University of Lisbon

The University of Lisbon (ULisboa; Portuguese: Universidade de Lisboa, pronounced: [univɨɾsiˈdad(ɨ) dɨ liʒˈboɐ]) is a public research university in Lisbon, and the largest university in Portugal. It was founded in 2013, from the merger of two previous public universities located in Lisbon, the former University of Lisbon (1911–2013) and the Technical University of Lisbon (1930–2013). The history of a university in Lisbon dates back to the 13th century.

History

The current University of Lisbon is the result of the merger of two former public universities of Lisbon, the former University of Lisbon (1911–2013), founded in 1911 and the Technical University of Lisbon, founded in 1930. The merger process was initiated in 2011 and was made into law on December 31, 2012. As stated on the decree-law No. 266-E/2012, the new University of Lisbon began its legal existence on the day the newly elected rector took office, on July 25, 2013.

Predecessors

Lisbon

Lisbon (/ˈlɪzbən/; Portuguese: Lisboa, IPA: [liʒˈboɐ]) is the capital and the largest city of Portugal, with a population of 552,700 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km². Its urban area extends beyond the city's administrative limits with a population of around 2.7 million people, being the 11th-most populous urban area in the European Union. About 2.8 million people live in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (which represents approximately 27% of the country's population). It is continental Europe's westernmost capital city and the only one along the Atlantic coast. Lisbon lies in the western Iberian Peninsula on the Atlantic Ocean and the River Tagus. The westernmost areas of its metro area is the westernmost point of Continental Europe.

Lisbon is recognised as a global city because of its importance in finance, commerce, media, entertainment, arts, international trade, education and tourism. It is one of the major economic centres on the continent, with a growing financial sector and one of the largest container ports on Europe's Atlantic coast.Lisbon Portela Airport serves over 18 million passengers annually, as of 2014, and the motorway network and the high-speed rail system of Alfa Pendular link the main cities of Portugal. The city is the 7th-most-visited city in Southern Europe, after Istanbul, Rome, Barcelona, Madrid, Athens and Milan, with 1,740,000 tourists in 2009. The Lisbon region contributes with a higher GDP PPP per capita than any other region in Portugal. It also ranks as the 10th highest GDP of metropolitan areas in the EU amounting to 110 billion euros and thus €39,375 per capita, 40% higher than the average European Union's GDP per capita. The city occupies 32nd place of highest gross earnings in the world. Most of the headquarters of multinationals in the country are located in the Lisbon area. It is also the political centre of the country, as seat of Government and residence of the Head of State.

University

A university (Latin: universitas, "a whole") is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which grants academic degrees in various subjects and typically provides undergraduate education and postgraduate education. The word "university" is derived from the Latin universitas magistrorum et scholarium, which roughly means "community of teachers and scholars."

History

Definition

The original Latin word "universitas" refers in general to "a number of persons associated into one body, a society, company, community, guild, corporation, etc." At the time of the emergence of urban town life and medieval guilds, specialised "associations of students and teachers with collective legal rights usually guaranteed by charters issued by princes, prelates, or the towns in which they were located" came to be denominated by this general term. Like other guilds, they were self-regulating and determined the qualifications of their members.

In modern usage the word has come to mean "An institution of higher education offering tuition in mainly non-vocational subjects and typically having the power to confer degrees," with the earlier emphasis on its corporate organization considered as applying historically to Medieval universities.

Câmara municipal

A câmara municipal (Portuguese pronunciation: [ˈkɐmɐɾɐ munisiˈpaɫ], meaning literally municipal chamber and often referred to simply as câmara) is a type of municipal governing body, existing in several countries of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries.

In Portugal, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau and Timor-Leste, a câmara municipal is the executive body of a municipality. In Brazil, it is the legislature of a municipality.

In all these countries, the members of a câmara are known as vereadores (aldermen).

Brazil

The Brazilian câmaras municipais have their origin in the municipal administration model inherited from Portugal. However, while the Portuguese câmaras evolved towards becoming executive bodies, in Brazil they evolved towards becoming the legislative bodies of the municipalities. In Brazil, the executive municipal power is vested in the prefeituras municipais (municipal prefectures), each headed by the prefeito (mayor).

Each câmara municipal is composed of a number of elected vereadores.