HISTÓRIA OF PORTUGAL IN INICIAL 1975

1. Introduction

The evolution of a country's higher education is often closely related to its politicalhistory. Countries as Spain, Greece and Portugal are a remarkable example of this. Thedemocratisation of higher education in those countries is barely a quarter of a centuryold.

Portugal reembraced democracy in 1974. The carnation revolution put an end to a longperiod of dictatorship, dominated by the figure of Salazar. The new Portugeseconstitution of 1976 formed the basis of reorganisations in higher education. However, the school of democracy was for many years characterised by politicalinstability and a rapid succession of new governments. The educational reorganisationknew therefore a slow start.

EU membership on 1 January 1986 signalled the end of a confusing period for thecountry. It was also an economic start. Portugal obtained (and still does) a lot of EU aidfor the development of its infrastructure and for restructuring and modernising itsindustry. The EU also offers significant financial support for the training of employees. Thanks to all that Portugal is catching up with the other European countries. This isalso the case for higher education and, more specifically, the education of engineers andhigher technicians. Today the education of Portugese engineers is of a high level. It canno longer be compared to that of a decade ago. Yet, according to EU statistics, in 1995only 36% of the twenty year olds had a diploma of secundary education in Portugal. InItaly this was 56%, in Belgium 73%, in Denmark 80% and in Sweden 83%.

2. Portugal in a nutshell

2.1. The Portugese republic is a unitary state with two autonomous regions: the Azores andMadeira.

* The mainland has a population of about 10 million. The biggest universities,with engineering studies, are situated in Lisbon (Lisboa in Portugese), Porto andCoimbra.

* The Azores archipelago (Açores) counts 9 islands and has 250,000 inhabitants. The biggest urban area, Ponta Delgada, is on the largest and most populatedisland, Sâo Miguel. The industrial sector consists mainly of small and medium-sized enterprises, almost 86% of which employ less than 5 people. The economyis based on agriculture and the agrofood industries. The University of the Azoresis in Ponta Delgada. There were 172 student engineers “Engenheiro” for theacademic year 1993-1994.

PORTUGAL

© Vlaamse Ingenieurskamer VIK - 14 December 1998 PORTUGAL - page 1

* The Madeira archipelago comprises the inhabited islands of Madeira and PortoSanto, as well as the uninhabited islands of Desertes and Selvagens. Madeira hasabout 300,000 inhabitants, half of which is under 25. Circa 35% of the employeesis not or hardly schooled. The middle and higher executives represent ± 4% of theactive population. Since 1993 Madeira has a university. It provides mainly non-technical disciplines. For the academic year 1993-1994 72 students were enrolledat the faculty of engineering (“engenheiro”).

* Engineers are educated at mainland universities. At the 11 public and 6 privatemainland universities about 32,700 engineering students were enrolled for theacademic year 1993-1994. This is more or less the same number as in all Belgian universities and technical universities together for the same period. Portugeseengineers have a 5 year training (see further). When taking into account the ±13,000 Portugese students following a 3 year course resulting in the degree of“Bacharelato” (of “Engenheiro Técnico”), this exceeds the Belgian potential.

2. Education and economic development

Engineers play an important role in a country’s economic development. Portugal is thepoorest country of the European Union. But since a couple of years it is on the road toeconomic growth. The country continues the privatisations and works with muchwillpower towards European integration. The demand for engineers and highertechnician is huge. Notwithstanding the many campaigns the interest in engineeringstudies is low. Wages are low. The average income per head is not even one sixth ofthat in our country. In Portugal about 3 million people live under the by the EUestablished poverty level.

Until recently, the production methods of industry were outdated. Agriculture washardly mechanised and productivity in this sector was low. However, mainly agrarianPortugal slowly receives the aspect of a modern industrialised state. The traditionalfamily enterprise makes room for modern production enterprises managed by youngengineers and technocrats. But the “generation gap” amongst engineers is wide. Thismay be linked to Portugese nature. The older generation has a form of indolence. Maybe this is a consequence of years of government tutelage. The generation of youngengineers, often trained abroad, more and more makes up the new staff of professors atuniversities and technical universities. This much is clear: engineering studies atPortugese universities are undergoing a thorough change. The approach by youngmanagers however is often diametrically opposed to that of influential conservativeinterest groups.

