On September 29, the Technical University of Porto (UTP), through its Pedagogical Innovation Center (CIP), welcomed António Paraíso, an Information Technology for Education Specialist with the TEST Project – Higher Education, Science and Technology Development Project, under Angola’s Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation.
The TEST Project is a strategic initiative of the Government of Angola aimed at strengthening the quality and relevance of higher education. Among other areas, it encompasses faculty development, the digital transformation of institutions, the development of technological infrastructure, and the creation of conditions for stronger connections between teaching, research, and innovation. António Paraíso has been directly involved in this process, particularly in the development of the Executive Roadmap for the Digital Transformation of Higher Education and in initiatives associated with the Angolan National Research and Education Network (AngoREN).
In this context, Angola plans to establish regional centers of excellence to support the academic community in building capacity in emerging technologies and innovation, with a particular focus on the adoption of active learning methodologies and the integration of digital technologies into teaching and learning processes.
The visit to UTP was part of a broader technical visit to INOV-NORTE – Center of Excellence for Pedagogical Innovation in the Northern Region, carried out during António Paraíso’s stay in Portugal from September 28 to October 2. The aim was to learn about the experience of this Center of Excellence for Pedagogical Innovation, its operating model, and the initiatives developed by its member institutions, identifying lessons learned and best practices that, with the necessary adaptations to the Angolan context, may contribute to the establishment of future centers of excellence.
At the Technical University of Porto, the working session provided an opportunity for interinstitutional learning and knowledge sharing across different higher education contexts, drawing on UTP’s experience within INOV-NORTE and the work carried out by the Pedagogical Innovation Center. Experiences and best practices were shared in the areas of capacity building, pedagogical innovation, and digital transformation, while strategies for the sustainability and continuity of these types of structures were discussed, along with the importance of their institutional integration and consolidation.
The visit strengthens the international dimension of the Technical University of Porto’s activities and its openness to cooperation and the joint development of responses to emerging challenges in higher education, creating new opportunities for collaboration between UTP and the Angolan higher education community.