Paulo Gomes, the director of ‘Fundacao Oriente in India’ since 2022 speaks to The Goan about the various activities that this Portuguese private institution carries out in Goa and across India, the latest being the ‘Vem Cantar’ competition at Kala Academy in Panaji on September 28
Paulo Gomes, Director of Fundação Oriente in India.
‘Fundação Oriente in India’ has been successfully acting as a catalyst in strengthening the bonds between India and Portugal. A Portuguese private institution, founded in March 1988 with the main purpose of maintaining and strengthening the historical and cultural ties between Portugal and countries of Eastern Asia, it carries out and supports educational, cultural, artistic and philanthropic initiatives.
Granted public utility by the Portuguese government, Fundação Oriente is headquartered in Lisbon, having branches in India (Goa), China (Macao) and East Timor (Dili). “The delegation in India is based in Goa and has been working under the supervision of the ICCR since February 1995,” explains Paulo Gomes, director, ‘Fundação Oriente in India’, who has been at its helm of affairs since 2022.
Gomes, who has a PhD, doctorate in Project Management from the University of Madeira, Portugal, has a bachelor’s as well as master’s degree in Educational Science from the University of Coimbra, Portugal, and an Executive Master in Finance and Management from ISCTE/INDEG, Lisbon, Portugal.
Fundação Oriente has an annual programme in India reflecting the institution’s objectives and guidelines. “Our major aim is to be a communication platform for mutual understanding and enrichment of an already solid bond between the two countries. This year, in 2025, Fundação Oriente - Delegation in India is celebrating its 30th anniversary,” points out Gomes.
“Throughout the years, many important achievements have been made possible, contributing to what we consider to be a clearer understanding between the two countries, a stronger cultural exchange and a better awareness of our common heritage and history,” shares Gomes who has extensive experience in various fields including financial, human resources, and operational management, as well as international projects management.
Recognising the cultural importance that the Portuguese language plays in the global community and its influence in Goa and other parts of India, Fundação Oriente has been promoting the teaching of Portuguese for the past 28 years. The performing arts are also an important element of their programming.
“For the past 23 years, the Monte Music Festival in Old Goa has been one of the most important events on our calendar, bringing together Western and Eastern music in the idyllic setting of Our Lady of the Mount Chapel and its courtyard,” claims Gomes.
Since 2012, our delegation in Goa has permanently displayed the outstanding work of the Goan artist António Xavier Trindade (1870-1935) and his daughter Ângela Trindade (1909-1980), also an accomplished artist. Donated to Fundação Oriente by the Trindade Trust, the Trindade Collection is one of the central points of our local engagement and contribution to India’s vibrant cultural life.
Over the years, safeguarding heritage has been an important part of their activities in India, with many emblematic projects being implemented in partnership with the Goa government and other local authorities. In 2024, it was possible to collaborate, once again, with the University of Évora, Portugal and with the ASI (providing them financial and logistic support) in the Old Goa Revelations Project.
The Old Goa Revelations Project is an international collaborative project dedicated to the research of a shared heritage collection associated with the Portuguese Period in India - the Portrait Gallery of the Viceroys and Governors. One can find this unique collection of the iconography of this period on display in the upper halls of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) Museum in Old Goa.
Fundação Oriente regularly supports publications that shed new light on the multifaceted, historical and cultural relations between the West and the East, with special focus on Indo-Portuguese relations. Outside the academic sphere, Fundação Oriente organises a biannual Short Story Competition that aims at promoting Goa’s multilingual heritage and creative writing with entries accepted in English, Portuguese, Marathi and Konkani, which culminates in the publication of an anthology. In December 2024, the 7th edition of the Fundação Oriente Short Story Anthology was launched.
The arts are not the only focus of our programme in India. Education is also one of the main areas of our work. Fundação Oriente has been offering an annual and Short-Term Scholarship Programme to enhance mutual awareness and exchange of knowledge between India and Portugal.
The Delegation also receives visitors who are scholars, writers and intellectuals from different fields with whom it organises an annual series of conferences, symposiums and presentations in several fields of research.
This support contributes not only to the continuous increase in the number of students of Portuguese in secondary and higher secondary education, but has also made it possible to prepare these students to further their studies in Portuguese at Goa University and other universities in New Delhi.
The training of Portuguese teachers is also a concern, and for this reason, Fundação Oriente articulates its activities with the Portuguese diplomatic mission in India, through the Portuguese Language Centre Camões, briefs Gomes.
The delegation organises an annual prize distribution ceremony for the students with the best results in Portuguese at the Goa Board exams. In addition to this, a Portuguese singing contest, Vem Cantar is organised, and events planned by local schools are also supported.
After verifying the interest that students and teachers have in the Portuguese language, Fundação Oriente in India decided to promote the 2nd edition of the ‘Fundação Oriente Stars of the Future’. The activity consisted of a quiz competition. The questions covered topics including art, music, current affairs, history, geography, science, sports, cinema and television, Indian culture, personalities, Indian literature, gastronomy and technology. Portuguese was the language of communication. The competition involved all secondary schools in Goa where Portuguese is taught. The winning team was awarded a cultural trip to Portugal for 15 days (4 students and their teacher).
Besides their cooperation with other local organisations, Fundação Oriente also collaborates with other national institutions through its philanthropy programme. “In 2025, we are supporting some girls' orphanages in Goa, intending to promote gender equality and female empowerment,” concludes Gomes.
