Gregório Semedo Higher Polytechnic Institute (IGS) and University of Cádiz (UCA) - Spain, Promote Cooperation Day
This initiative reinforces IGS's commitment to strengthening academic cooperation, sustainable development and building knowledge networks that bring Angola closer to leading international institutions.
This Saturday's session was chaired by the IGS Directorate and Professor José Ignacio Navarro, responsible for the AngoSAP Capacity Building Project, and also included the presence of representatives from the Student Association, reinforcing the importance of student leadership in academic innovation processes. In addition to researchers and professors from IGS, the event brought together representatives from various institutions in the city of Lubango, as well as international guests who participated online from Spain, Portugal and Brazil. This institutional diversity was fundamental to enriching the discussions and broadening the perspectives for future collaboration.
The meeting began with the presentation of the participating institutions and their representatives, highlighting the plural and multidisciplinary nature of the Conference. This was followed by speeches from Professor Juan Silvio Cabrera and Professor Jorge Luís Mena, who presented the strategic priorities of IGS in the field of science, focusing on development-oriented research, advanced training and the enhancement of regional scientific capabilities. Next, Dr. Francisco Gembi addressed the role of psycho-pedagogical support as a fundamental axis for academic excellence, reinforcing the existing synergies between higher education institutions in the provinces of Huíla and Namibe.
Professor Dr. Álvaro Rodríguez Mora (UCA) presented AngoSAP, an innovative platform that promotes the exchange of experiences and the transfer of good psycho-pedagogical practices, contributing to the modernization of university student support services. The debate continued with interventions by MSc. Domingos Tavares (ASA-Huíla) and Dr. Inmaculada Menacho (UCA), who explored the role of university libraries as spaces of knowledge, culture, research and academic cooperation, essential for the sustainable development of institutions and for the creation of more robust educational ecosystems.
Under the coordination of MSc. Maria Dolores Gómez Domingos, from the Vice-Rectorate for International Relations at UCA, held a participatory debate that allowed for the consolidation of strategic projections and the definition of lines of action for future joint initiatives. One of the most relevant moments of the meeting was the formal invitation presented by the Spanish partners for psychologists, teachers, and researchers from the provinces of Huíla and Namibe to join the Ibero-African Psychology Network, an initiative framed within the ANGOSAP Project and co-financed by the European Union.
The event also featured a special cultural moment, led by artists from ASA-Huíla, who brought to the meeting an expressive celebration of local identity through the music of Avílio Lupenha and the poetry of the artist Espírito Livre. The Lawrence Brothers offered a musical intervention that enriched the academic environment with sensitivity and authenticity. The cultural program also included the vibrant presentation of the Padú Community Center Dance Group, which added dynamism and valued the artistic diversity of the region.
The event concluded with a guided tour of the IGS facilities, including the Student Support Office, followed by a group photograph symbolizing the spirit of cooperation, mutual respect, and institutional commitment that characterized the entire meeting.
