Education minister Nuno Crato yesterday praised the effort made by the University of Algarve in the search for its own income and for having already advanced towards the definition of the anchor areas and the elaboration of an internationalization strategy, measures that he considered fundamental for the future of the Institutions. Public Higher Education (HEI).
The member of the Government was at the University of Algarve yesterday to participate in the ceremony celebrating the 33 years of the institution's life and also heard some critical words regarding the budget cuts decreed by the Government.
But, at least on the part of the Rector of UAlg and after a brief description of the main problems that public universities have been facing in recent years, the option was to understand «the past as a given subject», on the day of birthday.
“I just emphasize that without institutional stability and without a clear financial strategy, preferably with a multiannual character, the life of universities will run serious risks”, considered João Guerreiro.
On the sidelines of the session, Nuno Crato considered the issue of funding closed, after the Government had decided to allocate more than 45 million euros to the university funding cake.
It remains to be seen how this cake will be distributed by the different institutions. In the case of the Algarve, João Guerreiro estimates that the cuts, which without this reinforcement would reach 12% compared to this year, should be fixed at values close to 5 percentage points.
The president of the Academic Association of UAlg recalled the increase in own income that has been achieved, despite the crisis, «to combat the successive cuts in the ministry that oversees Higher Education».
“The higher education network will have to be a banner on the next political agenda. The survival and development of HEIs clearly depend on a deep reform that has not been a priority», considered the representative of the Algarve students.
Something that has been a concern, «and very well», of the General Council of the University of Algarve, with the work of defining strategies and anchor areas that it carried out, which ended this year.
The prayer of wisdom, uttered by the Full Professor at the Instituto Superior Técnico Jorge Calado, went far from the theme of the crisis, at least the financial one. The distinguished academic chose to speak of the link between science and art and the close relationship between the processes of creation in both areas.
An intervention where Jorge Calado did not dispense with music, in this case a waltz by Strauss, who had to restrain himself from dancing, as he confessed laughing. A well-disposed lesson from the Portuguese chemist and likely to make UAlg researchers think about their relationship with their creations.
Night of many distinctions
The anniversary of the University of the Algarve served, as usual, to award distinctions. In 2012, there were novelties, namely the launch of the University's Medal of Merit and the attribution of the title of Professor Emeritus, which distinguishes full professors and principal coordinators, retired or retired, for the relevant contribution made to the advancement of science and culture and for the services provided the community.
The first UAlg Medal of Merit was awarded to Colonel José Rosa Pinto, a retired military man who is also a naturalist by passion and a deep connoisseur of the flora of the Algarve. For years now, the now distinguished has established a close collaboration with the Faculty of Science and Technology of the Algarve university.
«Practical field activities, scientific publications, involvement in research projects and constant availability for the various activities of scientific dissemination, characterize the path of this guest professor. Added to all this, there is the daily work that he develops at the ALGU- Herbarium of the University of Algarve, where he ensures its updating and maintenance», described UAlg.
The title of Professor Emeritus was awarded to José Horta Correia for his relevant services to Portuguese History and Culture and to the University of Algarve. «In this institution, he was one of the founders of the course on Cultural Heritage (1999), the first of its kind in Portugal, and he was responsible for the master's degree in Portuguese Art History», revealed the university.
«In his important path, which contributed greatly to the consolidation and dissemination of an entire History of the Algarve, the participation in research projects, the supervision of several research works and the authorship of national and international publications are included. A look at the urbanism of his hometown, the object of study of his doctoral thesis – “Vila Real de Santo António. Urbanism and Power in Pombaline Policy" – in 1997, he won the Gulbenkian Prize for the History of Art», he added.
Awards were also given to graduates with merit in the 2010/2011 school year, namely the Caixa Geral de Depósitos Award, BPI Award and APECA Award. These distinctions, of different values, are attributed to final year students with the highest averages from several Organic Units of UAlg.
As usual, the doctorates completed this year were also formally awarded and UAlg employees were distinguished for their services to the institution.
UAlg with ongoing strategic reorientation
The 33rd anniversary of the University of the Algarve served to launch the renewed institution website. A page "designed and executed with its own resources" and intended to be another tool for disseminating the University, as well as attracting students.
"This change is intended to contribute to modernize the symbolic framework that characterizes the University and facilitate access from abroad to the various sources of information that run through the collection of activities developed," said João Guerreiro.
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