The global agri-food system has transformed significantly in recent decades. Supply chains (SCs) have evolved from linear structures into complex networks with dynamic roles and behaviors. These changes have consolidated power among major food processors and retailers, leaving farmers with a smaller share of the added value of their produce [1]. This economic landscape discourages newcomers who see limited growth opportunities. Factors like climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and geopolitical events have exposed the vulnerability of Mediterranean food systems, impacting consumers' purchasing power and prompting discussions about policies for more resilient supply chains. This has reinvigorated national dialogues concerning how to best frame our policies and regulatory environment to create more diversified and resilient food SCs [2]. In this context, many rural agri-food economies, especially in MENA countries, struggle due to low incomes, unfavourable environmental conditions, ageing farmers, inefficient agricultural practices, low interest of the younger generation in agriculture, lack of manpower, and limited digital education. These issues affect their livelihoods and lead to land abandonment and degradation. Furthermore, operators located in MENA countries often work under extremely challenging conditions, with inadequate infrastructure, complicated access to credit, limited business growth opportunities, and underdeveloped policy conditions. As the frequency and magnitude of disruptions increase, food organizations of any size and individuals, particularly farmers and smallholders, need to consider a novel range of options and adopt a comprehensive strategy to build resilience and ensure the viability of their businesses and cereal SCs.

O objetivo estratégico do projeto é reduzir o abandono e promover o sucessoacadémico dos estudantes no 1.º ano, pela primeira vez no 1.º ciclo de estudos,assegurando a regularidade de iniciativas neste âmbito. A candidatura surge na continuação do projeto In_Iscte, a decorrer, ajustando-se agora às ambições do programa Impulso Mais Digital. Identificam-se quatro objetivos específicos: 1. Melhorar a integração e o sucesso dos novos estudantes através de programas dementoria e tutoria;2. Promover a partilha e disseminação de práticas de inovação pedagógica dentro e fora da sala de aula, renovando e diversificando metodologias e instrumentostecnológicos;3. Desenvolver mecanismos de identificação, comunicação e acompanhamento de estudantes em risco;4. Reforçar as competências de autoaprendizagem e de trabalho em equipa. Como objetivo transversal, refira-se o alargamento da base social dos estudantes doensino superior. Neste sentido, tendo como foco os estudantes inscritos no 1.º ano pela primeira vez, será dada especial atenção a grupos tradicionalmente sub-representados ou com dificuldades identificadas na integração no ensino superior: estudantes de contingentes prioritários/especiais - com enfase aos estudantes com deficiência; estudantes beneficiários da ação social escolar; estudantes bolseiros provenientes de países PALOP; estudantes deslocados da sua residência habitual por motivos de estudo; trabalhadores-estudantes (Almeida et al, 2003; Machado et al. 2003; Martins, Mauritti e Costa, 2005 e 2008; Martins, 2015; Martins, Carvalho, Ávila & Costa, 2017; Martins, 2020; Martins e Ramos, 2020; Martins, Mauritti & Machado, 2023; Matias et al. 2023; Mauritti et al. 2023; Mauritti, Pintassilgo et al. 2023; SEAQ-UQ-Iscte, 2023). A definição dos objetivos articula-se com as áreas prioritárias de intervenção identificadas no aviso de abertura. Na prossecução destes objetivos, desenvolver-se-ão quatro eixos de atividades principais: 1) um programa de mentorias e ...

A adaptação e integração dos estudantes no Ensino Superior tem sido largamente abordada  pela investigação, nomeadamente no que diz respeito ao impacto do processo de adaptação  no sucesso e abandono escolar. A integração dos novos estudantes num novo contexto social  e académico pode constituir-se como um momento crítico nos processos de adaptação, sendo  que o período de chegada e os primeiros tempos de permanência na instituição são o momento-chave para intervir preventivamente. O acolhimento de novos estudantes é uma  prioridade do Iscte. As relações entre a integração nas relações sociais do ambiente académico (dentro e fora da  sala de aula), saúde mental e desempenho académico tornou-se particularmente evidente no  contexto mais recente do período COVID-19. Os efeitos do isolamento social e da  aprendizagem exclusivamente on-line são duradouros, sendo fundamental investir na  recuperação através do reforço das iniciativas de acolhimento. A aposta em estratégias de prevenção, com carácter universal, são uma forma eficaz de obtenção de resultados positivos  com os estudantes quer ao nível da sua saúde mental, quer no ajustamento à universidade.  

