Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education
Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior
Ministry overview
Formed1995 (1995)
JurisdictionGovernment of Portugal
Minister responsible

The Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education (Portuguese: Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Ensino Superior or MCTES) is a Portuguese government ministry dedicated to the design, development, execution and assessment of the science, technology and higher education national policy.[1] Its official address is the Palácio das Laranjeiras in Lisbon.[1] The rest of the education system falls within the scope of the Ministry of Education. Since March 30, 2022, the current minister is Elvira Fortunato, aided by Pedro Nuno Teixeira as secretary of State of the Higher Education.[1] As all other ministers, the minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education is part of the Council of Ministers.[2]

Powers

The MCTES' main powers are creating, executing and assessing the science, technology and higher education national policy, but it has many other powers, among them, governing the General Directorate of Higher Education (Direção-Geral do Ensino Superior), tutelage over the public higher education institutions, and tutelage and oversight over the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia and the Macau Scientific and Cultural Centre.[3]

The MCTES co-governs (with other Ministries and within its scope) the General Secretariat for Education and Science (Secretaria-Geral da Educação e Ciência), the General Inspectorate of Education and Science (Inspeção-Geral da Educação e Ciência), and the Directorate-General for Education and Science Statistics (Direção-Geral de Estatísticas da Educação e Ciência) and has co-tutelage and co-oversight of the Institute of Financial Management of Education (Instituto de Gestão Financeira da Educação) and the Agência Nacional de Inovação.[3]

The MCTES has legal influence over the National Agency for Management of the Erasmus+ Programme, the Lisbon Academy of Sciences and observes the work done by Portugal Space, the Agency for Clinical Research and Biomedical Innovation's (Agência para a Investigação Clínica e Inovação Biomédica), and all state laboratories.[3]

The MCTES can consult two national boards, the Education National Board and the Science, Technology and Innovation National board.[3]

List of ministers

No. Name Term of office Prime Minister Party
1 Mariano Gago 28 October 1995 6 April 2002 6 years, 160 days António Guterres Independent
2 Pedro Lynce [pt] 6 April 2002 6 October 2003 1 year, 183 days José Manuel Barroso Social Democratic Party
3 Maria da Graça Carvalho 6 October 2003 12 March 2005 1 year, 157 days José Manuel Barroso, Pedro Santana Lopes Social Democratic Party
- Mariano Gago 12 March 2005 20 June 2011 6 years, 100 days José Sócrates Independent
Note: During the two Pedro Passos Coelho governments, this Ministry was merged back with the Ministry of Education, under the name the Ministry of Education and Science.
4 Manuel Heitor 26 November 2015 30 March 2022 −6 years, 124 days António Costa Independent
5 Elvira Fortunato 30 March 2022 Incumbent 1 year, 296 days António Costa Independent

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Governo de Portugal". www.portugal.gov.pt. Retrieved 2023-07-15.
  2. ^ "Como é composto e como funciona o Conselho de Ministros?". Fundação Francisco Manuel dos Santos (in European Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-07-15.
  3. ^ a b c d "Governo de Portugal". www.portugal.gov.pt. Retrieved 2023-07-15.


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