Last month, the Portuguese Parliament approved the proposal of formally changing the designation of the so-called Polytechnic Institutes in Portugal to Portuguese Polytechnic Universities and granting that such institutions are entitled to issue PhDs autonomously.
From the next academic year (2023-24), the new designation of Portuguese Polytechnic Universities and issuing PhDs without parenting with a “university”. The designation of Universidades Politécnicas will be in force from 2024.
Such a decision is aligned with the one CCISP (Conselho Coordenador dos Institutos Superiores Politécnicos) EURASHE’s member which represents the Portuguese Polytechnic Universities.
Maria José Fernandes, President of CCISP, underlined: “It is a significant moment for Polytechnic Higher Education and that, we believe, will give a new dynamic to all higher education in Portugal”.
This represents an essential landmark for the Portuguese HE system and the better positions the Portuguese Polytechnic Universities in the EHEA and beyond as the CCISP Coordinating Council has underlined: “Polytechnic Higher Education can play a decisive role in the dynamic of territories, from the outset because it brings institutions closer to the labour market and is a key player in the innovation chains of companies”. EURASHE fully supports this decision and agrees with the leaders from CCISP consider that “with the granting of more professional doctorates there is a direct impact on the innovation chains of companies. In this area, polytechnics are highly qualified to develop these interface doctorates in co-creation with companies and at the service of regional development and national cohesion”.
Adapted by Marta Rodrigues
The article was originally written in Portuguese by CCISP
