The rectors of the Universities of Algarve, Évora and Nova de Lisboa said they had "high expectations" in relation to the new minister of Science and Higher Education, Manuel Heitor, who was sworn in this afternoon by the President of the Republic, together with the other elements of the new PS Government of António Costa.
António Branco, Ana Costa Freitas and António Rendas shared their personal vision of the minister who would soon be sworn in during the joint press conference they gave, as part of the launch of the platform «Mediterranean Studies, university consortium», initiative which took place today, Thursday, in the early afternoon, in Faro.
The opinions of the three rectors converged, as they all confessed that they expect a lot from his performance, for the work he has already developed as secretary of state, at a time when Mariano Gago was minister, but also for his "unquestionable reputation". «He is a competent, serious man, who knows how to listen and who knows how to decide. This is what is expected of a minister», praised António Rendas. Even so, he assured, he will not "pass a blank check" to the new minister and will be attentive to his performance.
António Branco subscribed to the words of his Nova counterpart, but hopes that Manuel Heitor will take a closer look at peripheral universities. «Portugal is a country that is often planned according to a vision of the Capital. As dean of a southern university, I hope the new minister will have the ability to look at the country from other points of view. because our point of view, here in the Algarve, is necessarily different from what we have in Lisbon», he defended.
In other words, to "improve the country's Higher Education network, it is essential to have this ability to empathize with the territory".
Ana Costa Freitas reinforced the speech of the UAlg rector, as she considers that successive Governments, including the one of which Manuel Heitor was part, "never looked at the universities of the interior". “There is no problem with the Higher Education network. There is a problem with the way the country is looked at,” he said.
Moreover, the dean of the University of Évora also stressed that "reputation precedes" the new minister, considering that "everyone has good references to him".
Comments