Resumen de The Social and Cultural Roles of the University of Coimbra (1537-1820): some Considerations
The University of Coimbra in Portugal shared the common calling of universities of preparing future ruling elites, but it fulfilled this mission in its own way. Considering the period 1537- 1820, this paper presents some indicators of its specific social and cultural roles, such as the evolution of the numbers of students, their geographical origins (including a significant contribution from Brazil), and the kind of knowledge they were seeking. A second cluster of considerations focuses on the relationship with political (and ecclesiastical) power, not only in terms of the representation of the University¿s instrumental function, but also of its subsequent actual behavior - combining protection and control - such as in the granting of funding resources, the appointment of professors and academic authorities, and mechanisms conditioning access to future careers.
