According to information from the university's General Council, seen by the Lusa news agency, the inauguration ceremony is scheduled for 3:30 PM on 20 July.

Cláudia Sarrico, the Secretary of State for Higher Education, ratified the election of the UTAD rector via an official order published on Friday in the Diário da República (the official gazette).

João Barroso, a 62-year-old full professor, was elected on 29 June with 14 votes in favour and eight blank votes, during a General Council meeting marked by three absences.

The rector-elect is a faculty member at UTAD’s School of Science and Technology and has previously served on the university's leadership team on three occasions, most recently as vice-rector.

In an interview with Lusa last week, João Barroso stated that he is currently assembling the team that will support him during his four-year term. However, his focus is already on the launch of the Integrated Master’s in Medicine this September, the renovation of student residences, which must be completed by 31 August, and the finalisation of the university's assessment report, due by December.

The Minister of Education has stated that the programme contract for the Medicine course, which is set to launch with 40 places, will only be signed after the new rector takes office on 20 July. The rector also emphasised his desire to "unite the academic community."

Since March 2025, UTAD has been in a deadlock due to a dispute over the appointment of co-opted members to the General Council—the body responsible for electing the rector. The issue ended up in court, prompting intervention by the Minister of Education.

The General Council was fully constituted in April, following the inauguration of elected members and the election of the body's president, lawyer Ricardo Sá Fernandes.