Minister of Education wants funding for universities independent of the legislature | University education

The financing of Portuguese universities must be independent of political cycles, which are increasingly unstable, and their development must involve partnerships with public and private entities, the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation defended today.

“Universities, in addition to autonomy, need stability and predictability in their resources”, said Fernando Alexandre, in Funchal, at the University of Madeira Day ceremony.

According to the official, the resources of the various higher education institutions “cannot be associated with legislative contracts”, such as those signed between the government and public institutions by the executives led by António Costa, nor “linked to the political cycle”.

The minister defended that universities also “have to diversify their sources of financing”, also investing in “partnerships with other public and private entities”.

The proposal is in line with the solution that had been suggested in the previous mandate, when the ministry then led by Elvira Fortunato defended that regional funds managed by autonomous regions or by Regional Coordination and Development Commissions, but also funds from local authorities and even institutions private institutions, should start paying for the operation of higher education institutions.

Fernando Alexandre highlighted that this policy is essential, especially for an institution like the University of Madeira.

“In research, partnerships, participation in networks, are essential to gain critical mass and be able to participate in projects with greater impact”, he argued.

He also highlighted the role of universities in national and regional transformation, adding that, “in order to carry out their mission, they must have autonomy to define their medium and long-term strategy”.

For Fernando Alexandre, Portugal has carried out “essentially short-term management”, which is annual and is conditioned by budgetary policy. “We have become unused to thinking about the medium and long term. That is, we have become unused to thinking about the future,” he said.

The minister also highlighted the decisive role of education in combating inequalities and strengthening national and regional competitiveness. “One of the reflections of the success of development policies and, in particular, the education policies of the Regional Government of Madeira is the high percentage of young Madeirans who access higher education”, he said.

Fernando Alexandre highlighted that, “in the future, the University of Madeira will have 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, participated this Monday in the opening session of the University of Madeira Day celebrations and met with the Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities.