The Supreme Administrative Court (STA) ruled in favour of two scientists in appeals against the University of Lisbon, ordering the university to open public competitions for career entry once the maximum term of their fixed‑term contracts expired. Two separate rulings — including one dated 8 January concerning the Instituto Superior de Agronomia (ISA) — require competitions to be launched within 30 days at ISA and at the Faculty of Letters, overturning earlier judgments. The decisions set a legal precedent on academic precarity and fixed‑term employment, with potential implications for higher education labour practices and reform of recruitment procedures in Portuguese universities.