STRATEGIC REFERENCE FRAMEWORK
The 2023-2027 planning cycle maintains the strategic reference framework of the 2019-2023 quadrennium, focusing on the mission pillars of Research & Innovation, Teaching and Societal Challenges, which are clearly in line with those mentioned in the Statutes – higher education, knowledge production and the transfer and dissemination of this knowledge to society. Together, these three pillars form the core and driving force of the University of Coimbra.
In order to achieve the vision of "being internationally recognised as a research university where the production of high-quality knowledge influences the educational process and enhances the transfer of knowledge to society (...)", the strategic approach involves adopting a dynamic model of the three core pillars of the mission, rather than the traditional static model of three parallel pillars. In line with the defined vision and mission, Research & Innovation is placed at the top of the three pillars. This is strategic if the University is to play an absolutely crucial role as a dynamic actor in society, transforming people's lives and stimulating other areas of activity.
In this dynamic model, there is also a balance between the core pillars: if Research & Innovation progresses, the other two core pillars –Teaching and Societal Challenges – will move in the same direction and at the same pace. Similarly, any development in the Teaching and Societal Challenges pillar will drive the other two pillars forward.
Additionally, the ambition to become a research university will contribute to strengthening a global University of Coimbra, which is why internationalisation is also a priority. In order to propel UC towards greater global recognition, Internationalisation is a mission pillar that, although not central per se, frames and contributes to the Research and Innovation, Teaching, and Societal Challenges pillars, with a cross-cutting presence across all areas of activity at the University.
Once the mission pillars have been identified, the mission axes must be defined – i.e., the operational resources that the University should have at its disposal in order to implement the defined strategy.
No matter how well-defined a strategy may be, it is destined for failure if its operationalisation is not properly implemented. Similarly, no matter how well-designed the strategy may be, it will only succeed if it is implemented with people and for people. People are, therefore, the most important asset of any organisation and the most vital element of the adopted strategy. This is why they will occupy a central role in the model to be implemented, serving as the driving force behind the movement of the mission pillars and, consequently, the functioning of the University.
The other mission axes – Quality, Facilities, Funding, and Communication – complement the reference framework that supports the strategic formulation.
The Strategic Reference 2023-2027 presents four mission pillars directly related to the objectives of the University of Coimbra, along with five mission axes representing the means necessary to achieve these objectives. Furthermore, establishing UC as a centre of excellence requires the sustainable management of its activities and resources, as well as social responsibility in its actions. Sustainability and social responsibility embody attitudes, behaviours, and actions that underpin all UC activities, are cross-cutting, and should always be present across all its areas of operation. However, two dimensions, while included within this concept, stand out for their relevance and urgency in the current context: Environment and Climate Action, and Citizenship, Equity, and Inclusiveness. Although they are not, strictly speaking, pillars or axes of UC’s mission, nor do they directly form part of them, these dimensions hold a prominent position within the Strategic Reference Framework. They are also key components of the Sustainability Plan that integrates this Strategic Plan, thereby reinforcing UC’s firm strategic commitment to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.