Brussels, 16/02/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 15 February, the Portuguese delegation briefed the Education Council on its 2010-2013 programme for developing higher education. This is a concrete example of reform envisaged by a European Union country, which may encourage the other member states to undertake similar action, the Spanish minister, Angel Gabilondo Pujol, said. The Portuguese government recently signed a contract with the rectors and chancellors of public higher education institutions (universities and polytechnics), establishing the basis of the programme for the development of higher education for the period 2010-2013. The aim is to boost higher education qualifications in society to correspond more closely to economic demand, while ensuring an increase in public funding for 2010 and budgetary stability for the following years. Portugal hopes to increase tertiary-level qualifications to 100,000 extra students over the next four years. To achieve this, public higher education institutions will provide more specific teaching, addressed to a more open circle of candidates while removing certain barriers to access to study. They must also cooperate, strengthen their networks and establish more consortia with a view to quality education and better use of public funding. (I.L./transl.jl)