The Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra announced today that it has approved the creation of a PhD in Agri-Food and Environmental Sustainability, the first to be taught at this Coimbra higher education establishment.
According to the Polytechnic of Coimbra, the PhD in Agri-Food and Environmental Sustainability is a partnership between the Polytechnic of Coimbra and the Polytechnic Institute of Castelo Branco and the Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, in cooperation with the Polytechnic Institute of Santarém.
“This is an important step for the Polytechnic of Coimbra and the other institutions involved, because it proves what has been known for a long time: the Polytechnics have enough critical mass to teach doctorates,” stressed the president of the Polytechnic of Coimbra, Jorge Conde.
He also highlighted the relevance of the subject of the doctorate, which is defined by the External Evaluation Commission (CAE) as “very important and innovative in the Portuguese education system”.
The PhD in Agri-Food and Environmental Sustainability aims to “train critical mass and high-level professionals with the skills to support the development of rural areas in regions vulnerable to climate and socio-economic change, such as the Central Region of Portugal”.
The course will be taught, starting in September, at the Higher Agricultural Schools of Coimbra, Castelo Branco and Viseu, and at the Higher School of Technology and Management of Viseu, with the cooperation of the Higher Agricultural School of Santarém.
According to the Polytechnic of Coimbra, the CAE’s evaluation report points to the “attractive name that identifies a current and relevant theme in its scientific and social dimensions” as the strengths of this PhD course proposal.
“It constitutes an innovative offer in the Portuguese higher education system, the study plan, the list of curricular units and their contents and the scientific capacity, experience and means for the development of research activities, namely the quality of the teaching staff in the areas of knowledge of the new cycle of studies,” it states.