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Universidade Portucalense, in partnership with the Municipality of Amarante and with the scientific support of CINTESIS.UPT@RISE-Health, is organising the 1st International Congress on Community Intervention and Social Transformation. The event is part of the 11th edition of the “Amarante de Igual para Igual” campaign. The event will take place from 5 to 7 November 2025 at the Cineteatro de Amarante. It is intended as a space for meeting, sharing, and innovating, focusing on the emerging challenges in social and community intervention and the development of collaborative strategies for social transformation. 5 November features the pre-congress workshops and the innovative “World Café” activity. This session will bring together professionals from different regions of the country to co-construct ideas and practical solutions applicable to community contexts. The Congress’s themed sessions, round tables, and plenary conferences will be held on 6 and 7 November, led by keynote speakers of national and international renown. Reflections will focus on intervention with families, the promotion of equality, and the cross-cutting nature of community practices in the face of contemporary social challenges. See the event’s page.  

On 10 September, at the Institutional Welcome Session, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors, Armando Jorge de Carvalho, highlighted the sustained growth of the University, which once again recorded an increase in the number of students, despite the 12% reduction in the total number of applicants to Higher Education at national level. For Armando Jorge de Carvalho, this result reflects “the market’s recognition of the work carried out by the academic community, which contributes to strengthening the institution’s prestige.” He also recalled recent achievements, such as the award of the “green lane” regime by A3ES in the process of accrediting study cycles and the “Very Good” evaluation achieved by the University’s four Research Units in the FCT evaluation. Addressing the new students, he emphasised that the road ahead is demanding but also full of opportunities: “It will certainly require a great deal of effort on your part, great resilience, dedication, hard work, and discipline. It’s not always easy to overcome difficulties but every obstacle you overcome will make you stronger, more confident, and better prepared. Such effort will pay off with new knowledge, experiences, and friendships.” He asserted the institution’s commitment to train responsible citizens and competent professionals: “We want you to be active agents in the improvement global society by exercising full and responsible citizenship, becoming committed citizens and exemplary professionals.” He ended with a message of accountability: “The world is currently experiencing times of extreme complexity and instability, with conflicts and crises affecting all sectors of society. These challenges are also reflected in the daily lives of families, on a social, economic, and emotional level. It is in this context that we challenge you to build a solid future, based on knowledge, values, and civic intervention.” In his speech, Rector Fernando Ramos emphasised the institution’s path of affirmation since its foundation in 1986 and the consolidation of its training offer in various areas of knowledge. He recalled the more traditional courses, such as Law, Management, Economics, and Tourism, but also the more recent and expanding areas, such as Architecture, Multimedia, International Relations, and Engineering. He also mentioned the creation of Portucalense Business School in 2023 as an example of the reinforcement of the commitment to advanced and executive training. Fernando Ramos pointed to two of the university’s strategic pillars: the promotion of scientific research and pedagogical innovation, which involves the adoption of active learning methodologies and the incorporation of the latest digital technologies, including generative artificial intelligence. “Our aim is clear: to ensure that our students’ education is on a par with the best in Portugal and the world, preparing them for an increasingly complex future that requires solid foundations, both scientifically and in terms of human and behavioural aspects,” he concluded. The Institutional Welcome Session also included the presentation of the Quality and Merit Promotion Scholarships, as well as the “Brandzone – Media Experts” and “Giacomini Portugal” awards. The programme ended with performances by Tuna Feminina and Tuna Académica, which reinforced the atmosphere of integration and celebration.    

From 3 to 5 September, Universidade Portucalense held the UPT Erasmus Welcome Week, a welcoming programme for students of 18 nationalities. In this first semester of the 2025-2026 academic year, Universidade Portucalense is hosting 102 students from European universities from 17 countries – Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Croatia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Türkiye, and Slovakia. This group was also joined by two international exchange students from Brazil. The programme began with a welcome session led by the Vice-Rector for Teaching, Elizabeth Real, followed by a guided tour of the University and the International Aperitif. Over the next few days, various educational, cultural, and leisure activities took place, facilitating the students’ integration into the university and the city of Porto. Among the highlights were the 6 Bridges Cruise on the River Douro, a surf lesson, and an integration dinner. Organised by the International Relations Office, UPT Erasmus Welcome Week reaffirms Universidade Portucalense’s commitment to internationalisation, cultural diversity, and welcoming a global, inclusive, and dynamic academic community.

