The University of the Algarve has a new Rector after Paulo Águas was elected today, amid stiff competition.
The votes counted on Wednesday led to an inconclusive result so the members of the General Council of the Algarve University met again today, November 16, and decided to elect the current head of the School of Management, Hospitality and Tourism, who obtained 16 votes, against 14 voyes for Efigénio Rebelo.
This is the first time that the head of a polytechnic has been elevated to run a University but his tourism and hospitality credentials will stand Águas in good stead as this is the sector is the Algarve’s major employer.
Speaking to journalists, Paulo Águas did not reject the historical dimension of his election, but played it down, saying that he did not stand for election just to be militant and that his election is "a sign of the University’s maturity."
Águas did not have an easy ride as at first his application was rejected by the Electoral Commission, a sub-section of the General Council of the University, because he was a professor of the polytechnic - considered a lower order. His application was approved only after the Deputy Rector lodged an appeal, which was accepted.
The inauguration of the new Rector is scheduled for December 13, the same date as the University’s 38th anniversary.
The University again has been elevated to the Times Higher Education’s 'World University Ranking'- listed among top institutions for Life Sciences and Clinical, pre-clinical and health disciplines. The institution was between positions 400 and 500 overall, but was Portugal’s top-ranking institution especially noted for its international outreach and image.
