UT Austin|Portugal Program renewed for five years

12 Nov 2012

Agreement with the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology will continue the program through 2017.

On November 5th, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and The University of Texas at Austin to renew the UT Austin|Portugal Program through 2017. The agreement specifies that the program will receive € 2 million in support per year, with the funds divided among the principal programs at UT and partner institutions in Portugal. The renewal will allow the program to continue its objective of academic and research excellence while increasing its emphasis on entrepreneurship and cooperation with industry.

The UT Austin|Portugal Program, also known as the International Collaboratory for Emerging Technologies (CoLab), began in 2007 with a focus on three academic areas - Digital Media, Mathematics and Advanced Computing - as well as the creation of a network for the commercialization of Portuguese innovation, the University Technology Enterprise Network (UTEN).

In the past five years the program has brought together more than 40 professors and researchers and 120 students from Portuguese universities and research institutions. It has supported over 105 doctoral and post-doctoral fellowships, 250 visits to UT Austin for research collaboration, and 110 public events such as workshops, summer schools, and the Futureplaces festival. 

For more information:

• FCT Notícias: Programa UT Austin|Portugal: segunda parceria internacional renovada
• News release: Programa UT Austin|Portugal garantido por mais cinco anos

Left to right: Nuno Correia (CoLab Director in Portugal), António Rendas (President of the Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities), Juan Sanchez (Vice President for Research, UT Austin), Miguel Seabra (President of the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology), Robert Peterson (CoLab Director at UT Austin).