UC Rector aims to 'meet the expectations' of new members of the academic community

The Solemn Opening ceremony of the 2024/2025 academic year took place on 2 October in the Great Hall of Acts (Sala dos Capelos)

The UC Rector, Amílcar Falcão began his address by saying that "the new academic year will be indelibly marked by the intersection of several important anniversaries". In addition to the dates that will be celebrated in 2024 - the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution and the 500th anniversary of the birth of Luís Vaz de Camões - there will be "the commemoration of the 700th anniversary of the death of King Dinis and the 735th anniversary of the foundation of the UC, the first Portuguese university".

These historic moments do not distract Rector Amílcar Falcão from focusing on the new students, teachers, researchers, and staff, to whom he assured that "the institution will do everything it can to fulfil the legitimate expectations that led you to choose this academic community as your home for the path you intend to follow."

In an analysis of the National Competition for Access to Higher Education, Amílcar Falcão notes that the UC has improved its results in attracting the top 25 per cent of students, increasing from 9.4 to 9.6 per cent. The Excellence Index (the ratio of the number of first-choice candidates with an application grade of 17 or higher to the number of first places available) "increased from 31.8 in 2023 to 35.5 this year". The University of Coimbra thus remains one of the most sought-after higher education institutions.

Educational reform is "the number one priority." "The world has changed," he says, "and it's up to us to adapt and keep up with these changes." Amílcar Falcão admits that the reform could involve "closing," "merging," or "creating" courses. The important thing, he says, is "to always make our courses more attractive."

The spread of hatred and populism, geopolitical instability, and the housing crisis are some of the "global challenges facing students" that "exacerbate anxiety about their future," warns the president of the General Directorate of the Academic Association of Coimbra (AAC - Associação Académica de Coimbra), Renato Daniel.

In the face of this national and global panorama, the UC must continue to be "a beacon of free and critical thought and a space for the promotion of peace, justice and truth", he argues.

The representative of the UC student community also calls for a stronger link between the University, the City Council, and AAC, "so that Coimbra can establish itself as a true centre of innovation and knowledge." "Only through this cooperation can the academy, the city, and, most importantly, the students truly succeed," he concludes.