Following three days of discussions, the 7th Latin America and the Caribbean–European Union Academic Summit concluded with the Maia Declaration, which calls on the governments of these regions to begin implementing a Common Area for Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation.
According to Miguel Copetto, Executive Director of APESP, this commitment seeks to contribute to “a new phase in a project that has been built over thirteen years”. The declaration advocates moving forward without waiting for the conclusion of an Academic Integration Agreement, making use of existing cooperation mechanisms. It proposes identifying priority projects in the areas of mobility, academic recognition, advanced training, research and artificial intelligence, with designated leads, timelines and verifiable outcomes.
At the closing session of the Summit, which brought together around 250 participants, APESP President António Almeida Dias argued that the Maia Declaration should serve as an “instrument for dialogue with political decision-makers” and reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment “to the active participation of its institutions in shaping this public agenda”. In a video message, the President of the Portuguese Assembly of the Republic, José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, emphasised the importance of strengthening ties between these regions: “It is the decision to build a different world, based on cooperation, trust and knowledge.”
The event was held under the High Patronage of the President of the Portuguese Republic and organised by APESP and the Latin America and the Caribbean–European Union Permanent Academic Forum.
APESP would like to thank Universidade Portucalense and Universidade da Maia, the host institutions, for their support and involvement in organising this Summit.
