From April 15th to 19th, the Rectorate of the U.Porto hosted its first Staff Week of 2024. The event welcomed 18 participants from 4 continents, representing Argentina, Armenia, India, Kazakhstan, Mozambique, Republic of Korea, Senegal, Spain, Syria, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.

The programe included a workshop delivered by the Erasmus + Project unit (IRO), in which participants were invited to collaborate in working groups to develop Erasmus+ project proposals. Additionally, sessions were held on topics such as equality (presented by Professor Marisa Matias), inclusiveness (led by Alice Ribeiro from the Support Centre for Inclusion), sustainability and digitalisation (presented by IRO).

In addition to the enriching sessions and workshops in the historic building downtown, the participants had the opportunity to visit other sites in Porto connected to the University. These included UPTEC (Science and Technology Park of U.Porto) and two faculties located on two different campuses across the city which enabled the multicultural group to have a glimpse of the students’ academic experience. Furthermore, participants explored the Natural History and Science Museum of the U.Porto and embarked on a guided tour of the city centre led by Vítor Bizarro, President of ESN Porto.

At the recently held Erasmus Generation Meeting 2024 in Seville, Porto was announced as the winner of the “Erasmus Destination of the Year 2024” initiative, an award promoted by the Erasmus Student Network (ESN), one of the biggest student associations in Europe. In partnership with the European Commission (EC), ESN fosters this initiative to identify, recognise and honour the best practices in supporting student mobility.

During the awards ceremony, the 5 finalists - Istanbul, Nicosia, Seville, Porto and Sofia – presented their applications to over 1500 participants, members of the "Erasmus Generation".

The selection process involved both a quantitative and a qualitative assessment - to which the U.Porto’s Internacional Relations Office contributed. This evaluation included the analysis of the number of activities organised by ESN Porto and the presence of "tips" associated with Porto in the Erasmus+ app by the EC, as well as the number of initiatives promoted by the city to support international students through Higher Education Institutions, the City Hall, local associations, and other entities.

With over three decades of history, and following ESN’s motto of "Students helping students", ESN Porto organises more than 160 events every year, including cultural activities, trips, volunteering days and debates. Furthermore, it offers over 30 local partnerships, covering housing, transportation, and cultural services, all aimed at smoothing the integration of international students in the city.

The U.Porto annually welcomes over 6,000 international students: more than 4,000 degree-seeking students and more than 2,000 participants in mobility programs. Porto’s recognition as the Erasmus Destination of the Year 2024 demonstrates our commitment and dedication to promoting a welcoming and inclusive experience for all international students.

In February 2024, the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Porto (FMUP) took proactive steps to address the urgent needs arising from the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine. In collaboration with the LIFESTRAND Erasmus+ project, FMUP conducted medical simulation training sessions for 30 health professionals from Ukraine and Georgia.

The primary objective of the LIFESTRAND project is to equip primary care professionals with essential skills for providing medical assistance to civilians amidst military conflicts. As part of this initiative, FMUP focused on training participants in basic and advanced life support techniques, emergency medicine, and disaster response.

Led by Professor Cristina Granja, Director of FMUP's Multidisciplinary Simulation Center, the training sessions covered a range of critical scenarios, including the management of polytraumatized patients, fracture care, hemorrhage control, pain management, and evacuation procedures. Through hands-on clinical simulation exercises, participants gained practical experience essential for responding effectively to emergencies in high-risk environments.

The impact of this training extends beyond immediate participants. It is expected to enhance the first aid teaching capacities of seven higher education institutions and benefit over 7,000 Ukrainian and Georgian citizens residing in military risk zones. The dire situation in Ukraine underscores the urgent need to bolster local communities' abilities to provide life-saving support and pre-hospital care.

Over the next three years, FMUP, along with its project partners, will continue to develop support materials, including manuals and first-aid guides. Additionally, they will monitor and evaluate the training process to ensure its effectiveness and sustainability.

The training sessions took place in February at FMUP's state-of-the-art Medical Simulation facilities, reflecting the institution's commitment to addressing humanitarian crises through education and collaboration.

 

From February 19 to March 1, 2024, the University of Porto and the Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), played host to 16 professors from Armenia and Ukraine for advanced training in aquaculture.

This training initiative marks a milestone in the AFISHE project (Development of Aquaculture and Fisheries Education for Green Deal in Armenia and Ukraine: from Education to Ecology), a three-year international collaboration spanning 2023 to 2025. Coordinated by the Armenian National Agrarian University (ANAU), AFISHE involves partners from Armenia, Ukraine, Portugal, Croatia, and Slovakia, with funding totaling 697 090 EUR from the European Union's ERASMUS+ program.

