On the Strategic Council of Caixa de Crédito Agrícola de Torres Vedras there are former ministers and former vice-governors of the Bank of Portugal, former bank presidents and researchers, figures of recognized national importance. One of the people I am most pleased to see sitting next to me is the scientist Elvira Fortunato who, in all lists of possibilities for winning the Nobel Prize again, almost always occupies first place.
I recently had two long conversations with the reader and I couldn’t say everything I knew about what I now share with the country and with you.
It is difficult to say this, without running the risk of pride beyond what is admissible, you will certainly understand the reason.
After more than 500 years, Torres Vedras will once again have a University Campus operating in the municipality.
It will be the first time that the Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon leaves the capital to strengthen its strengths and continue contributing to the future of our country and the sustainability of the SUS.
Our Caixa Agrícola, following a request from the Court of Auditors that the Faculty of Medicine and the Chamber of Torres Vedras, two public entities, had a private associate accustomed to monitoring investments, entered into this partnership that meets our identity, our reason for existing, the reason for existence of cooperativism itself.
It’s done and signed.
We refused vacancies in the administration, and agreed to appoint two members in a personal capacity to the supervisory board and presidency of the general assembly, which I will exercise pro bono with responsibility and a sense of duty.
We signed a memorandum of understanding with the chamber and the faculty that requires certain decisions to be taken unanimously, transparency will be absolute and we believe that the Torreense community and civil society will be up to this ambitious undertaking. It would be important for the project to remain a non-profit association, but over time we will see whether it will be necessary, I hope not, to change to a limited liability company. If this happens, we will not be able to continue as a partner under the laws that apply to us.
The first “stone” of this possibility was laid by Carlos Bernardes, former mayor of Torres Vedras and continued by his successor, Laura Rodrigues and, finally, by the current president Sérgio Galvão who signed the final document. Three presidents who, in essence, increase credibility and the sense of unity that has become transversal and independent of political colors, all with the tireless persistence of the prof. Joaquim Ferreira.
The project was designed by architect Frederico Valsassina who designed the space based on the foundations of the old Convent of the Arrábidos friars, founded in the 16th century by Infanta D. Maria, daughter of D. Manuel. A convent that ended up being, for most of its existence, a place of barefoot Franciscans who had an open door so that all the destitute and beggars could cure their soul and health problems. After the liberal revolts, the space was sold at public auction to the Marquis of Valada who resold it to the Jesuits to resettle.
With the Republic, the State transformed the convent into an old people’s home, but the space ended up dismantled. Until the reinvention announced in this happy partnership.
It will be a space for innovation. From teaching, research and primary health care, which is invaluable to our community and the country. Torres Vedras will increase its per capita value and attract talent – 400 new direct jobs are planned.
A real challenge is to create conditions so that our “health cluster” can also be an integrative platform with a critical mass of several worlds, starting with Latin America, with doctors and nurses who will be able to more easily achieve their ambition of obtaining equivalences that, in our country, have not been easy to obtain.
It is thought that our horticultural sector could benefit from some of the planned research. Benefit and be effective partners so that a pressing need can be resolved: collaboration between universities and companies.
This project corresponds to a strategy against populism of constant victimization. I’m worried about the idea that we’re always thinking that we can’t do it, that it’s not possible – sometimes, the solutions to solving lighting problems are not under the lampshade, you have to be innovative, take risks, believe. We have to try to be bold, perhaps to be like those Portuguese who were in the 1500s, the date of the establishment of the Order that inhabited the Convent and who widened the road to the World because they thought more, better and bigger.
manuel.guerreiro@ccamtv.pt
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