In 2023, NOVA University Lisbon will celebrate the 50th anniversary of its foundation.
Over five decades, every one of the people who have studied or studied, worked or worked, taught or taught, researched or researched here has contributed to making NOVA what it is today: a community united by the common purpose of educating talent, inspiring scientific progress and serving society through knowledge.
As Rector, and also as a member of this community for 43 years, it is with deep emotion and gratitude that I look back, and to the side, and note the extraordinary evolution of our University, from the early years, when we were still trying to affirm the difference and ambition of its academic project, to today, when it has already established itself as an example of excellence at the national level, and as a reference at the international level, in the production and transmission of knowledge, and the creation of value for society.
Looking with pride at the achievements of the past and with confidence at the ambitious and innovative projects of the present, I see NOVA's future, 50 years from now, as vibrant, inspiring, and sustainable.
With flexible teaching, geared to the needs and challenges of society, where study cycles are a combination of 'hard' and 'soft' skills, essential for this purpose and the student's interests. An education offered to people from all over the world, by the best national and international talent; based on learning models that encourage project and teamwork, and taking place in hybrid classrooms, equipped with the necessary technology to allow holographic classes and connection with students and teachers from all over the world, but also virtual classrooms, platforms where the support content necessary for face-to-face classes is permanently located, and which also serve as an open and fluid communication interface between students and teachers.
Research where the majority of projects and outcomes respond to major global challenges and therefore involve multidisciplinary and multi-institutional teams on a global scale. Discovering cures for today's diseases, many incurable diseases, finding new and effective solutions to major social and economic problems, developing technologies that we cannot even imagine today, and putting them at the service of a better world, including cultural and artistic creation and enjoyment.
An innovation that is implemented in local communities, but also more virtually and remotely, reaching not only local and regional populations, but the whole world. This will produce unprecedented solutions to real problems on a global scale, with a truly transformative impact in areas such as sustainable agriculture, oceans, renewable energy, global health or the sustainability of cities and communities.
More holistically, a New University where everyone, without exception, feels part of an inspiring and safe community that nurtures their talents and values the richness that comes from their differences. One that reflects the diversity of the world and where the intersection of ideas, cultures, and perspectives is celebrated and encouraged, demonstrating that diversity in all its plurality is one of the great strengths of universities and societies of the future. A NOVA without silos or barriers, where no one with talent and desire is left out.
This is the future I envision for our university. And how do we get there? With time, space, and, above all, a commitment that what we envision for the future is not a utopia, but a reality within our reach, if we work hard to achieve it.
Throughout the year, several academic and cultural initiatives took place, involving the entire University in the celebration of NOVA's 50th anniversary. Thanks to this enthusiasm, a vibrant dynamic has been created that has proved beneficial to NOVA's internal and external community, and which, for this reason, should not cease at the end of this year, but should from now on become an integral part of life on our campus.
The continuity of this positive energy will help to strengthen the bonds between the University and the people who are part of it, and to keep the NOVA community united and committed to the challenges inherent in its mission.