The The transformative role of education: a reflection on higher education in Angola and the lusophone world

Abstract

This interview was conducted with one of the leading figures in the world's largest Portuguese language teaching group. The Professor Manuel de Almeida Damásio is a Portuguese national with a wealth of experience: he was a secondary school teacher and later a university teacher in Portugal; he is a founding member of the largest Portuguese language teaching network, spread across several countries, namely Portugal, Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea and Mozambique. In this interview, Professor Manuel de Almeida Damásio spoke about the history of the Lusófona Teaching Group in the different countries where it is represented, in particular his experience in Angola. He spoke about the difficulties that young Angolans face in accessing higher education, gave a current overview of education and higher education in Angola, the main challenges facing the sector, the need for international exchange (Angola) with countries in the region and in Europe, culminating with a discussion of the importance of investing in scientific production and the creation of scientific journals to better and more widely disseminate the knowledge produced. Finally, the interviewee gave advice and emphasised the need to define effective public policies and strategies for the country's development, considering the maxim that: “if you want to develop your country, invest in education and everything else will follow”.