Between 7 and 9 July, Universidade Portucalense held the first edition of the “Summer School +Sucesso: Excellence Programme for Excellence”, part of the +Sucesso@UPortucalense project. This was an intensive learning experience for the 28 freshers selected for their high academic performance. For three days, the students took part in workshops in the areas of communication, creativity, emotional intelligence, and leadership. The programme also included group dynamics, mentoring sessions with guest lecturers and mentors, and activities designed to stimulate personal growth, reflection, and collaborative work. Elizabeth Real, Vice-Rector for Education, points out that: “The ‘Summer School +Sucesso: Excellence Programme for Excellence’ was a particularly meaningful initiative within the framework of the +Successo@Universidade Portucalense Project, as it recognised the academic merit of the first-year students with the best academic grades.”   She stresses that this programme “has not only enabled the development of personal, interpersonal, and academic skills, but also reinforced the sense of belonging to the academic community, through the interaction with colleagues, lecturers, and alumni.” She believes that “the active involvement of the students, combined with the quality of the topics and the trainers, contributed to an enriching experience, with a real impact on the academic career, professional aspirations, and future prospects of the participants.” In view of the strong response and the high level of satisfaction shown by the participants, she said there is a possibility of “new, similar actions within the scope of the project, as well as other complementary initiatives aimed at promoting the academic success of our students.” “Summer School +Sucesso: Excellence Programme for Excellence” is part of the +Sucesso@UPortucalense Project, funded by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).  

Lecturer Sandra Fernandes is part of the “+Sucesso@UPortucalense” project, which began in September last year and is due to end in September next year.

From 19 to 23 May, faculty and staff from 13 European universities are taking part in the VIII Erasmus Staff Week and in the I International Tourism and Hospitality Week. This international exchange week will include good practice sharing sessions, open classes, and a cultural programme with a guided tour of Aveiro and the beaches of Barra and Costa Nova. Schedule I VIII UPT Erasmus Staff Week and I International Tourism and Hospitality Week Schedule I Open Classes  

Revista Jurídica Portucalense (RJP) has just been ranked in the 1st quartile (Q1) of SCOPUS in the area of Law, according to the SCImago Journal Rank (SJR) indicator. It is the only national representative in this elite group. This places RJP among the journals with the best scientific performance in its field (above at least 75% of the others in the same category), being at the forefront of international legal research. With this result, RJP is now a part of the top 10 Ibero-American law journals (in universe of 153) with the highest impact factor in the region. The rise from Q3 in 2023 to Q1 in 2024 represents a historic and unprecedented progression for the publication, reflecting the consistent work and dedication of its editorial team, authors and reviewers. This international recognition reinforces RJP’s role as a platform of excellence for the dissemination of high-quality legal research. With completely open access and no publication fees, RJP already stood out for being the only periodical published by a Law Research Unit that is simultaneously indexed in the SCOPUS and Web of Science databases. Linked to the Instituto Jurídico Portucalense (IJP), RJP plays a strategic role in the international affirmation of the R&D Unit, with special emphasis on the Portuguese-speaking world. It also has an editorial board and a panel of reviewers with a multidisciplinary and international profile, who have guided the journal’s activity by the highest standards of scientific rigour and demand. At the beginning of February 2025, Fátima Castro Moreira took over as Editor General of RJP, succeeding Mónica Martinez de Campos, who had led the publication in recent years with remarkable dedication. Scimago Journal & Country Rank

With PhDs in Psychotherapy and Counselling and Neurosciences, Óscar Gonçalves has taken on the role of Director of CINTESIS.UPT and coordinator of the Doctoral Programme in Clinical Psychology and Counselling.