Vanguard Properties donates 1.250 million euros to set up 42 Lisboa, the best school for computer science in the world

150 tuition-free vacancies  |  Considered the best school for computer science in the world  | Present in 16 cities  |  No teachers, no set hours, open 24/7

Vanguard Properties is one of the three founders of 42 Lisboa, a revolutionary education project of international prestige which is entirely free for the students and has now arrived in Portugal. Run by Professor Pedro Santa Clara, a driving figure behind Portugal’s new premier business school NOVA SBE in Carcavelos, 42 Lisboa is a programming school founded in 2013 by Xavier Niel and financed from a 75 million euros donation. Since them it has expanded to 19 cities on four continents with 10 more schools slated to open by the end of 2020 including Lisbon, Portugal.

With its official presentation today (27 July), the 42 Lisboa campus occupies the former premises of an old printers in Penha de Franca. Since it is free for students, it is financed by the founding fathers Vanguard Properties, Banco Santander and the Sino-American entrepreneur and philanthropist, Ming C. Hsu.

Vanguard Properties has made a donation of 1.250 million to finance 42 Lisboa during its first five years of activity. The CEO of Vanguard Properties, José Cardoso Botelho says, “This is a partnership that reflects the company’s social responsibility policy and through which we aim to reduce inequalities and make an active contribution towards building a knowledge-based economy and society. From Vanguard’s perspective, computing and digitalisation are strategic areas for the future of the country and sustained growth of our economy.”   

Recognised by CodinGame in 2017 as the #1 School for Computer Science in the world, 42 is not a traditional school: it has an innovative and inclusive educational model which meets the needs of the market in training professionals in the art of computer programming. Although on completion students do not receive a degree, masters or any formal academic qualification, its graduates are highly employable: computer science skills are scarce in Portugal and the European Commission estimates that for 2020 alone there are 15,000 vacancies for computer scientists in the country. 

Aiming to be as inclusive as possible and being 100% free, students enrolling on the course are not required to have any academic training. It boasts an innovative educational model: without the traditional lessons setup or fixed hours. It will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, fostering project-based, peer-to-peer learning. The only requirement from candidates is that they are at least 18 years old and have completed their mandatory education. This offers a golden opportunity for many young people who, for a variety of reasons, have not flourished in the traditional educational system or do not have the financial means to pursue regular studies. It is worth emphasising, for example, that at 42 Paris around 40% of the students did not achieve 12th grade schooling (11+ UK equivalent secondary schooling).

Vanguard Properties

Vanguard Properties, today the largest real estate developer in Portugal, was founded in 2017 as a company established by a European family office headed by French investor Claude Berda and José Cardoso Botelho, a real estate manager with a vast experience in Portugal’s property sector.

Resulting from this partnership is a group which is financially secure, has an unusually high capacity for investment, and a thorough knowledge of the local market and its players.  Its real estate development experience and flexible and rapid decision making process are other factors that make this company one of the most credible and dynamic in the sector.

Focusing on innovation and standards of the highest quality, Vanguard Properties mainly operates in the residential and tourism segments, with a vision enshrined in an integrated lifestyle philosophy where every detail counts.

Projects with the Vanguard hallmark extend far beyond the expected; they promote a lifestyle in which all aspects, from architecture to interior design, including the pieces of art in shared areas, all converge to the same result: to offer a unique way of life while at the same time providing buyers with a handsome investment.   

So as to secure its reputation as a developer of the highest standards, Vanguard Properties boasts a highly qualified team made up of around 30 specialised professionals working at every step of the process, from searching out real estate opportunities to marketing and selling the properties.

The group currently has 18 urban and tourist projects in its portfolio spread over upmarket locations in Lisbon, Oeiras, Algarve and Comporta. covering a total above ground Gross Building Area (GBA) of around 900,000m2, in a total investment of around €1Bn euros.