Portugal has presented China with a draft agreement on the mutual recognition of academic degrees, which Beijing has agreed to study, the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alencse, told the Lusa agency today.
The Minister stated that after many years of deadlock and numerous interactions between the Portuguese side and the delegation of the People's Republic of China, Portugal proposed an agreement that China accepted for analysis. Fernando Alencse emphasized that accepting this proposal opens the way for resuming negotiations on an issue he called 'extremely important' for academic cooperation between the two countries.
Furthermore, the Minister announced that a new technical meeting between representatives of Portugal and China is scheduled for Tuesday to continue discussions on the recognition of degrees and diplomas. He noted that without such an agreement, difficulties will always arise in ensuring the mobility of teachers and students, which is vital for such cooperation.
The agreement under discussion aims to establish equivalence between Portuguese Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees and Chinese degrees of Xueshi, Shuoshi, and Boshi, respectively, according to previously published information by the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MECI).
Fernando Alencse explained that the delegation from the Chinese Ministry of Education participated in the negotiations of the X Joint Commission on Science and Technology of Portugal–China, held today in Beijing, due to the complementarity of higher education and scientific research. In Portugal, these fields are integrated into one ministry, whereas in China, they are overseen by different bodies.
Nevertheless, the official noted good coordination between Chinese authorities responsible for education, science, and technology, which allowed both aspects to be addressed during bilateral meetings. The X Joint Commission on Science and Technology, which had not met since 2019, concluded its work today with the signing of a joint declaration by Fernando Alencse and his Chinese counterpart Yin Hezjun.
According to a statement from MECI sent to Lusa, the two countries have identified five priority areas for scientific and technological cooperation: ocean and blue economy; energy, climate, batteries, and hydrogen; agriculture, bioeconomy, and nutrition; healthcare, healthy aging, and medical technologies; and the preservation of cultural heritage through science. Portugal and China have also committed to developing a Joint Action Plan in Science and Innovation by 2027, which may include bilateral financing mechanisms, researcher mobility, cooperation between scientific institutions and companies, and the creation of joint laboratory networks.
The resumption of the Joint Commission's work was agreed upon in June during Fernando Alencse's previous visit to China. The current trip of the Minister and Secretary of State for Science and Innovation, Helena Kanghao, covers Tianjin, Beijing, and Shanghai, including visits to Chinese universities, research centers, and technology companies.