Candidate Maria Lencastre Portugal (CHEGA) highlights the importance of ISMT during institutional visit

2025-10-03

The Miguel Torga Higher Institute (ISMT) welcomed, on 3 October, the visit of Maria Lencastre Portugal, candidate of the CHEGA party for the presidency of Coimbra City Council, as part of the institutional contacts programme of her candidacy. The initiative aimed to deepen understanding of the reality and challenges of Higher Education in Coimbra, as well as to share proposals for the future of education, science, and the city’s development.

Accompanying the candidate were Paulo Seco, candidate for the Coimbra Municipal Assembly, Maria Daniel Moreira, candidate for Vice-President of Coimbra City Council, Pedro de Vieira e Sousa, candidate for the Parish Council of Santo António dos Olivais, and Pedro Castelo Branco, from the campaign’s advisory team.

On behalf of ISMT, the reception was led by the President, Manuel Castelo Branco.

During the visit, Maria Lencastre Portugal emphasised the need to provide ISMT with suitable new facilities, stressing that the institution must remain in Coimbra. The candidate also reiterated CHEGA’s commitment to supporting the strengthening of ISMT not only within the city and the Central Region, but also at national and international level.

Maria Lencastre Portugal further guaranteed the full collaboration of her candidacy, after the electoral act, to ensure that the issue of the facilities is resolved in coordination with the institution and the Municipality.

Manuel Castelo Branco, President of ISMT, expressed his gratitude for the visit and underlined the importance of the Institute’s openness to all political stakeholders, reinforcing the role of ISMT as a strategic partner in the academic, scientific, and cultural development of Coimbra.