The project's objective is to mitigate the environmental impacts of aquaculture and fisheries in Armenia and Ukraine by establishing Master's degree programs in Aquaculture and Fisheries, drawing upon successful European models. Furthermore, AFISHE seeks to foster collaboration among universities, companies, and research centers, emphasizing the transition "from education to ecology" over its three-year duration.

During the two-week training in Portugal, the Armenian and Ukrainian lecturers underwent a comprehensive program designed by U.Porto's professors Augusto Faustino, Paulo Vaz-Pires, and José Fernando Gonçalves from ICBAS. The training encompassed technical visits to key aquaculture and fisheries facilities, including the Sealife Porto aquarium, the Interdisciplinary Center for Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), and various aquaculture enterprises.

Covering 14 distinct modules, the training addressed crucial topics such as animal welfare, aquaculture engineering, environmental management, and fish health. Expertise was shared by 18 trainers from institutions including ICBAS, the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Porto (FCUP), CIIMAR, and industry partners.

The AFISHE project exemplifies innovative cross-border collaboration, facilitating knowledge exchange and capacity-building to address pressing environmental and educational challenges in aquaculture and fisheries. As the project progresses, it promises to yield lasting benefits for all participating nations and institutions.

 

The PADMICA project has officially commenced! In the coming years, the consortium, coordinated by the Ghent University, will develop preparation and debriefing modules for the outgoing students, with the aim of enhancing their intercultural competences and improving their mobility experience. The project also includes a train-the-trainer module, to enable international relations officers, Erasmus coordinators and other academic or administrative staff to implement these trainings.

The University of Porto was represented by the International Office in the Kick-off Meeting in Ghent on December 4-5, 2023.

PADMICA – Scalable and low-resource Preparation and Debriefing Module for Students’ Intercultural Competence Development Abroad, this Erasmus+ project, aims to foster intercultural competences among outgoing students to improve the quality of their mobility experience.

With a budget of 400 000 EUR and a length of 36 months, have a consortium of 5 HEIs (Ghent University, Eötvös Loránd University, University of Porto, University of Marburg, University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines) and 1 organization (European University Foundation) from 6 countries.

 

In a significant stride towards promoting healthy ageing and digital empowerment, the University of Porto hosted the Kick-off meeting of the Erasmus+ Project SMARTAgeCARE at its Rectorate on November 9-10, 2023. This initiative marks the university's return to coordinating Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnerships projects since 2021, with the project being approved under the leadership of Professor Bruno Giesteira at the Faculty of Fine Arts (FBAUP).

The SMARTAgeCARE project, titled "Toolkit for Caring and Empowering European Older Adults: Ecosystem, Handbook, and Digital Platform in Digital Transition, e-Health, and Citizenship," holds the vision of positioning the European Union as a global leader in the field of healthy ageing. With a focus on boosting the Smart Ageing paradigm, the project seeks to leverage digital technologies to enhance the quality of life for older adults.

Bringing together a consortium of nine partners spanning eight European countries (HIPOKAMP, ALL DIGITAL, Adult Education Center Schrobenhausen, Education Centre Geoss, IMS Research & Development Center, Connect Latvia, FORHUMANZ, Provincial Adult Education Centre), SMARTAgeCARE amalgamates multidisciplinary expertise and experience in the realms of digital transition in health and citizenship. The collaboration aims to create innovative tools and resources, including a comprehensive handbook, digital platform, and an ecosystem to support the ageing population in adapting to the digital era.

The SMARTAgeCARE project outlines clear objectives to guide its implementation with a 400 000 EUR budget:

Development of IKIGAI Educational Methodology: The project seeks to pioneer an IKIGAI-based educational methodology tailored to the needs of older adults. This innovative approach aims to enhance their digital transition skills, proficiency in digital healthcare (eHealth), and citizenship.

Empowerment of Older Adults with Limited Digital Skills: Addressing the unique challenges faced by older adults with limited digital skills, SMARTAgeCARE aims to bolster resilience and engagement in the digital transition. By promoting autonomy in digital healthcare (eHealth), the project endeavors to empower older adults, making them active participants in the evolving digital landscape.

Fostering Citizenship Relevance: SMARTAgeCARE recognizes the importance of citizenship in shaping public policies. By fostering citizenship relevance, the project aims to empower older adults to actively intervene in public policies related to healthcare and digital inclusion.

 

The highlight of 2023 is the international credit mobility project MIND - Move for Inclusion and Digitalization, the first Erasmus International Credit Mobility consortium coordinated by U.Porto. Bringing together other Portuguese universities including University of Minho, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro and University of Aveiro, this consortium will make it possible to strengthen the offer of extra-EU mobility opportunities.

