"One of the main challenges is, in 10 years or 20 years, the capacity of the campus and the critical mass of the three universities to attract students from all over the world", said Minister Manuel Heitor.

According to the minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, “Portugal and the Portuguese need higher education institutions and universities to attract students from all over the world”.

The South Campus will make it possible to launch new degrees, masters and doctorates, enabling students to spend periods of time at each of the three institutions, with accommodation in university residences.

The creation of applied research and innovation centres for sustainability and collaborative agendas with the main social and economic partners in the region are other projects of this consortium.

Manuel Heitor highlighted that the country has never had "as many students in higher education as in recent years".

But, “to broaden the training base, [the South Campus] has to get more students from abroad, because we have a particularly specific demographic context in Portugal and Alentejo”, he underlined.