The Founder

Professor Doctor

Vasco Manuel Verdasca da Silva Garcia

Born on May 21, 1939 in Carcavelos. He began his academic life at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon (1956) where he remained for two years, later moving to Coimbra, to enter the area that would mark his professional life. He graduated in Biological Sciences from the University of Coimbra (1963) and received a PhD in Applied Biology from the University of Marseille (1976) and in Animal Biology/Ecology from the University of the Azores (1979).< /p>

he was the first to defend a doctoral thesis and obtain a doctorate degree at the University of Aç In this area he was a researcher in Angola (1966/1974) and in France (1974/1979). He was one of the founders of the Instituto Universitário dos Açores (1976) and third Rector of the University of Açores, from 1995 to 2003. During his mandates, several important infrastructures were created in the three university centers . The Scientific Complex, the Aula Magna and the Central Library were built in Ponta Delgada.

In Angra do Heroíismo, the infrastructures of the Pico da Urze hub were built and in Horta the Walter Bensaúde Hospital was acquired, for the installation of the Department of Oceanography and Fisheries. He founded and was director of the Laboratory of Applied Ecology in 1976, which was the origin of the Department of Biology, in which he was a full professor from 1984.

he was a Regional Deputy in the II Legislature (1980-84), National Deputy (1985) and European Deputy (1986 to 1994). É author of around 80 articles and scientific works in national and foreign magazines and the book "Os Açores e a Europa do Futuro", published in [1990], and several hundred specialized reports and opinion articles, at a technical-scientific and political level, actively collaborating in the Azores Social Communication. He was an examiner or member of more than 100 j & uacute; acad & eacute; agrega & ccedil & atilde; Between 1991/95 and 2003/07, he directed the Center for International Rela & otilde; He was a representative of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education in the Portugal/USA Bilateral Commission, between 2003 and 2007. From 2004 to 2007, he was President of the National Council for Social Action in Higher Education.

it has the Ins & iacute; gnia Auton & oacute; Grand Officer of the Order of Public Instruction (Portuguese Republic).