“The Academic Federation of Porto and the Student Associations of the University of Porto call for dialogue between the director of the Faculty of Medicine of U. Porto (FMUP) and the rector of the University of Porto, further considering the urgent convening of an Academic Senate, with both present as indispensable”, reads a press release sent today to Lusa.
The students of the Porto academy want “to clarify to the entire academic community what really happened with the 30 candidates”.
The FAP and U.Porto Student Associations demand to know “why insinuations were made about external influences, which severely damage the institutional dialogue of the University of Porto with the tutor and the minister at a crucial time for higher education system reform”.
“It is regrettable that the image of the University of Porto has been harmed across the country. FAP calls for a responsible and transparent institutional environment, instead of the exchange of public accusations that divert attention from the essential,” the statement said.
According to the note, FAP understands that the responsibility falls on FMUP and U. Porto, who “failed in conducting the process, harming 30 candidates who changed their lives to realize the dream of studying Medicine and placed responsibilities on others that are their own”.
FAP recalls that this process “cannot be disconnected from personal and political dynamics that marked the relationship between the director of FMUP, Altamiro da Costa Pereira, and the rector of the University, António de Sousa Pereira, circumstances that weakened the conduct of the entire process and harmed the University’s interests“.
FAP reiterates the request for the opening of an internal inquiry at FMUP and U.Porto, “to ascertain responsibilities”.
The rector of the University of Porto emphasized that “he did not lie” about the alleged pressures in the contest process for access to the Medicine course for the 2025/2026 academic year, and also stated that he was not “pressured” by Fernando Alexandre.
Notícias ao Minuto com Lusa | 18:29 – 05/09/2025
The rector of U.Porto reported receiving pressures from various people to allow 30 candidates into FMUP who had not obtained the minimum grade (14 points) on the required test for the special access course, as advanced by the weekly Expresso in its Friday edition.
Candidates for the special access contest to the Integrated Master’s in Medicine at U.Porto sent a note to Lusa via email, expressing that they feel wronged by U. Porto, stating that “they changed cities, abandoned years-long jobs, invested in properties, and dropped out of master’s degrees”.
Chronologically, on May 23, 2025, the candidates took the Knowledge Test.
On May 26, they received, via email, the ranked list of classifications and enrollment information, and on May 30 the provisional list was released, with the 30 candidates marked as placed.
That list reflected a change to the initially planned criteria, admitting all candidates with a score of 10 or higher, something that does not have legal backing.
On June 20, the final and official list of results was published, informing candidates of their placements, but sent only with the endorsement of the FMUP Directorate, when it should have been endorsed by the rector of U.Porto.
Despite this confirmation, on July 21, the U.Porto Rectorate publicly announced the allocation of 30 FMUP spots to the National Access Competition. The candidates learned only through the media that they would not, after all, have entered the course.
On July 22, FMUP communicated, by email, that the contest was awaiting rectoral endorsement, suspending enrollments. And on July 24, the 30 candidates requested FAP’s institutional intervention.
On July 30, FAP contacted the Rectorate, which acknowledged the seriousness of the situation and admitted that FMUP’s communications created expectations among students, already informing having contacted the Directorate-General for Higher Education and the Ministry of Education, and expressing willingness to open the spots, provided there was legal support, something they nevertheless considered unlikely.
The Minister of Education, Fernando Alexandre, denied having pressured the rector of the University of Porto regarding the admission of dozens of students to the Integrated Master’s in Medicine. The minister attributes the dispute to a “muddle” created by the institution itself.
Ana Teresa Banha com Lusa | 16:20 – 05/09/2025
The PSD has meanwhile called for an urgent hearing of the Minister of Education and the rector of Porto to provide explanations. The PSD also requests a hearing for the FMUP director, and the PS and the IL have also requested a hearing of the Minister of Education in Parliament.
The exchange of accusations between the Ministry of Education and the Rectorate of the University of Porto is dominating this Friday, with alleged pressures to admit dozens of students vs. the ministry’s denial that such a situation occurred.
Ana Teresa Banha com Lusa | 19:27 – 05/09/2025
