"I understand [that there are criticisms or complaints]. I think that the PALOP countries have to do their homework. Fifty years after independence, we cannot continue to be a wailing wall, we have to do our homework," said José Maria Neves.

The Cape Verdean President is participating today in the XII Meeting of Maienses Students in Portugal, which brings together Cape Verdean students from the city of Maio who attend various Portuguese schools and colleges.

Speaking to Lusa on the sidelines of the initiative, José Maria Neves said he hoped that "students work hard to complete their studies", with the "essential objective of achieving a high qualification so that they can then contribute to the development of Cape Verde", but "not necessarily by returning to the country".

"Today, people live in various worlds. Wherever they are, they should seek to be properly qualified to contribute to the development of Cape Verde," he said.

Speaking to the students during a meeting that culminated in the conference "The Importance of the Associative Network for Academic Success", José Maria Neves went even further and referred to the so-called "zero semester".

"Do you want to know if I consider the zero semester unfair? No. I think we have to do our homework. We have to do our preparation. And we have to end the discourse of lamentation," he said.

In March, a report on students from Portuguese-Speaking African Countries (PALOP) in Portugal was made public, suggesting a preparatory period for students to promote integration and respond to the strong demand, which is transforming institutions in the interior of the country.

Speaking to Lusa, Clara Carvalho, from the Centre for International Studies at Iscte - Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, explained that some institutions promote a "zero semester" that allows students to adapt to the teaching methods and education system, something she considers to be very effective.

Today, the President of Cape Verde also asked the students to be "different and disruptive" and to seek to "help Cape Verde transform and elevate itself".

"Money remittances have been very important for the development of the country over many years, but now we have to start sending remittances of ideas. There are no customs for ideas (...). Mobilize our capacities in the diaspora and put them at the service of Cape Verde," he said.

The programme of the Head of State's visit to São João da Madeira included a formal session in the morning, at the Municipal Council.

In the afternoon, a visit to the Oliva Art Centre and the inauguration of the exhibition "António, Untitled" at the Footwear Museum are scheduled.

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