The Newsletter is an excellent internal and external communication vehicle to disseminate activities not just of the Faculty but also of all institutions that comprise our Academic Medical Centre of Lisbon.
The success of News@fmul is the result of the work of everyone, for which reason I thank you all for your involvement. I also call for the continuation of this communication spirit and information sharing among the entire academic community living and working in this vast campus.
2013 was a difficult year for the institution and the country, for well-known reasons.
But I strongly believe that times of crisis are also opportunities that should be taken to create a new renovating verve that may help institutions find new ways to affirm and consolidate themselves.
The establishment of the ULisboa as a result of the merger of UL and UTL was both a success and a challenge, and I take the opportunity to congratulate the Rector and his team and to reiterate the utmost availability and committed collaboration of the Faculty.
The Faculty of Medicine played a pivotal role in the development of this project, constituting, alongside the IMM and HSM-CHLN, a sound anchor for the advancement of research in Health Sciences and Clinical Medicine in the new University and in the country.
In this context, the strengthening of the Academic Medical Centre is of particular relevance, attained through better coordination and strategy of the institutions that integrate it, as well as through cooperation with IST in the form of the Integrated Master Degree in Biomedical Engineering, which has been an outstanding academic success and an excellent career prospect for degree graduates. Other projects are underway, such as the Master in Biomedical Technologies, already accredited by the A3ES, and joint research projects involving other units of ULisboa.
2014 is the year when new initiatives will be taken to contribute to the renewal of the University and foster common goals in Biomedical Sciences and Clinical Medicine, consolidating a new stage in the Convergence with the Engineering areas.
The work in progress on the new building in our campus will provide an opportunity to foster this collaboration and will be a real hub to launch new initiatives and projects that strengthen this scientific cooperation. The completion of work in progress is a strong need and the Faculty has reiterated its availability to support the Rectory services that, from the onset, have taken on the management of the construction work.
As I have stated on multiple occasions, I believe that the HSM-CHLN is central to the mission of the Faculty, which requires quality academic medicine open to therapy innovation and able to produce knowledge through research.
Fostering Advanced Training will be a priority objective of the Faculty. The CAML Doctoral Programme started 3 years ago has been a success and it is necessary to boost the provision of Master Degree Programmes and Training Courses that can meet the training needs of society while maintaining a high scientific quality. Achieving this objective is vital to ensure we maintain and develop the leading position the Academic Centre enjoys in the context of national institutions. Accordingly, it is an urgent imperative that we extend the dialogue and inter-institutional cooperation in order to qualify these postgraduate training initiatives.
Collaboration with affiliated health institutions has been decisive for the success of medical education and I thank everyone for their commitment and cooperation.
In 2013 we celebrated the 10th anniversary of IMM, a success story which the Faculty is also part and very proud of. It emerged out of the Faculty of Medicine and of research centres ranked Excellent by an international committee. The IMM enjoys the status of Associate Laboratory, which has conferred it remarkable dynamics and sustained growth. The connection between the IMM and the Faculty is indestructible and has been an asset for biomedical research capacity. It has encouraged increased interaction with clinical medicine and, in the context of the Academic Centre, we shall become a cutting edge scientific, educational and professional core that will bring prestige to the country.
I also congratulate Professor Maria Mota for the award of the Pessoa Prize, which recognizes the importance and impact of her research and also honours the IMM and the Faculty of Medicine.
I would like to mention a recent event that has enthralled me and renewed my confidence in the future. GAPIC held another research day at the Faculty of Medicine, and it was wonderful to watch the presentation and discussion of scientific posters by our students in Portuguese and English. This confirms that we are on the right track, focusing on science-based education that is vital for the training of our students as future doctors and for increasingly better medicine for all.
I renew my confidence in the institution and thank all at FMUL for their cooperation, duty spirit and commitment. We shall proceed in fulfilling our mission as a university to educate, train and advance science, serving the community and the country.
I take the opportunity to encourage and support our students so that their stay at the Faculty may be successful, and reaffirm that the Board and the Faculty are at their disposal to help them overcome any natural difficulty.
On behalf of the Board of FMUL, I wish all Lecturers, Students and Staff of this School, as well as all employees of HSM/CHLN, IMM and Affiliated Health Institutions, my best wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, reaffirming my hope in the future of the Faculty and of the Academic Medical Centre and in the success of the University of Lisbon.