The funding of Portuguese universities must be independent of political cycles, which are becoming increasingly unstable, and their development must include partnerships with public and private organizations, defended this Monday the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation.
“Universities, in addition to autonomy, need stability and predictability of their resources,” said Fernando Alexandre in Funchal at the University of Madeira Day ceremony.
The resources of various higher education institutions “cannot be tied to legislative contracts” or “tied to the political cycle,” the official said.
The minister said universities also “need to diversify their sources of funding” as well as invest in “partnerships with other public and private organisations”.
Fernando Alexandre stressed that this policy is important, especially for an institution like the University of Madeira.
“In research, partnerships and networking are essential to gain critical mass and be able to engage in projects with greater impact,” he said.
He also emphasized the role of universities in national and regional transformation, adding that “to fulfill their mission, they must have the autonomy to determine their medium- and long-term strategy.”
According to Fernando Alexandre, Portugal exercises “essentially short-term management”, which is annual and driven by fiscal policy.
“We have lost the habit of thinking about the medium and long term. That is, we have lost the habit of thinking about the future,” he said.
The Minister also emphasized the critical role of education in combating inequality and enhancing national and regional competitiveness.
“One of the reflections of the success of the development policies and, in particular, the educational policies of the regional government of Madeira is the high percentage of young Madeirans who have access to higher education,” he said.
Fernando Alexandre emphasized that “in the future, the University of Madeira will occupy an increasingly important place in the development of the region and Portugal.”
The Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, and the Secretary of State for Science, Ana Paiva, took part this Monday in the opening of the University of Madeira Day celebrations and met with the Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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