Uma das muitas mensagens de solidariedade recebidas pelo Prof. Pereira dos Santos em resposta ao seu apelo difundido internacionalmente:
As Chair of the Higher Education
and Research Standing Committee of ETUCE, I will express my deepest
concern and solidarity with the university staff who are trying to
resist the dramatic cuts and restructuring, mergers
etc. of universities in Portugal.
Most governments in Europe – and
the European Commission – are always claiming that universities, higher
education and research is vital for the future of Europe.
Unfortunately, they only see education and research as
an instrument to economic recovery and to enhance the competitiveness
of European industry. Thus, it is mainly research which immediately can
stimulate production which is considered valid and relevant. The same
goes for the higher education which they claim
must be reformed in order to meet the immediate needs of enterprises
and the labour market. Basic research, cultural understanding and
intellectual challenges as an important value of the mission of
universities are not taken into account.
The trade unions and all other
organisations in society who defend a peaceful and social responsible
development of modern societies must reject this reduction of
universities to service centres of industry and immediate
needs of governments and the labour market. We must insist that the
mission of a university – in particular in a modern, globalised
knowledge society – must also include long term perspectives and work in
areas and subjects which are not immediately profitable.
I wish you all the success in
rejecting the resent trends in reforming the universities and the risk
of abolishing their mission in basic research.
Please come back if there is any further support your will ask for.
Greetings
Jens Vraa-Jensen
ETUCE - European Trade Union Committee for Education
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