The evaluation of the project was very positive for all 11 countries, from the 4 regions we applied to: Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Chile, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Montenegro and Uzbekistan. In total, financial support was allocated to support 104 flows, with a total of 356 890 EUR with a duration of 36 months.

 

https://mind23.up.pt

 

The University of Porto continues to consolidate its position as an international reference institution under the Erasmus+ Program, with the approval of 25 more projects in 2023. These results include the coordination of 7 of these projects, reinforcing its commitment to academic excellence and international cooperation. Of the projects already approved, the overall budget is around 10 million EUR, and U.Porto is responsible for managing more than 5 million EUR.

In all, 76 applications were submitted in the 2023 call for proposals, demonstrating the commitment of the University of Porto's academic community to active participation in Education and Training projects. It should also be noted that some results are not yet known, which could further increase the positive impact of the U.Porto on the international academic scene.

Among the projects already approved, and which will be led by U.Porto, are several projects under Key Action 1, aimed at promoting individual mobility for student and staff learning purposes. This year's highlight is the international credit mobility project MIND - Move for Inclusion and Digitalization, the first Erasmus International Credit Mobility consortium coordinated by U.Porto. Bringing together other Portuguese universities (University of Minho, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro and University of Aveiro), this consortium will make it possible to strengthen the offer of extra-EU mobility opportunities. In total, the ICM projects coordinated by U.Porto will make it possible to carry out more than 200 mobilities with 28 countries, from 8 regions, on 4 continents, with a budget of around 700 thousand EUR.

This year there are also two projects under Key Action 2, aimed at cooperation between institutions. The TecBioFood Project, a Higher Education Training Project coordinated by FCNAUP, was designed to provide São Tomé and Príncipe's Higher Education Institutions with the necessary skills to improve technical and teaching conditions in the area of Nutrition and Food Sciences, through the use of their biological resources. Another of the approved projects, coordinated by the U.Porto and under the leadership of the FBAUP, is the SmartAgeCare Project, a Partnerships for Cooperation Action Project, which aims to help position the European Union as a global leader in the area of healthy ageing, boosting the Smart Ageing paradigm. Developed by a consortium of 9 partners in 8 European countries, the project combines multidisciplinary expertise and experience in digital transition in health and citizenship.

We recall that between 2014 and 2020, U.Porto actively participated in 223 Erasmus Projects, 41 of which were coordinated by the institution itself. These projects represented a total investment of 53 million EUR, highlighting the relevance and scope of the international activities developed by the university.

U.Porto Strategic Goals 2030: A boost for internationalization

U.Porto's participation in Erasmus+ projects in 2023 is part of the University's Strategic Goals for 2030. The institution has set itself the goal of cumulative participation in 121 international Education and Training projects by 2024, raising this target to 350 by the end of the decade (2030).

These goals reflect U.Porto's commitment to strengthening its global presence, promoting international cooperation and mobility, scientific collaborations and enriching the educational experience of its students. The University aims not only to be recognized for its academic rigor, but also for its significant contribution to international development in terms of teaching and research.

The University of Porto thus reaffirms its leading role in terms of academic internationalization, contributing, through active participation in projects of international importance, such as the Erasmus Programme, to the advancement of knowledge and collaboration between higher education institutions around the world.

 

In a significant recognition of its outstanding commitment to advancing the digital management of Erasmus+ student mobility, the University of Porto has been selected as one of the first Erasmus Without Paper (EWP) Champions (Erasmus Without Paper Champions | Erasmus+ (europa.eu)). This prestigious acknowledgment is a testament to the dedication demonstrated by the university and its faculty during a challenging transition period, highlighting their commitment to enhancing the digital landscape of Erasmus+ programs.

From Portugal, only the University of Porto was recognized as EWP Champions, among other 54 HEIs from 26 countries.

University of Porto is one of the few HEIs at the European level that has a "dual role" in EWP: on the one hand, it is part of the EWP consortium and has been collaborating in the implementation of the project; on the other hand, it is also an Erasmus+ beneficiary, ensuring the development of APIs in its in-house system, experiencing the same challenges in the process of achieving the necessary interoperability and connection to the EWP network.

The University of Porto has accumulated a high level of experience and expertise in digitalizing the management of Erasmus+ student mobility. The acknowledgement positions the institution as a beacon for others, showcasing best practices and strategies to overcome challenges associated with digital transformation in higher education.

