On April 21st, APESP promoted a series of sharing and reflection sessions preceding its General Assembly. The event brought together leaders of the founding entities at the Hélder Pita Auditorium at ISEC Lisboa, which hosted the meeting.
The session began with opening remarks by António Almeida-Dias, President of APESP, and Cristina Ventura, President of the APESP Polytechnic Council, who welcomed the participants and provided an overview of the presentation program.
The first session was led by Joaquim Mourato, President of the Institute for Higher Education (IES, I.P.), accompanied by Andreia Godinho Lopes, head of the IES Student Support area, focusing on the reform of student social support. The presented proposal is based on the decentralization of scholarship assessment processes to higher education institutions, promoting closer proximity to students, faster decision-making, and enhanced data protection. This model is oriented towards academic success, equity, and efficiency, under State supervision.
This was followed by an intervention by José Queirós de Almeida, CEO of Greenvolt Comunidades, focusing on environmental sustainability, energy communities, and the importance of adopting renewable energy in educational institutions.
The final session before the General Assembly featured Carla Gonçalves Pereira, Executive Director of the Society for Innovation Applied to Sustainability (SInASE). She presented the European Union Funding Strategy, highlighting opportunities within the Portugal 2030 framework, participation in European projects and consortia, as well as prospects for the next financial framework (2028–2034).
Each presentation was followed by a Q&A period, allowing for the clarification of doubts and the sharing of perspectives among the participants.
Once this phase was concluded, the APESP General Assembly took place, chaired by João Redondo, followed by a meeting of the leaders of higher education cooperatives and a meeting of the association’s Board of Directors.
APESP thus reaffirms its commitment to the enhancement of Private Higher Education, promoting dialogue, the sharing of knowledge, and the development of strategic solutions for the sector.
