Different logics of higher education institutions in the same system: the profiles of polytechnical institutions in Portugal

Abstract

The panorama of higher education in Portugal has changed significantly over the last four decades, especially with the growth of polytechnical education. As a target of frequent changes, higher education has been in the last decade facing a "new polytechnical era", with the logic of action of the polytechnical education institutions that, in parallel to teaching, are projected in three new fields of action: postgraduate training, research and internationalization. In order to reflect on their logic of action and senses of mission and raising at the same time important questions about the current moment in the field of education, this article presents the results of a research about polytechnical institutions in Portugal.