Portuguese as foreign language course (PLE)

Dear Members of the Academic Community,

We are living in particular complex times. The precipitous evolution of the situation caused by COVID-19 has led to the declaration of a State of Emergency in Portugal, which came into effect at 0:00 on 22 March.

In the past few days, we have needed to implement a set of measures allowing us to guarantee the continued, albeit conditioned, functioning of teaching and research activities.

I want to thank everyone for all their efforts in the quick response to a crisis scenario never before experienced, and to praise the team spirit and the high level of commitment that have proved to be decisive for such a smooth transition.

I also wish to remind you that in the face of adversity, we must maintain serenity and hope for the future, but at the same time I appeal for resilience, since the return to normality, including classroom activities, may still be a long way off.

In the coming days we will continue to work hard to find solutions to provide the greatest possible stability and certainty for our students. I believe in our ability to adapt, as demonstrated by the speed with which we have adapted to non-classroom teaching methods and tools and I am sure that together we will be successful in the challenges that we have yet to overcome.

In an appeal to unity during this pandemic, we must bear in mind the importance of our individual participation in respecting and maintaining social isolation, which is an essential factor in combating the spread of COVID-19.

To date, we are not aware of any confirmed cases in our academic community. It remains for me, then, to wish you and you families continued good health.

I believe that together we are stronger!

Universidade do Algarve, 23 de março de 2020 The Rector Paulo Águas