The InCITIES project aims to achieve the transformations of HEIs and their surrounding ecosystem centred around on cities’ needs of inclusion, sustainability and resilience. Its specific focus on widening countries (Portugal and Slovakia) will allow to overcome structural, sociocultural, economic, political and institutional barriers to transformation fostering. Addressing the European-global challenges of cities, InCITIES has 4 objectives: 1) Map institutional transformation strategies towards research-based sustainable universities including open science and career opportunities. 2) Build a long-term network of participating HEIs and surrounding ecosystems based on integrated knowledge HUBs. 3) Increase scientific, technological and staff capacity by sharing the best pedagogical, research, management and administrative practices in the consortium, and piloting leverages to widening HEIs. 4) Promote digitally driven universities by creating an open and innovative education and training platform in synergy with the project research and innovation agenda on inclusive, sustainable and resilient cities. The 5 methods jointly developed will set the foundation for the consortium role model: 1) Method for a common research map, 2) Capacity building actions based on the Learning by Developing pedagogical model, 3) Capacity building in talent scout and career opportunity strategy (attractiveness of research careers, including open science incentives), 4) Capacity building on equality, diversity and inclusion, 5) Methods to address enablers and barriers to integration of the InCITIES Alliance. From knowledge co-creation to joint production between European HEIs, surrounding ecosystems and citizens’ involvement, integrated actions play a key-role in achieving the consortium objectives. Capacity building actions implemented are a step towards the submission to the European Universities Initiative; it will strengthen the ERA, the EEA, and Europe’s approach to coope...

The iNSPIRE Social Entrepreneurs Network (iNSPIRE) project will create a learning HUB that will develop inspiring apprenticeships processes, based on the identification of transferable lessons from the formal and informal learning environment to support the development of a social entrepreneurship network in several European countries (Turkey, Portugal, Ireland, France, and Belgium). Ireland and Belgium have already an important background in social entrepreneurship and will contribute to creating a strong partnership to support and develop a European social cluster. Evidence from Ireland and Belgium shows that social entrepreneurship demonstrates great potential for employment growth. The iNSPIRE goal is to improve skills for social entrepreneurs and increase the potential for social enterprise creation. The project will engage diverse stakeholders in dialogue and cooperation including non-profit associations, universities, training providers, social innovation organizations, research centers, and public agencies. It will capture the experience, including learning mechanisms, approaches to management, and networking competencies from other projects in the social field, mainly developed by the partners, for instance, capacity building.

In recent years the entire legal and regulatory basis of the Portuguese Planning System underwent an ambitious and far reaching reform. However, today like in the past, the major effort in the production of new legislation and regulation was not accompanied by a similar effort in the production of planning doctrine, here understood as a vast and coherent set of planning policies and implementation measures, able to improve, from a technical and scientific point of view, and under an evidence based approach, not only the quality of planning practice but also, and foremost,its proactive role, incorporating new and emerging topics and societal challenges and concerns, promoting change and opening new transition avenues into the future. This proactive role of planning, advocated here, contrasts with its traditional conservative standing in Portugal (and in other EU Member States), of looking backwards and passively accommodating, if not slowing down, change and the social and physical reform of our cities and metropolises.   Planning can, and should, constitute a transformative device in our cities in Europe and elsewhere, particularly in the present times and with a view into the long term. Indeed, current changes seem far more deep within the existing urban tissues experiencing profound recompositions of functions and activities, than in physical terms, strictly speaking,where past investments in infrastructures and in the built environment seemed to have exceeded the real demand and generated a surplus of the building stock that, some years later, still remains partially empty or underused.   The Spatial Planning for Change (SPLACH) programme draws on some of the main areas of knowledge of thre eresearch centres CITTA, DINÂMIA'CET-IUL and GOVCOPP. Two to three main areas of knowledge were identified for each centre: post carbon cities, transformative policies, spatial planning, socio-technical system, food security,services of general interest, tourism and modeli...

The proposed RURACTION research and training network focuses on problems in structurally weak rural regions in Europe and on the impact of social entrepreneurship regarding the development of innovative solutions to problems in rural regions.

Proposal to create an InForest Co-location Center, which integrates education, research and innovation and entrepreneurship activities, with the following objectives:1. Characterization of the forest row in Portugal, highlighting the cork oak tree including the mapping of stakeholders throughout the value chain; 2. Perception of the value of forests and forest raw materials in economic, social and environmental terms and practices associated with sustainable management and enhancement of the quality of non-wood forest raw materials (eg cork and resin) increased certification; 3. Mapping the 'innovation ecosystem' of the sector in order to identify the opportunity and development of entrepreneurial projects throughout the value chain; 4. Survey of areas not covered by research and vocational training related to the enhancement of the quality of non-wood forest raw materials, in particular production, extraction and technologies for processing cork; 5. Identification of ways to promote associativism, information gathering and coordination of stakeholders present throughout the value chain including the articulation and development of partnerships with entities related to design, architecture and other activities of an artistic and creative nature; 6. Market study for the creation of graduate and postgraduate education products and vocational training (formal and informal) on forest and forest raw materials; 7. Proposal to develop ways of disseminating knowledge about the forest and the cork oak forest through initiatives aimed at the school system (primary and secondary schools) and society in general; 8. Preparation of application to the Knowledge Innovation Community (KIC) (European Institute of Technology (EIT), 2014)

The external evaluation of the project ‘Fostering Intergenerational Entrepreneurship’ of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia de Lisboa, carried out by Dinâmia-CET, is a requirment of the call and is a process that monitors all stages of the project’s development.The methodological framework identifies: i) Project’s main dimensions; ii) actions to be developed within those dimensions; iii) indicators for actions assessment; and iv) techniques to be used for data collection. The involvement of social actors, besides participants, that are relevant for the development and success of the Project justifies the observation and characterization of public in general and the realization of participated sessions with partners. Therefore, three groups of actors will be considered: participants, public in general, and partners. Participants will be inquired (3 questionnaire surveys and 2 focus groups) during the different phases of the social experiment in order to get information related with their profile, expectations, options, and actions developed during the project. Partners will be involved in 2 focus groups envisaging the debate of Project objectives, evolution, results, and future developments regarding public policies design. Public in general will be considered for the assessment of dissemination effectiveness and Project’s embeddedness in public domain. Public registration in events and Project’s reference by media and social networks will contribute to the achievement of this objective.

