Talatona — Throughout the 50th anniversary of Angola's independence, the state-owned Agostinho Neto University (UAN) has trained 40,000 professionals in various courses, thus becoming the leading public higher education institution in the country.
The information was released on Wednesday, in the capital, by the the UAN's rector, Pedro Magalhães, during a lecture on the theme "The role of Agostinho Neto University in training professionals throughout its 50 years of independence."
On that occasion, he advocated for an urgent increase in the training of qualified personnel, especially in the area of scientific research.
The official expressed concern about the shortage of researchers and took the opportunity to reveal that the institution currently employs only 47 researchers for a university with approximately 23,000 enrolled students, distributed across 10 faculties.
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The rector explained that the shortage of researchers encompasses various fields of knowledge, with a greater impact in the natural sciences, a situation considered worrying because there are faculties with only one researcher and others with none.
He said that to reverse this scenario, the university has been investing in the training of personnel at the doctoral level, through the offering of courses locally, as well as the sending of professors to partner institutions abroad.
"The measure aims to differentiate national staff and strengthen the institution's scientific capacity for the next 50 years", he said.
Regarding infrastructure, the rector expressed optimism about the ongoing works on the University Campus, where the construction of the UAN University Hospital is planned, as well as preparations for the construction of new faculties, including Teaching, the Institute of Health Sciences, and the Institute of Physical Education and Sports.
However, Pedro Magalhães acknowledged the need to build and equip more laboratories.
Regarding student transportation, he stated that, although buses exist to support academic mobility, there is a need to reinforce the available resources due to the increased number of students.
During the conference, the launch of the reports of the Agostinho Neto International Conference and the Training of Professionals was also made public, an initiative considered by the rector as a moral duty of the institution, to compile a single document on the history, evolution, and future perspectives of the largest public university in the country.
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The event also served to honor more than 70 people, including students, former rectors, professors, and staff.
