You are coordinating the Commission tasked with drafting the Strategic Plan for the University of the Azores. With what perspective do you approach this work?

My perspective is, first and foremost, one of public service. I see this as a mission, precisely because I regard the University of the Azores as a cornerstone institution in the architecture of the Azores’ democratic autonomy. It is, in my view, probably the institution born of the April 25, 1974 Revolution that has done the most to transform the lives of many Azoreans. It functioned as a genuine social elevator, because there were countless people who simply could not pursue higher education—they lacked the means to travel to the mainland or abroad. The existence of the University of the Azores here in our region opened up an immense horizon for Azoreans from all the islands.

The university also has a particularly interesting feature: its tripolar structure. I am well aware that academic offerings are not identical across all islands or even across the three main campuses, but the fact remains that higher education is available, at least, in three locations. Beyond that, I have a deep personal connection to the University of the Azores. I was once a faculty member there, and I also served as a member and vice-president of its General Council. I should add that everyone working alongside me on this commission brings experience and a proven track record.

I am relying on my colleagues—this is a collective endeavor that depends on all of us, and also on civil society. The most important goal of this project is to build a university that identifies with the archipelago itself, one that Azoreans and all who live here feel belongs to them, that it is part of their daily lives. The overarching aim is for people to recognize the university as part of who we are, as a shared asset that must be nurtured and developed.

At the same time, no university can flourish without a concept of universality. It cannot be confined to the geographic boundaries of the Autonomous Region of the Azores. It must operate within a national and European perspective as well.

How can that sense of universality be achieved in the case of the University of the Azores?

First, through stronger ties with national universities, with the Autonomous Region of Madeira, and through integration into European university networks. We must also place a strong emphasis on our diaspora—particularly universities in California and New England. Our work seeks to contribute meaningfully in this area.

Another crucial point is that all of this may sound admirable in theory, but a university needs students; it must be attractive. This is especially challenging in a regional context marked by demographic decline. We are living through a demographic winter. Even so, every effort must be made not only to attract students from the Azores, but also international students. Despite everything, we are well positioned geographically and possess clear comparative advantages. In certain fields, we function almost as a living laboratory—most notably in Marine Sciences and in Space studies, an area of growing importance and relevance. In Climatology as well, we are situated in the middle of the Atlantic, and on Terceira Island we have Professor Brito de Azevedo, among others, doing significant work.

We must do everything possible to attract more students. At the same time, the university needs faculty; it must renew its academic staff in an environment of intense competition—not only with other universities, but also with the private sector. Another critical issue is the renewal of physical infrastructure. Facilities matter. None of this is possible without financial sustainability, which is one of the great challenges of the future. First, we must be clear about what we want; then we must ensure the financial means to achieve it.

This responsibility falls, above all, on the university itself—it must do its own homework—but also on local governments, especially those municipalities where university activity is concentrated, namely Ponta Delgada, Angra do Heroísmo, and Horta. The Regional Government also plays a central role, as it is one of the main beneficiaries of the university’s output. A significant number of our graduates go on to work in the regional public administration, and the government itself makes extensive use of the services the university provides.

These are all issues that the Commission must explore in depth, listening to the Azores’ economic and social fabric, to local authorities, the Regional Government, and the university’s partners, in order to create a dynamic that keeps the institution strong and viable. There is no question that the University of the Azores has fulfilled its mission—the balance of its first 50 years is clearly positive—but we cannot be complacent. Above all, we must be prepared for the challenges ahead.

In a recent interview with DI, Martins Goulart, who was involved in the founding of the University, argued that Marine Sciences should be the institution’s “crown jewel,” alongside the development of Agricultural Sciences and Space studies. Do you agree with this vision?

These are indeed important areas—but not the only ones. Marine Sciences and Space are two strategic fields for the Azores. We also have other domains in which we are, in effect, a natural laboratory: Biology, Volcanology, Climatology. The University of the Azores faces many challenges and significant difficulties, but it also possesses enormous potential.

In Diário Insular, José Lourenço-director

Filamentos is a bilingual arts and letters platform where diaspora and origin speak to one another—and to the wider world—through shared cultural inquiry and creativity, lived diasporic experience, and common humanistic values-Bruma Publications, PBBI-California State University, Fresno.

Filamentos é uma plataforma bilíngue de artes e letras onde diáspora e origem dialogam entre si — e com o mundo — através da partilha da investigação e da criação, da experiência diaspórica vivida e de valores humanistas comuns. Publicações Bruma-PBBI, Universidade do Estado da Califórnia em Fresno.