The economic inferiority that Portugal is trying to shred should not be underestimated. Economic development is furthermore inherent to the development of higher education. Under the reign of “the father of the fatherland" António Salazar (1932-1970) only atiny part of government expenditures went to education. Technical higher education inparticular was treated badly. The Portugese could have expected something better fromSalazar, who until 1928 was an economics professor at the university of Coimbra.


The succession of the then terminally ill dictator Salazar by Marcelo Caetano (1968)brought little change to the economic and education policies. Meanwhile, there was arapid succession of various governments and the European Union gave Portugal untilthe end of 1995 to cease government influence on economy. Many state companieswere privatised. According to the Belgian Office of Foreign Trade, in 1996 20% of theactive population was employed in the agrarian sector, 25% in industry and 55% in theservice sector.

With EU subsidies new roads were constructed, irrigation projects realised, industrymodernised and educational projects (also for engineers) set up.

The industrial activity is mainly focused around Lisbon, Porto, Sines and in theprovince of Minho.

The electric and electronic industry counts a great number of small and medium-sizedenterprises. The large enterprises are usually “daughters” of foreign enterprises. Thesector produces mainly electric machines, electric engines, radio and TV sets,telecommunication material, electronic components, public lighting appliances, electriccables and batteries.

Ship building is focused on the wharf of Viana do Castelo where a.o. ro-ro ships andtransport ships for chemicals are built.

The implantation of Renault (end of the 70ies) brought in its wake the creation ofenterprises specialised in manufacturing spare parts. The experience has played a rolein the decision of the Ford-Volkswagen joint venture.

The light chemical industry (pharmaceutics, cosmetics, detergents, paints, varnish) is arather modest sector. Nowadays there is an important technological evolution in thissector.

The paper industry has enterprises of different sizes and with great differences ontechnological level. Portugal produces 50% of all cork in the world.

The past couple of years the ceramics industry has invested in state of the arttechnology. Portugese china is famous.

The building sector is in full expansion (social homes, roads, new industrial sites andschools).

As of old the textile industry is the most important branch of industry.

Officially there is 7% of unemployment in Portugal (1996). But there is grindingpoverty in some parts of the country.


Against this economic background there is the big challenge of higher education. Thelow wages caused a massive increase in foreign investments from highly industrialisedcountries, such as the U.S., the U.K. and other EU countries. Foreign investors createdan increasing demand for engineers and higher technicians.

3. Higher education

Portugal can look back at a centuries-old tradition with regard to its universityeducation. The university of Coimbra was founded in 1290. In 1911 the universities ofLisbon and Porto were founded.

Interest in higher education was very small up to the beginning of the eighties. Morethan anywhere in Europe students came principally from the circles of the financially“well-off”. At the three above-mentioned universities only 40,000 students had enrolledin 1974 (the year of the carnation revolution).

At the only technical university in Portugal ca 11,000 students were enrolled in 1974.

In the middle of the eighties interest in university education was rising. More and morestudents from other layers of society found their way to higher education. But in 1977the numerus clausus was introduced. The number of students, especially in thedisciplines of law and social sciences, was growing too large according to thegovernment. The numerus clausus also applies to engineering studies.

4. Degrees

There are the following degrees in Portugese higher education:

- “Bacharelato” (3 years)- “Licenciatura” (4, 5 or 6 years)- “Mestrado” (1 year following 5 years of “Licenciatura”)- “Doutoramento” (min. 2 years following “Mestrado”,

min. 3 years following “Licenciatura”)

5. Engineering studies

Engineering studies can be taken at:1. Universities (”Instituto Superior Técnico”)2. Non-universities (“Instituto Politécnico”)

Only an academic title awarded by a university can result in an officially recognisedprofessional title. Universities and non-universities can be part of the so-called publicinstitutions (95%) or private institutions (5%).


5.1. Universities° Engineering studies at an “Instituto Superior Técnico” (associated with a

university) take 5 years.

° After 5 years the degree of “Licenciado” (academic title) is awarded.

° This degree gives a right to the professional title of “Engenheiro”.

° The professional title is awarded by the ”Ordem dos Engenheiros” (the NationalOrder of Engineers in Portugal).

