BEACON OF KNOWLEDGE
Atlantica University differentiates through its company-university model and an MBA program in partnership with the University of California, Berkley, among other initiatives, to produce practical theoreticians.
BIOGRAPHY
Carlos Guillén Gestoso is a professor of work and organizational psychology and is currently an Associate Professor at the University of Bologna, Italy. Between 2009 and 2017, he was President of Carbures SA and has been the Counselor Carbures Group Board since 2008. He is Director of the Spanish Observatory for Social Responsibility and Organizations, as well as Director of the Portuguese Observatory for Social and Business Responsibility. He combines these functions with the Presidency of the EIA Group, Portugal, and Carbures Foundation, Spain and is responsible for the Research of Labor Sciences Group.The Atlantica University was created 23 years ago. What have been its main achievements and goals?
Four years ago, the Carbures group decided to invest in Atlantica University to develop a training and research project through the creation of new studies to enhance the fundamental know-how of Carbures: engineering, aeronautics, and materials. The model has changed radically during these four years because it integrates the company's vision within the university; our differentiator is the company-university model. The company is the manager of research and training. The requests, orientation, and structuring begin at the company, in such a way that the university is an instrument that goes hand in hand with the company. Training that is not supported by a company and does not cover the company itself will produce good professionals but not practical theoreticians. The connection with the company allows us to establish programs and curricular units close to the company's reality. An example is the creation of the School of Engineering, which in turn has three areas of focus: aeronautics, materials, and management and production. Carbures needed to focus on the creation of future engineers of the company. To that end, we created an alternative program of studies adapted to the company through operational stays: co-regular practices. All students at all levels pass through the manufacturing plants of Carbures and Airbus in Spain twice a year. The convergence between Airbus and Carbures needs engineers and complementary studies, and we can create a different professional role in that regard. Through this, the students develop an experience that is unique in Portugal.
Do aeronautics students go to Spain or local companies?
A large percentage of the students go to work at Carbures because they have a theoretical-practical background that offers different things. The model encourages the approach of the company to the university, fosters differential and operational training, creates a cycle of training for Carbures engineers to be trained through Atlantica with up-to-date information, and creates a feedback cycle because the curricula of engineering are made from the real needs of an engineer in aeronautics or composite materials. This model encourages technical professional competence as well as the transmission of knowledge. Moving forward, we will start another line of research with the Carbures Foundation to develop concrete products in the area of composite materials. The Atlantica University is an instrument of the company to cover its social, welfare, and specialized training areas, which in turn allows the university to grow with specialized training as well as new know-how and real knowledge transmission.
What projects have been developed with other international institutions?
The Atlantica University has signed agreements with other institutions during the last four years. The fundamental driving force for the development of new agreements is the Carbures Foundation. The Carbures Foundation intends to promote and strengthen the Carbures brand, which was born in the university. We created a consortium between Carbures, Carbures Foundation, and Atlantica for the applied engineering in aeronautics and materials. This consortium opens the possibility of developing research delegations of Atlantica in the US to generate applied research agreements and partnerships.
What percentage of local and international students does Atlantica have?
We have around 2,300 students in total, and international students make up 30% of that. While Spanish and French students are common in the health area, Italian students have higher presence in the area of engineering and management. Moreover, we have students from Tanzania, Gambia, Angola, Mozambique, and Brazil.
How does your partnership with Berkley work?
This project was awarded to us by a Spanish company that has an agreement with Berkley. Students can spend four to fifth months doing their master's degree in Berkley and choose their desired course. At the end of the program, students can work in a company of choice in Silicon Valley for a year.
BEACON OF KNOWLEDGE
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Focus: Community of Portuguese Language Speaking Countries
Making an Impact
Established in 1996, the Community of Portuguese Language Speaking Countries (CPLP) is a mechanism geared at linking and sharing the experience of Lusophone countries. Besides Portugal, this includes Brazil, Portugal, Cape Verde, Angola, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, and São Tomé and Príncipe.
read articleFocus
Don’t Mind the Disruption
Having won the 2017 Eurovision Song Contest, Lisbon hosted the 2018 event. The relevance? Well, the contest began back in 1956 as a showcase not only of song, but of then-nascent live television broadcast technology. Today, Portugal is on the cutting edge of new technological developments.
read articleInterview
João Pedro Soeiro de Matos Fernandes , Minister , Environment and Energy Transition
The Ministry for the Environment and Energy Transition is focusing on decarbonizing the economy, valuing the territory and its habitats, and striving for a more circular use of the country's resources.
read articleInterview
António Braz Costa , General Manager, Portuguese Technological Centre for the Textile & Clothing Industries (CITEVE)
CITEVE has transformed the industry by promoting value addition, adopting the latest technologies, and ensuring the highest standards of environmental sustainability.
read articleFocus: New airport
Right Time to Seize Missed Opportunities
Portugal has seen its air traffic figures increase by as much as 80% in the last five years. As a result, its transportation infrastructure, and Lisbon's airport in particular, cannot cope with the rising numbers. A new airport project that will turn a military base into a commercial airport is now under discussion to bring much-needed relief to air traffic.
read articleInterview
Germano de Sousa , President, Grupo Germano de Sousa
Grupo Germano de Sousa's success can best be summed up by its understanding that science and medicine only really progress when technological development is combined with a deeper respect for human values and professional ethics.
read articleInterview
Isabel Capeloa Gil , Rector, Universidade Católica
Having pioneered the introduction of multiple subject areas to Portugal's tertiary education scene, Universidade Católica is aspiring to establish the country's first private medical school and introduce cutting-edge digital transformation.
read articleInterview
Carlos Guillén Gestoso , President, Escola Universitária de Ciências Empresariais, Saúde, Tecnologias e Engenharia & President, Atlantica University
Atlantica University differentiates through its company-university model and an MBA program in partnership with the University of California, Berkley, among other initiatives, to produce practical theoreticians.
read articleFocus: Public teaching staff
An Age-old Problem
Over a decade of austerity measures combined with an ageing population have seen the average age of the Portuguese public teaching staff progressively climb to one of the highest in the OECD. With frozen salaries, an extended retirement age, and precarious working conditions, today the sector faces one of its biggest challenge yet.
read articleInterview
Pedro Queiroz , General Manager, Federation of the Portuguese Agri-Food Industry (FIPA)
Portugal's economic recovery has seen its F&B sector emerge with annual turnovers of EUR16 billion, thanks to FIPA's undeterred focus on stable policies, excellent nutrition standards, and sustainability.
read article