José António Martins Goulart—one of the founding figures of the Universidade dos Açores—argues that the creation of the university stands as “the greatest cultural achievement” in the Azores since the Carnation Revolution of April 25, 1974.

Martins Goulart served on the first Regional Government between 1975 and 1976, holding the portfolios of Education, Culture, Media, and Sports at the very moment the University of the Azores was taking shape. As the institution marked its 50th anniversary this week, he reflected on its legacy with a mix of pride, candor, and unfinished ambition—particularly in the sciences of the sea.

“At the time, Marine Sciences were not developed at the national level,” he recalls. “I argued that we should become the country’s pole of attraction in that field. We are an archipelagic region—it seems obvious that Marine Sciences should have been the crown jewel of the University of the Azores. They were not.” Even so, he adds, significant and meaningful work has been carried out.

He points out that institutional realities shaped the university’s evolution. “Naturally, the largest city, with the biggest population, concentrated the rectorate and the greatest number of departments. A classical university model emerged, with differentiated departments on Terceira and Faial. In the rest, a traditional university was built—and that has its value and its merit,” he says. Crucially, the university enabled Azoreans to pursue higher education without leaving their islands, while also attracting students from elsewhere who might choose to remain and build professional lives in the region. “That is a gain we cannot undervalue.”

Still, Martins Goulart believes the Azores are uniquely positioned to deepen their commitment to Marine Sciences, particularly through the Instituto Okeanos. “It carries out intense scientific activity of great value, much of it little known to the Azorean public,” he notes. “It has always worked with determination, often without adequate financial support. But I am optimistic about its continued strengthening.” Based in Horta and now expanding with new facilities and equipment, Okeanos, he says, represents a project of real strategic reach.

The region, he adds, remains a vast field of largely untapped potential—from deep-sea exploration to the study and protection of marine ecosystems. “There is a clear need to safeguard resources in order to maximize the sustainable returns from those that are explored,” he says. “This is a fundamental area—one that should be central to the future development of the Azores.”

Another pillar, he argues, has been—and must continue to be—Agricultural Sciences. “The agricultural sciences on Terceira are a solid reference,” he says. Despite the region’s limited land area, the Azores benefit from fertile soils and diverse microclimates. “We have agri-food products of exceptional quality that should be promoted as premium niches,” he explains, pointing to São Jorge cheese, Pico cheese, and other agricultural products as examples.

Looking ahead, Martins Goulart sees potential in the space sector, though he stresses that its success depends heavily on the international context. “These are volatile areas, especially in the world we live in today,” he says. With a tone that blends realism and hope, he adds that global stability—particularly democratic stability in the Western Hemisphere—will be decisive. “If the world stabilizes, if we move beyond this period of uncertainty and assaults on democratic values, new investments in the space sector will have conditions to succeed. I am optimistic. Tyrants have short lives. We will recover.”

Investment in space activities, he believes, enhances the Azores as a whole, and he considers the choice of Santa Maria as a strategic space hub to have been “timely and well judged.”

Fifty years on, Martins Goulart says the work begun during the early days of autonomy was worth the effort. He was barely in his twenties when he served on the Regional Government, at a time when self-government itself was still an experiment. Later, he would lead the Socialist Party in the Azores and serve as a member of parliament.

“Mistakes were inevitable,” he reflects. “It was a generation that built while it learned, and learned while it built. But we always sought solutions with those who had greater wisdom to guide us, whether at the national or international level.” In that ongoing process of trial, error, and aspiration, the University of the Azores, he suggests, remains both a monument to what was achieved—and a compass pointing toward what still lies ahead.

In Diário Insular, José Lourenço-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 the Luso-American Education Foundation for sponsoring Filamentos.