As an EWP Champion, the University of Porto plays a pivotal role in communication and outreach activities. The university is encouraged to share examples of good practices, insights into overcoming challenges, and the tangible benefits derived from their digital initiatives. This sharing of knowledge aims to assist other higher education institutions in progressing and improving their own EWP systems in the future.

The kick-off meeting gathered participants from the selected champions in the premises of the Directorate-General for Education and Culture, European Commission in Brussels on December 5, 2023. The University of Porto was represented by Jorge Santos, the IT Specialist from the International Office.

 

The 6th edition of the EUF Open Space, held at the University of Split from June 7 to 9, 2023, brought together 75 participants under the theme "Supporting Changemakers in European Higher Education". The event, powered by the EUF Project Manager and Advisor Community, offered a dynamic platform for higher education institutions to explore, share, and collaborate on transformative project ideas.

The University of Porto played a prominent role in the opening panel, taking part in the "Transformative Impact of Erasmus+ Projects on Universities."

Throughout the three-day event, participants had the opportunity to acquire valuable knowledge from trainers with multiple years of experience in project management, network with colleagues from across Europe, and become a changemaker in the domain of European Higher Education. The event encourages the exchange of ideas to address institutional priorities such as sustainability, internationalization at home, and teaching mobility.

 

More information available on the official website Open Space 2023: Supporting changemakers in European higher education (uni-foundation.eu)

 

The University of Split hosted a Learning, Teaching, Training activity in the framework of the Erasmus+60 project, from 4 to 8 September 2023.

During that week, colleagues from partner universities and their senior participants from Portugal, France, Latvia, Czech Republic, Switzerland, and Hungary had the opportunity to participate in online course testing, healthy meal preparation workshops, physical exercises, as well as cultural workshops focusing on the cultural and historical heritage of the Split area.

Erasmus+ 60 focuses on a particular age group that has not been sufficiently considered in the development of Higher Education Institutions' activities and framework programmes like Erasmus+: European citizens aged 60 and above. This project aims to lead the way in providing more learning opportunities for the 60+ population.

 

More information available on the official website: Erasmus+60 (uvsq.fr)

 

The Kick-off meeting of the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education (CBHE) project AFISHE - Development of Aquaculture and Fisheries Education for Green Deal in Armenia and Ukraine: FROM EDUCATION TO ECOLOGY took place from January 25 to 27, 2023, in the Armenian capital.

The University of Porto was represented by professors Augusto Faustino and Paulo Vaz-Pires from the Abel Salazar Institute of Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), the faculty where the main project activities will take place in Portugal. The project also involves the collaboration of José Fernando Gonçalves, another ICBAS faculty member, with plans for cooperation with other faculties, research centers at the University of Porto, and companies in the relevant sectors.

Coordinated by the ANAU - Armenian National Agrarian University (Armenia), AFISHE brings together partners from five European countries. In addition to the University of Porto, the project includes NAS RA – National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Armenia (Armenia), SNAU – Sumy National Agrarian University (Ukraine), NUWEE – National University of Water and Environmental Engineering (Ukraine), UNIDU – University of Dubrovnik (Croatia) and SUA – Slovak University of Agriculture (Slovakia).

AFISHE focuses on developing aquaculture and fisheries education in Armenia and Ukraine. With a three-year duration and funding of approximately 700 000 EUR from the European Union, the project aims to mitigate the negative environmental impacts of aquaculture and fisheries in the two countries. Key objectives include creating Master's programs based on successful European models, fostering a cooperation network among universities and industry, and training Armenian and Ukrainian educators to establish specialized teaching and research laboratories for aquaculture and fisheries support.

Detailed information about the project is available on AFISHE's official website.

 

Within the framework of the Erasmus+ program, RISHII (Resources for Internationalisation of Higher Education Institutions in India) was created to contribute to the modernisation and internationalisation of Indian Higher Education. This initiative focused on the Internationalisation of Curriculum (IoC) of fourteen Indian Higher Education Institutions.

The project was designed to equip these institutions with the necessary procedures, tools, human resources and continuous professional development mechanisms necessary for Curriculum Internationalisation and creating institution-wide thriving cultures of Internationalisation-FOR-ALL. Through a series of workshops, staff members were empowered to become champions of IoC, improving the quality of education and preparing students for a globalised world.

One of the significant results of the project was the development of a Map of institutional needs in terms of internationalisation identified by the Indian partners. Additionally, a Comprehensive Internationalisation framework was created to evaluate each institution's performance in terms of internationalisation strategies.

The project also hosted 4 Training Seminars, which focused on crucial strategic lines, namely: Internationalisation of curriculum and student-centred approach; Global Competences and Learning Outcomes; Engaging students in globally relevant active learning; and Innovative Assessment methods that promote Global Learning.

