PAPS - Portuguese American Post-Graduate Society

To be or not to be an immigrant in the US

What brought you to the USA?
The desire to perform World-class scientific research.

Name the three most valuable lessons you have learned in this country (at work or not).
The value of strong work ethics; the importance of rewarding excellence; the pros and cons of living in a dynamic, fully-fledged capitalist economy.

When did you go back to Portugal? What made you take the decision to “go back home”?
In 2002. The return was imposed by visa requirements. Another factor was the notion that Portugal is a better place than the U.S. for raising children.

What conditions (other than salary) did you have in the USA that you do not have in Portugal?
I did not have a salary in the U.S., but I did have the chance to eventually pursue a career with better salaries than one would typically get in Portugal. In the U.S. I also had access to significant funding for research, and I was able to interact with exceptionally knowledgeable, accomplished and sophisticated individuals on a permanent basis.

What do you think Portugal is still better at?
In Portugal it is easier, in relative terms, to have a good overall standard of living without a very high income. It is also easier and less expensive to provide a good education to your children. And Portugal is indeed a very open society where ideas coming from abroad are, in general, highly regarded (sometimes too much so).

What would you like to see changed in the Portuguese educational system?
Excellence of those who teach and manage education must be rewarded, without fear of accusations of favouritism or elitism. At the university and post-graduate levels, the good (students, scientists, labs, teachers) have to be rewarded and promoted and the rest must change, adapt or be left behind. At all levels, teaching in all disciplines must take into high consideration practical matters such as the real impact in modern life of any given type of knowledge, the economic relevance of a certain field of learning or how to turn knowledge into tangible social value. And especially in the formative years, teachers have to be excellent, and for that they must be properly trained, selected and rewarded.

The daily life in the US