Let us now briefly and succinctly describe the evolution of the Department over the last three decades of the 20th century. The period following the April 25th Revolution was marked by profound transformations throughout Portuguese society. The university institution was, perhaps, the one where ideological changes — reflected in power structures and behaviors — had the greatest impact and scope. Naturally, the plans previously established for the Department were questioned and modified. Engineering moved out of the Quinta da Nora buildings, which had been assigned to the Industrial Institute of Coimbra. The doctoral training program experienced some disruption but was soon resumed and strengthened. From the late 1970s onwards, the Department’s development progressed steadily and sustainably across all its areas. The number of faculty members increased consistently. From a single Ph.D. professor in the early days, the number reached 23 by 1995, before the creation of the Department of Informatics Engineering. When the Electrical Engineering degree program was first established, not a single faculty position was filled; by the end of the 20th century, the faculty roster was nearly complete, with 6 full professors and 5 associate professors. The non-teaching staff grew from 5 employees at the beginning to 23 by the end of the century.
The undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering, initially with only one specialization track, enrolled third-year students for the first time in 1972. Its first 41 graduates completed the program three years later, in 1975. The degree later expanded to offer three and then four specialization tracks. In 1984, the Department launched the undergraduate program in Computer Engineering (Decree No. 401/84). The first master’s program offered by the Department was the Master’s in Electrical Engineering Sciences, whose first edition took place in 1983. Later, this master’s program was divided into two separate programs: the Master’s in Computer Science (Decree No. 187/82) and the Master’s in Electrical Engineering Sciences (Decree No. 33/83).
Order No. 63/SCCS/83 granted the University of Coimbra, through the Faculty of Sciences and Technology, the right to award the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering. The first doctoral degree, based on internally conducted research and supervision, was completed in 1985.
Both the Electrical Engineering program and the Department itself — first as an informal structure, later as a formal and statutory one — evolved over the years in accordance with the framework and procedures established by national legislation. Until April 25, 1974, its management was under the direct responsibility of the Faculty’s Board. Shortly after the April Revolution, management was entrusted to a Management Committee composed of faculty members, students, and staff, which became regulated in 1976 by Decree-Law No. 781-A/76 of October 28. Following Decree-Law No. 66/80 of April 9, Ordinance No. 111/81 of January 24 was issued, which legally and formally established the Department of Electrical Engineering. Later, in accordance with the Law on University Autonomy and the approval of the Statutes of the University of Coimbra and the Faculty Regulations, the Regulation of the Department of Electrical Engineering was published in the *Diário da República*, 2nd Series, No. 286, on December 13, 1994. In 1995, a group of professors and teaching assistants from the Department, with unanimous consensus and approval, created the Department of Informatics Engineering (Senate Resolution of 13-12-1994).
The Department’s scientific activity found its institutional foundation in the Center of Electrotechnics of the University of Coimbra (INIC), officially approved by ministerial order in March 1980, with effect from July 1, 1980. By the end of the 20th century, within the framework of the government’s policy for the research sector, the INIC was dissolved, and the creation of private, non-profit research institutions was encouraged. At the Department level, this resulted in the establishment of INESC, ISR, IT, and ICEMS.
The Department began its activities at Quinta da Nora, in a building originally designed for the Industrial Institute of Coimbra. For a few months after the April Revolution, it was located in the College of St. Benedict (*Colégio de S. Bento*), later moving to the College of Jesus (*Colégio de Jesus*), where it remained until 1996. As the Department expanded, it became spread across four different buildings: the College of Jesus, the College of Arts, the basement of the Physics building, and one floor in the Boavista district. In September 1996, the Department was permanently relocated to its own building at the University of Coimbra’s Polo II campus.