Government promotes partnership Luso-American Foundation for strategic initiatives in the Azores
The Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs and External Cooperation stressed today “the commitment of the Government of the Azores to continue the partnership work with the Luso-American Foundation in order to deepen the strategic initiatives for the Azores in areas such as staff training, external projection of the Region as well as of its institutions and citizens and also in the promotion of exchanges with American institutions.”
Rodrigo Oliveira spoke on behalf of the President of the Government at the closing session and diploma-delivery ceremony of the course on “Leadership for the 21st Century” (Liderança para o Século XXI), organised by the Government of the Azores and by the Luso-American Foundation, being conducted by the John F. Kennedy School of Government at the Harvard University.
“This strategy corresponds to the materialisation of the important function and role of the Luso-American Foundation as an essential partner in the promotion of the cooperation between Portugal and the United States, particularly through projects focusing on the Azores or with their participation, of which the current initiative is a clear example of success,” stated the Under Secretary for European Affairs and External Cooperation.
Moreover, the Regional Director for Labour and Professional Qualification spoke at the session, stressing the importance of the course of excellence, addressed the regional and national top executives under the strategy of the Azorean Government to invest in the Region’s Human Resources, which includes the initial training for youngsters, qualification of workers and the reconversion of graduates.
Rui Bettencourt underlined the fact that it was precisely the American President John F. Kennedy the first politician to use the expression “human resources” when he stated in a speech that would become famous in the context of the moon the race with the soviets in 1961: “We will go to the moon because we have the best Human Resources,” thus emphasising the importance of the human factor in development.
The course on “Leadership for the 21st Century” was held at the Casino Terra Nostra in Furnas between October 26 and October 30, being lectured by a team of teachers of Harvard University led by Professor Marty Linsky, counting upon the presence of 37 participants from the Azores, Madeira and Mainland Portugal.