The University of La Laguna (Spain) and the Polytechnic University of Bragança (Portugal) are two of the partners in the STARS EU alliance, an organization whose objectives include the implementation of joint degree programs that facilitate student mobility and allow them to internationalize their curricula. This week, Luís Manuel Santos Pais, Vice President for Academic Affairs and International Relations at the Portuguese institution, visited the Canary Islands university to explore the possibilities of creating several joint master’s programs.
Santos Pais is also a member of the STARS EU steering committee and was received by the alliance coordinator at the University of La Laguna, José Sigut Saavedra , as well as committee members Ernesto Pereda de Pablo and Rodrigo Trujillo González. On January 13th and 14th, they held several meetings with representatives from various departments, faculties and local schools to explore the possibility of launching these new master’s programs should sufficient material, financial, and human resources be available.
Thus, during the first day of contacts, discussions were held with representatives of the Faculty of Fine Arts to discuss a possible Master’s degree in Art and Design; and with the School of Engineering and Technology about a Master’s degree in energy decarbonization, «which is already very advanced» and for this reason, they are already thinking about requesting Erasmus Mundus Design Measures with the aim of developing it.
On the second day, a meeting was held with the Department of Chemical Engineering and Pharmaceutical Technology to discuss launching a postgraduate program in this field, leveraging the strengths of Braganza, the Crakow University of Technology (another STARS EU partner), and the University of La Laguna itself. Finally, the management team of the Faculty of Economics, Business and Tourism held another meeting to explore the implementation of a degree in innovation and entrepreneurship, related to a master’s program currently offered by the Portuguese institution. «These are different ideas and projects that we all hope to finalize in order to attract students and offer a dual or joint degree in one or two years.»
Experience in internationalization
The visiting professor wanted to share with the University of La Laguna his more than 20 years of experience promoting the internationalization of his university «in a creative way,» which has resulted in a considerable increase in international students at his university, especially from Brazil. «Fortunately, we have something very valuable, which is the Portuguese language, just as you have Spanish, so you also have the same opportunity.» He explained that his policies have focused particularly on Portuguese-speaking countries in the Americas and Africa. «What I would like to emphasize, because it is important for my university and also for the University of La Laguna, is that this generates very positive figures in terms of the number of students and allows us to have an impact in those countries and attract talent.»
Within the framework of STARS EU, Santos Pais emphasizes the need for greater collaboration to promote daily mobility for students and staff. “Our professors must share their teaching expertise across institutions, and this leads us to create joint training units, dual degrees, and joint qualifications, which is why José Sigut invited me,” he explains. “The main message is that cooperation depends on us, so we have to build it together, in our own way. We are stronger together than alone.”
