The Autonomous Region of the Azores will welcome, from July 1 to July 16, the inaugural FLAD Summer Program – Azores, a two-week academic and cultural immersion program designed for university students of Azorean descent from the United States. Activities will take place on the islands of São Miguel and Terceira, offering participants an opportunity to reconnect with their ancestral homeland through education, culture, history, science, and direct engagement with the islands.
The program is the result of a collaborative agreement between the Regional Government of the Azores, represented by the Presidency of the Regional Government, the University of the Azores, and the Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD). It reflects a shared commitment to strengthening cultural, scientific, educational, and economic ties between the Azores and its communities in the United States while fostering a renewed sense of identity and belonging among younger generations of Azorean descendants.
Among the twenty students selected for this highly competitive inaugural program are Jonathan Mendes and Jocelyn Silveira, both representing California State University, Fresno. Their participation carries particular significance, as Fresno State was specifically allocated two of the twenty available positions in recognition of the university’s longstanding commitment to Portuguese language and Azorean studies.
The two Fresno State students are participants in the university’s Portuguese Language and Cultural Program, supported by the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI-Fresno State). Their selection highlights the strength of Fresno State’s growing educational partnerships with the Azores and reflects nearly a decade of work dedicated to creating meaningful international exchange opportunities for students.
Recently, FLAD and the Government of the Azores formally recognized Fresno State’s efforts by providing these two dedicated placements in the program, acknowledging the university’s sustained investment in strengthening educational bridges between California and the Azores. Through the Portuguese Language and Cultural Program and PBBI-Fresno State, students have benefited from an expanding range of international experiences, academic partnerships, cultural initiatives, and exchange opportunities that continue to connect the Azorean diaspora with its ancestral homeland.
The FLAD Summer Program seeks to introduce Azorean-descendant university students to the natural, historical, and cultural heritage of the archipelago while fostering lasting relationships between the Region and its North American diaspora. Entirely taught in English by faculty from the University of the Azores, the program combines classroom instruction and seminars with extensive field experiences. Successful completion of the course is equivalent to one university course, awarding 6 ECTS credits or 3 U.S. academic credits, with participants receiving an official certificate from the University of the Azores.
From the 49 applications received, 46 were deemed eligible, and 20 students were ultimately selected from universities across the United States, including several campuses of the University of Massachusetts, Bridgewater State University, University of Rhode Island, Salve Regina University, and California State University, Fresno, with the selection process emphasizing both geographic diversity and gender balance.
Over the course of two weeks, participants will explore multiple dimensions of Azorean society through lectures and seminars covering geology, marine and terrestrial biodiversity, history, literature, geopolitics, economics, tourism, water resources, agriculture, food technologies, and natural hazards. The academic program is complemented by visits to the Presidency of the Government of the Azores, the Office of the Representative of the Republic, Lajes Air Base, TERINOV, geothermal sites, whale-watching expeditions, and the UNESCO World Heritage city of Angra do Heroísmo. Students will also develop an individual portfolio through a collaborative WIKI platform as part of their academic assessment.
The FLAD Summer Program – Azores represents far more than a summer academic experience. It is a meaningful investment in building lasting bridges between the Azores and its diaspora, offering young Azorean descendants the opportunity to rediscover a homeland that remains an essential part of their identity despite the distance. By connecting university students with the islands’ cultural, scientific, historical, and human realities, the initiative strengthens the future of Azorean communities throughout the United States.
The program forms part of a broader initiative that will include two editions, in 2026 and 2027, commemorating the 40th anniversary of FLAD, the 50th anniversary of the University of the Azores, the 50th anniversary of the Autonomous Region of the Azores, and the 600th anniversary of the discovery of the Azores.
In addition, through the initiative of the Portuguese Cultural Association of Bermuda, two young Azorean descendants from the British Atlantic territory will join the twenty students arriving from the United States, further expanding the international character of this inaugural program.
The official opening session will take place on Wednesday, July 1, at 2:30 p.m., at the University of the Azores’ Ponta Delgada Campus, with remarks by Amélia Fonseca, Vice-Rector for Cooperation, Internationalization and Distance Learning; Carlos Costa Neves, Executive Administrator of FLAD; and José Andrade, Regional Director for the Communities.
For PBBI at Fresno State, the participation of Jonathan Mendes and Jocelyn Silveira represents both an individual academic achievement and a collective one. It reflects the university’s growing role as one of North America’s leading centers for Portuguese and Azorean studies, demonstrating how sustained investment in language, culture, education, and international partnerships continues to create life-changing opportunities for students while strengthening the enduring relationship between California and the Azores.
