The homework that needs to be done

Angola is popular now. For the past few days, Angola has been popular in Portugal for the best reasons - and hope is the best reason.

The north of Portugal has a recent debt of gratitude to Angola: because in the wake of the crisis that hit our country, the exports from Leixões to Angola had a major influence in lightening the problems that affected companies and families and, perhaps, avoided an even bigger collapse.

Now that Angola is facing a crisis very similar to the one that Portugal has suffered, how can we return the favour? As far as we are concerned, as a Science and Technology institution, it seems like there is not much we can do. But is that completely true?

Actually, INESC TEC has been a bit distant from our fascinating country brother from the Southern part of Africa. There is no Angolan grant holders, there is no cooperation agreements with Angolan institutions. There is just a project activity, in the area of competence of the Power and Energy Cluster, which hasn't been materialised yet by direct contact. There wasn't visits from Angolan institutions nor from governing authorities and state agencies.

If INESC TEC's detachment from Angola looks big, Angola's lack of knowledge about INESC TEC must be huge.

And we say that, in a way, this contradicts the natural order of things. We speak the same language but we remain deaf and mute under Maxwell Smart's cone of silence?

INESC TEC has such a large scale not to have a policy concerning Portuguese-speaking countries. Fortunately, there always has been a desire for rapprochement and there are some recent signs that something might change, there has been contacts that can open up new perspectives. Should Angola want the same, some might say – but that doesn't mean we don't have to do our homework.

Credits photo: Euronews