The European University Association (EUA) considers that the Nursing School of Coimbra (ESEnfC) has all the conditions to reach the statute of university teaching.
The challenge was launched today by the international experts who carried out the international evaluation of the ESEnfC.
During the public presentation of the evaluation report, Professor Winfried Müller stated that "the school should follow its ambitions, they are legitimate, and take some risks in relation to the future".
For the team of EUA evaluators, the ESEnfC should "trust its capacities" and try to "convince politicians that Nursing is a scientific discipline", opening, therefore, a way to the passage from polytechnic education to university education.
According to the international panel of evaluators, the ESEnfC should "work in order to influence the Portuguese legislation", putting "pressure on the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education".
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ESEnfC's task is to "make the authorities assume that there is a need for research in this knowledge area", which will bring benefits for the health and well-being of the populations.
"There are a lot of examples in Europe that Nursing teaching is at the university level", stated Professor Winfried Müller.
The President of the Directing Board of the Nursing School of Coimbra, Professora Maria da Conceição Bento, was pleased with the recommendations of the EUA but emphasized that "this was the most important message they could have given us".
Professor Conceição Bento made a reference to the work already began by the ESEnfC for the accomplishment of a PhD in Nursing in partnership with other universities, as well as the increasing number of research projects being coordinated by the health Sciences Research Unit: Nursing Domain.
Within the scope of the report by the EUA, the international experts consider that the biggest nursing school in Portugal is characterised by a strong dedication to the Centre region and to the country, transmitting a very positive image to the exterior. This demonstrates its impressive cooperation environment and its very active governance.
Besides its motivated and very dedicated staff and students, the EUA also made a positive evaluation of the autonomy and flexibility of the available resources at the ESEnfC - in relation to this last aspect, the EUA team mentioned that the ESEnfC stands out when compared to other polytechnic schools in the country.
On the other hand, the EUA team thinks that the facilities of the ESEnfC are in good conditions, that there is a continuous concern with its remodelling and updating and that the School has state-of-the-art equipment.
The report of the EUA, with suggestions to improve the quality of the ESEnfC was presented today to the whole educative community and the external partners of the School.
The international evaluation team is composed of Professors Winfried B. Müller (Austria), Dionyssis Kladis (Greece) e Mette Karoliussen (Norway), as well as the student Sanja Brus (Slovenia).