Furthermore, Indian partners developed Internationalisation of Curriculum Workshops focusing on 4 Strategic Lines and 3 different targets/levels (pilot programme-level, institutional level and regional level), as well as a set of tools to help partners promote the Internationalisation of Curriculum, making them available for all Indian HEIs to use.

Despite facing challenges posed by COVID-19 restrictions, the project adapted by conducting online meetings, ensuring the progress of the project and collaboration among the consortium. In 2023 all partners were able to gather in Bilbao for the fourth meeting, and again in New Delhi, for the final meeting.

Within the scope of the new Erasmus+ Programme 2021-2027, one of the projects in which U.Porto is currently participating is the Erasmus+60, coordinated by the University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines.

Erasmus+ 60 focuses on a particular age group that has not been sufficiently considered in the development of Higher Education Institutions’ activities and framework programmes like Erasmus+: European citizens aged 60 and above. With life expectancy increasingly growing and given the fact that one citizen in three is expected to be over 65 by 2060, the need for studying and training opportunities grows correspondingly.

The consortium constituted by 8 universities along with the European University Foundation (University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, University of Porto, University of Split, University of Latvia, Eötvös Loránd University, University of Zurich and Mendel University in Brno) will work throughout the next three years to:

• - map the existing Higher Education offers for citizens aged 60 and over;
• - develop pilot courses contributing to the aim of building inclusive higher education systems that contain adapted offers to citizens over 60, including student life activities to maintain one’s health;
• - promote inter-connected higher education systems in Europe by providing a pilot platform for an online offer of shared courses as well as intercultural learning activities for citizens over 60;
• - develop policy recommendations that will draw on the project results in order to highlight the urgent need to open new and more systematic educational perspectives for senior citizens of the European Higher Education Area.

You can subscribe the project’s Newsletter to keep informed about all activities, developments and achievements.

More information at: https://www.erasmusplus60.uvsq.fr

On 30 June 2022, more than 600 participants convened at the Palais des Congrès in Versailles on the occasion of the “Campus des universités”, a large gathering bringing together representatives of the 41 European universities alliances and the last higher education event organized under the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Erasmus4ALL was represented by Mariana Silva, from the University of Porto and the lead institution in the project, Eva Marcen, from the European University Foundation, as well as Mathilde Morgat and Carle Bonafous-Murat, both from France Universités, the French rectors’ conference.

Our four delegates were met by Minister Sylvie Retailleau and Minister Clement Beaune at the Erasmus4ALL stand and were able to present the project in detail. It was agreed that they and their teams would be kept informed throughout the project, and that they would receive the Policy Paper: “Recommendations towards a more social and economically inclusive Erasmus scholarship” upon its completion.

The project also gained much traction from the representatives of the 41 alliances. This could be expected as improving student mobility is an objective that the 280 or so member institutions all share. The next step will be to liaise with them through the two umbrella organisations, ForEU 1 and ForEU 2.

On the 20^th and 21^st of June, the Rectorate building of U.Porto was the stage for the discussion of the activities of the DITE Project. With the participation of representatives of the partner and associate institutions of this Erasmus+ project, the meeting allowed for the analysis of the work developed that far and the detailed planning of the next steps towards the implementation of the project’s activities and production of expected outputs.

The DITE Project (Diverse Internationalisation of Teacher Education) focuses on the element of internationalisation to increase capabilities of future teachers by sensitising Teacher Education students to international perspectives. As a matter of fact, data shows that Teacher Education in universities has remained one of the least internationalised subjects in higher education. Yet, teachers are expected to educate future generations to become global citizens.

In this context, DITE will learn about the status quo of the internationalisation of teacher education in the involved countries by collecting examples of good practice and interviews with persons actively participating in future teachers’ education. Gathered information will become a basis for the series of trainings for the academic teachers in the partner institutions who teach students of teacher education. It will investigate how such trainings impact skills and competences of the participants in order to make sure that the training objectives are important factor in shaping future teachers’ education. The project is also going to present a model and guidelines for implementing DITE in other institutions. At the very end of the project’s implementation, a DITE network is going to be created consisting of organisations from within and outside the consortium. This DITE network will build on dissemination efforts and ensure long-term sustainability by keeping the DITE spirit alive.

The partnership integrates 6 partner institutions focused on different aspects of internationalisation of higher education: University of Szczecin, Poland (project leader), Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland, University of Porto, Portugal, Rovira i Virgili University, Spain, Global Impact Institute, Czech Republic and SGroup – Universities in Europe.

More information at: https://dite.usz.edu.pl/