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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.

Universidade Portucalense has signed a co-operation protocol with ASICOTUR – International Association for Tourism Co-operation, with the aim of fostering joint projects that promote research, innovation, and sustainable development in the tourism sector.

The Instituto Jurídico Portucalense (IJP) – Leiria Campus hosted the presentation of the collective work “The European and Inter-American Systems for the Protection of Human Rights: a Comparative Reading” on 10 December.

Laura Quevedo Jurgina began a research project at REMIT that will end in May next year. Her aim is to contribute to a more equitable and inclusive education.