The University of the Azores (UAc) announced the election of its Rector, Susana Mira Leal, as president of the Board of Rectors of EUNICoast – European University of Islands, Ports and Coastal Territories. This European university alliance brings together 13 institutions from 12 countries, spanning from the North Atlantic to the Mediterranean, Baltic Sea, Black Sea, and the Caribbean.
EUNICoast includes universities such as Université Le Havre Normandie, the Universitat de les Illes Balears, the Università degli Studi di Sassari, EMUNI University, Burgas Free University, the University of Dubrovnik, the University of Patras, the Åland University of Applied Sciences, the Université des Antilles, the West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Hochschule Stralsund, and the University of the Faroe Islands.
The alliance holds strategic importance for European higher education, promoting cooperation in education, research, and innovation. Its focus lies in addressing the specific challenges of islands and coastal territories, covering areas such as the blue and circular economy, port logistics, sustainable tourism, coastal governance, biodiversity, marine renewable energies, and technological solutions for coastal infrastructure.
The election of Susana Mira Leal strengthens the international positioning of the University of the Azores and recognizes the strategic role of Atlantic island territories in the European knowledge space. EUNICoast is currently in a new phase of consolidation, having recently approved its Strategic Plan 2026–2037.