° For all studies, the first and second years are polyvalent and focus on basicsciences such as mathematics, physics, chemistry and informatics. The third yearfocuses on the chosen specialisation of the fourth and fifth year. A final projectand some weeks of traineeship in a company are part of the studies.

° The degree of “Licenciado” allows one to proceed to one's doctor's degree (min. 3years).

° The studies resulting in the degree (and academic title) of “Licenciado” can betaken at 19 universities (13 public and 6 private ones).

° At all Portugese universities 99,700 students were registered for the academic year1993-19941. The number of engineering students amounted to approx. 32%.

5.2. Non-universities (“Instituto Politécnico)

° Education at an “Instituto Politécnico” takes 3 years.

° The studies result in the degree (also academic title) of “Bacharelato” (BSc).

° With the degree of “Bacharelato” one can carry the professional title of“Engenheiro Técnico”.

° The “Engenheiro Técnico” is not recognised as an engineer by the “Ordem dosEngenheiros”.

° The 3 year education is mainly practically oriented and is equivalent to that of ahigher technician.

° The degree of “Bacharelato” does not allow to take one's doctor's degree(”doutoramento”).

1Source: Ministry of Education, Lisbon.


° Graduates having a “Bacharelato” can at certain institutions obtain the so-called“D.E.S.E. diploma” after a supplementary course of 2 years (“Diploma de EstudosSuperiores Especializados”) at certain institutions. This diploma is equivalent tothe “Licenciatura” degree.

° The studies for “Engenheiro Técnico” (BSc) can be taken at 18 institutions (14public and 4 private ones).

° For the academic year 1993-1994 there were approx. 38,000 students at allpolytechnics. The percentage of students pursuing higher technical educationamounted to ± 34%.

5.3. Survey (1993)2

Institution Number of Institu-tions

Number ofstudents

Numberof

years

Academic title Professional title

Universitypublicprivate

136

31.000 7.000---------38.000

55

Licenciado Engenheiro

Polytechnicspublicprivate

144

12.500 570

---------13.070

33

Bacharelato(BSc)

EngenheiroTécnico

6. Masters (“Mestrado”)

The Master’s education encompasses the in-depth study of a specific topic (theoreticaltraining + thesis). Admission to “Mestrado” is granted on the basis of a “Licenciado”degree (5 years) obtained with distinction. The studies last 1 year. Only publicuniversities offer accredited masters.

2Ministry of Education, Lisbon.


7. Doctor's degree (“Doutoramento”)

The “Licenciado” degree allows one to take one’s doctor's degree (min. 3 years). Forthe field of engineering sciences the number of PhDs awarded is rather small. Only 491PhD degrees (engineering) were awarded between 1910 and 19923.

8. Higher institutions (5 years)

Hereafter is a survey of the educational institutions providing “Engenheiro” studies4.

Public Universities

Institution Number of StudentsAcademic year 1993-1994

1. Universidade dos Açores2. Universidade do Algarve3. Universidade de Aveiro4. Universidade da Beria Interior5. Universidade da Coimbra Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologica6. Universidade de Evora7. Universidade de Lisboa Faculdade de Ciências8. Universidade Técnica de Lisboa9. Universidade Nova de Lisboa10. Universidade do Minho11. Universidade do Porto12. Universidade de Trásos-Montes e Alto Douro13. Universidade da Madeira

172399

2,2241,410

3,6491,706

1869,1162,4473,2943,9782,340

72

Private UniversitiesAt Lusiada, Lisboa (2), Porto, Setúbal, Torres Vedras. Total number of students: 1,700.

3Source: Instituto da Prospectiva, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade Técnica deLisboa.

4Source: Ministry of Education, Lisbon.


9. Higher institutions (3 years)

Public institutions

Institution Number of StudentsAcademic year 1993-1994

1. Instituto Politécnico de Bragança2. Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco3. Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra4. Universidade do Algarve Escola Superior de Tecnologica5. Instituto Politécnico da Guarda6. Instituto Politécnico de Leiria7. Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa8. Instituto Politécnico de Portalegre9. Instituto Politécnico de Porto10. Instituto Politécnico de Santarém11. Escola Superior de Tecnologica de Tomar 12. Instituto Politécnico de Setúbal13. Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo14. Instituto Politécnico de Viscu

11740

1,561

913619528

4,19671

2,641191191741158500

Private institutions

In Lisboa, Porto, Setúbal, Torres Vedras. Total number of students: 570.

