Message of the Rectors of the UL and of the UTL, António Sampaio da Nóvoa and António Cruz Serra, to the academic communities.
“The Decree-Law announcing the merger between the University of Lisbon and the Technical University of Lisbon (Decree-Law no. 266-E/2012, Government’s Official Gazette, no. 252, 2nd Supplement, Series I, of 31 December 2012) has been published today.

This is a particularly important time in a process we have been collectively engaged in. We note with special satisfaction that the decree-law respects the logic of participation and democratic decision within the two universities, stipulates the integration of the University Stadium into the new university and solves problems that have existed for decades regarding the assets of the UL and the UTL.

We wish to thank all those who, over the past years, have been involved in this this project, ranging from general councils to the senates, and including members of the working groups, lecturers, researchers, students, and non-teaching staff.

We now have about three months to prepare, publicly discuss and approve the Statutes of the new university. We ask everyone to participate in this debate from now on and help build the contours of the new “University of Lisbon”, the result of the merger between the two main universities in Lisbon.

Meanwhile, we wait for Parliament to approve the amendments to the Legal System of Higher Education Institutions (RJIES), granting the new University “a legal framework of enhanced autonomy”, as stated in the preamble of the decree-law, as a public university (public law entity).
Once the Statutes have been approved and ratified by the Government, the process to elect the General Council and, later, the Rector of the new university, will be started.

At the time when the two general councils meet the rectors, thus becoming a Statutory Assembly, we invite the two academic communities to participate in a joint official session to mark the start of the academic year, which will take place on 16 January, Wednesday, at 5pm at the Aula Magna of the University of Lisbon (in Campo Grande).

Lisbon, 31 December 2012

António Cruz Serra, Rector of the Technical University of Lisbon
António Sampaio da Nóvoa, Rector of the University of Lisbon

Decree-law no. 266-E/2012, of 31 December

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