Private HE body accuses government of discrimination

The Portuguese Association of Private Higher Education (APESP) has accused the government of “ideological discrimination” for maintaining a legal regime that prevents private institutions from recognising academic degrees and diplomas awarded by foreign universities, reports TPN/Lusa.

“It is crucial that this discriminatory practice ends in Portugal, allowing private institutions to recognise academic degrees and higher education diplomas awarded by foreign higher education institutions, on an equal basis with their state counterparts,” writes António Almeida-Dias, the president of the association in a statement.

At issue is the legal regime for the recognition of academic degrees and higher education diplomas awarded by foreign higher education institutions, which stipulates that the three forms of recognition (automatic, level and specific) must be requested from public universities or polytechnics. According to APESP, this limitation exists despite the fact that the association itself is represented on the Commission for the Recognition of Foreign Degrees and Diplomas of the Directorate-General for Higher Education and that private universities grant the degrees of licentiate, master and doctor.
Full report on The Portugal News site