CrossingBoundaries aims to develop, through a programme of staff exchange, a new international & multi-disciplinary research community working in exploring the processes, challenges & implications on innovation performance of knowledge & technology transfer across national boundaries. This research community will focus particularly in addressing five research questions: 1. Who are the actors involved in the process of knowledge & technology transfer for the purposes of innovation across national boundaries? 2. What are the processes of knowledge & technology transfer across national boundaries & how do these differ according to the actors involved? 3. How do contextual factors (such as institutional divergence, cultural differences & geographic distance) influence the processes of knowledge & technology transfer across national boundaries? 4. How do organisational factors (such as technological capabilities, & the absorptive capacity of the firm) influence the processes of knowledge & technology transfer across national boundaries? 5. What are the implications for policy & policy transfer for innovation? The programme will contribute in the development of theoretical constructs in addressing the five research questions above, & provide an evidence base drawn from the experience of the countries involved in CrossingBoundaries that could be used to inform future research & policy. The proposed project will also develop country case studies that explore specific aspects (territorial, organisational and policy) aspects of these issues. An important aim of the programme is to create an enduring partnership and future collaborative research. This will be achieved in two ways. Firstly, the development of cross institutional doctoral supervision partnerships that will develop new researchers (augmenting the research community). Secondly, the involvement of the partner institution’s research and international officers in th...

The main objective of this project is to assess the potential of these peri-urban areas to meet future challenges for sustainable development in a changing world. It aims to look in-depth into the peri-urban areas of the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon (AML), its environmental, social, economic and institutional characteristics using a prospective approach.Methodology: In order to achieve this goal this project aims at: (1) identifying typologies of peri-urban areas based on its ecological, social, economic and institutional characteristics for the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon; (2) creating visions for peri-urban areas according to their typology by developing scenarios for case studies based on: (a) understanding structural and functional dynamics of each typology, taking into account: ecosystems services provided by each typology, identifying vulnerabilities; economic activities, their innovative potential, and evolving demand patterns; perceived quality of life of resident population and their expectation toward future developments; governance models and spatial planning systems at local scale, assessing its potential for change; and (b) expert and stakeholder participation, identifying the specific challenges that need to be faced by each peri-urban typology, namely in terms of the formulation of sustainability quality objectives; (3) bridging scientific and practice by communicating knowledge acquired in research and into useful and relevant information for planners and decisionmakers, developing strategic planning guidelines and governances models with stakeholders, and envisaging orientations to deal with the challenges faced by peri-urban areas.

The central concept behind this project is to analyze the emergence and consolidation of social entrepreneurship within the context of the changes undergone by Portuguese society over the last decades, taking on board the international debate and alternatives to the capitalist model. The core objectives of the project are: a) to analyze the structures and dynamics of social entrepreneurship in Portugal; b) to make policy recommendations for social entrepreneurship in the fields of employment and education/training, organizational and management models.Methodology: The aim is to meet these objectives through an approach based on three analytical axes, combining both extensive and intensive methodologies, the latter based on participatory action research. These events shall be included in a documentary about social entrepreneurship for informative and didactic purposes, in order to disseminate this concept to regional and local communities and to society in general. A platform of social entrepreneurship, that can be accessed free of charge, will be one of the innovative products of the project, which shall include the documentary, a bibliographic database, a repository of public policies, a database of teaching/training institutions, and pedagogical guidelines, among a wide array of products generated during 3 years of project and that come to be regarded as relevant for dissemination purposes.

This project is meant to explore decision making devices (instruments and procedures) and their role in dealing with conflicts between (incommensurable) values as they arise in the process of public decision-making concerning the sustainability of projects with major impact on environment. With the European Union Directive 2001/42/EC the assessment procedure known as Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) became a major instrument for implementing sustainable territorial development policies in the EU. Public decision is thus called to translate into practice the goal of territorial sustainable development - a guiding principle of public action that requires the composition of different and often contrasting definitions concerning desirable common goods to pursue. However, the way in which this composition may be achieved leaves room for controversies and varied, context-dependent, arrangements. The project combines two different but interwoven explorations. The first is meant to analyse the translation of monistic and pluralistic approaches into “devices of decision” (cost-benefit analysis; integrated and multicriteria approaches). The second axis is devoted to the observation of how these devices have been enacted in controversies concerning large infrastructural projects, specifically: the decision on the location of the new Lisbon airport, the decision of the construction of the Tua dam and the decision on the extension of Milan airport.