The number is highlighted by the Private Higher Education Association (APESP), which states that these institutions already cover around a quarter of the total number of students at this level of education.

“This sector, which represents around 20% of the total number of students at this level of education, is now focused on responding to the challenges of the future”, says the association, which identifies internationalisation as one of the “primary goals” for the sustainability of education higher education in Portugal.

This takes into account the trend of decreasing the Portuguese young population, estimating the president of APESP, António Almeida Dias, that from 2030 onwards there will be more and more places in universities to be filled due to a lack of students. “We have to look at internationalisation as an opportunity to grow in a sustainable way”, insists the person in charge.