesture—bringing a historian of the islands into a position tasked with interpreting, safeguarding, and navigating the evolving dialogue between the Republic and the Azores. This is the first time an Azorean and a woman will serve in this role.

At the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute, the reaction has been one of genuine enthusiasm. The Institute welcomes the nomination of Professor Susana Goulart Costa as a moment of distinction not only for the Azores, but for all those who engage with its history across oceans. An esteemed historian and public intellectual, she has consistently approached the Azores not as an isolated geography, but as a living, transatlantic reality—one that includes its vast and vibrant diaspora. In her academic work and public service, she has demonstrated a rare ability to understand the totality of the Azorean experience, bridging islands and communities abroad. For PBBI, her appointment represents a hopeful affirmation that the future of Azorean governance will continue to be informed by a deep, inclusive understanding of its past and its global presence.

Adpated from a story in Diário dos 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.