10. The large centres for engineering studies

10.1 Lisboa, Porto and Coimbra are the main centres for engineering studies. According todata from the Portugese Ministry of Education about 19,400 “Licenciado” students(resulting in the professional title of “Engenheiro”) were registered in those 3 cities in1993-1994. That represents ± 59% of all engineering students (5 years) in Portugal. About 11,750 studied in Lisboa, 4,000 in Porto and 3,650 in Coimbra5.

10.2 Those 3 cities also have the largest schools providing a three year course for the degreeof “Bacharelato” (BSc) and the professional title of “Engenheiro Técnico” (anengineering title not recognised by the Portugese Order of Engineers).

5Source: Ministry of Education, Lisboa.


In 1993 the institutions of those three cities together counted about 8,400 students, or ± 64% of the total number in Portugal. About 4,200 studied for a “BSc” in Lisbon in1993, 2,640 in Porto and 1,560 in Coimbra6.

10.3 Lisboa (capital city with 850,000 inhabitants and 1.9 million including theagglomeration) has three (public) universities providing engineering studies or a“scientific” education resulting in the degree of engineer.

A. Universidade de LisboaOnly the “Faculdada de Ciências” has an education leading to the degree of“Engenheiria Geográfica”. In 1993 there were about 180 students (5 years).

B. Universidade Técnica de LisboaAlso called “Escola Politécnica”. This is a Technical University or PolytechnicCollege, not to be confused with “Polytechnics”, providing a 3 year education of“Bacharelato”. The “Universidade Técnica de Lisboa” has two traininginstitutions for engineers. There is on the one hand the “Instituto Superior deAgronomia”, and on the other hand the “Instituto Superior Técnico”.

The “Universidade Técnica” is situated in a green area west of the city, close tothe station “Entrecampos”. It borders the famous botanical gardens and acompleet mini-forest. This unique natural area is an open air laboratory for the ±1,300 students of the “Instituto Superior de Agronomia” (5 years). This institutehas 3 different courses leading to “Engenharia Agro-Industrial”, “EngenhariaAgronómica” and “Engenharia Florestal”.

The “Instituto Superior Técnico” trains engineers in 13 different disciplines. Itcounted ± 7,800 students (5 years) in 1993.

C. Universidade Nova de Lisboa

At the “Faculdade de Ciências de Tecnologica” students can specialise in 10different engineering disciplines. Some are the same as for the “UniversidadeTécnica de Lisboa”. The “Nova” faculty had about 2,500 students in 1993.

10.4 CoimbraCoimbra (population ± 80,000) is the fourth largest city in Portugal and since the 14thcentury the university city in Portugal. Coimbra was and is the centre of culture andscience. The first university of Portugal was created in Lisboa in 1920 and transfered toCoimbra in 1307. Until 1907 Coimbra was the only city with a university.

6Source: Ministry of Education, Lisboa.


At the “Faculdade de Ciências e Técnologica” (created in 1772) of the “Universidadede Coimbra” there were about 3,600 students in 10 different engineering disciplines. All faculties (medicin, law, literature, etc.) together have about 13,000 students. The“Velha Universidade” or old university is located in the former royal palace.

10.5 PortoPorto or Oporto (= at the port) has a population of about 450,000 (agglomeration ±850,000) and is the country’s second largest city. In Porto, engineers are trained at the“Faculdade de Engeharia” of the “Universidade do Porto”. In 1993 there were ± 4,000students registered in 10 different disciplines at both faculties.

11. Industrieel ingenieur versus “Engenheiro”

The education of the Portugese engineer lasts 5 years. The courses are held at auniversity or an institute associated with a university. In order to exercise theengineering profession one has to be professionally recognised, i.e. have a professionaltitle awarded by the National Order of Engineers. The order does not recognise the“Engenheiro Técnico” (3 years).

Depending on the discipline one can state that the education of industrieel ingenieur,supplemented by an accredited MSc degree is of the same level as the Portugese“Engenheiro”.


HISTÓRIA OF PORTUGAL IN INICIAL 1975

Economy & Finance

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