New FCTUC Director aims for 'Excellence in Teaching, Research, and Innovation'

The swearing-in ceremony of the new Director of the Faculty of Sciences and Technology of the University of Coimbra (FCTUC), Edmundo Monteiro, took place this Thursday, 8 February, in the Senate Hall of the UC. The full professor from the Department of Informatics Engineering (DEI) outlined the goals for the largest faculty of the university and what it will take to achieve them.

Professor Monteiro believes that the future of the FCTUC lies in "creating a school of excellence in teaching, research and innovation, which is fundamental to establishing a transformative and disruptive innovation ecosystem in the region”.

The UC's 'aircraft carrier,' Edmundo Monteiro joked, currently has “many areas of excellence, but also an uneven level of quality in terms of attractiveness and academic success”. The new director asserts that the task ahead is to “work towards harmonising and creating synergies between departments and research centres”.

UC Rector Amílcar Falcão said that the Faculty of Sciences and Technology is “very important for the university as a whole, and we need a robust FCTUC,” further adding that “it will face many internal challenges, but it needs to stand fully united and strong”.

Edmundo Monteiro is joined on the FCTUC Board by Luís Godinho, responsible for Infrastructure and Buildings; Paula Veríssimo, responsible for Academic Services, Training, and Quality; and Sandra Carvalho, responsible for Research, Innovation, and Technology Transfer.