“She is someone deeply connected to science and technology, having done an excellent job bridging universities with societal institutions,” stated the leader of Madeira’s executive (PSD/CDS-PP), emphasizing that the new regional secretary possesses a “forward-looking approach” and “the ability to anticipate future needs.”
University professor Elsa Fernandes assumes office today before the Legislative Assembly of Madeira as the new Secretary of Education, Science, and Technology for the Madeira government, replacing Jorge Carvalho, who is running as the PSD/CDS coalition candidate for the Funchal City Council in the October 12 municipal elections.
This marks the first change in the XVII Regional Government of Madeira, a PSD/CDS-PP coalition, which took office in April.
The decrees for the dismissal of Jorge Carvalho and the appointment of Elsa Fernandes are expected to be signed by the representative of the Republic for Madeira, Ireneu Cabral Barreto, and published today in the Official Gazette.
Following a meeting with the representative of the Republic at the Palace of São Lourenço in Funchal, Miguel Albuquerque announced that the portfolios of Political Coordination, Parliamentary Affairs, and Social Communication, previously overseen by Jorge Carvalho, will now be transferred to the Regional Secretariat of Tourism, Environment, and Culture, led by Eduardo Jesus.
Elsa Fernandes will be responsible solely for the areas of Education, Science, and Technology.
“She is well-versed in the action lines of the regional educational system,” noted Albuquerque, adding that the government aims to “maintain ongoing policies” and continue focusing decisively on the qualification and education of Madeira’s future generations.
“We will continue these policies with technological innovation, stability, and motivation of educational agents, especially teachers, and with the ability to critically assess the pedagogical innovations currently pursued,” he said, stressing the importance of equipping young people with a sharp critical sense.
“In this century, everyone understands that the qualification of new generations is the cornerstone for the development of societies, and in this sense, it’s crucial to maintain an educational system focused on the excellence of education provided to young people,” he declared.
Jorge Carvalho, the outgoing Secretary of Education, has held the position since 2015, the year social democrat Miguel Albuquerque took leadership of the Regional Government of Madeira, and will now focus on his electoral campaign as the PSD/CDS-PP coalition’s lead candidate for the Funchal City Council.
His successor, Elsa Fernandes, is an associate professor at the Faculty of Exact Sciences and Engineering at the University of Madeira and now joins the XVII Government of the Autonomous Region of Madeira.
With a degree in Mathematics – Education Branch, and a master’s and doctoral degree in Education – Didactics of Mathematics, the new regional secretary served as Vice-Rector of the University of Madeira between May 2017 and May 2025, overseeing internationalization, research, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
