From the starting point of Yuval Noah Harari’s ideas in “21 Lessons for the 21st Century”, Júlio Pedrosa stressed the idea that “change is the only constant and humanity is before unprecedented revolutions”, which means that pedagogy is expected to teach “the ability to deal with change, to learn new things, and to maintain a mental balance in new situations”.

“Changes will be so deep that they may transform the basic structure of life, making discontinuity the main feature of life. It takes a lot of flexibility and great amounts of emotional balance to survive and thrive in such a world”, he said.

Challenging the Academy to reflect on these ideas, Júlio Pedrosa highlighted some critical governance issues of higher education institutions that will be fundamental for the promotion of higher education with future, such as “the ability to set goals and mobilize the means to fulfil the strategy and the ability to create and maintain the environment in which the values and the principles of the institution are lived in the day to day (participative leadership)”.

He called for the creation of an “agenda for the education and training of educators and teachers”, for the sharing of knowledge amongst the various entities - economics, science and culture -, for the “choice of a governance model inspired by good practice”, and for the creation of a “network of national and international partnerships”, with a “special attention to the nursery, primary and secondary education network”.

Júlio Pedrosa was the guest speaker of the seminar “Challenges and directions for Higher Education in Portugal”, held on May 15th. Júlio Pedrosa was the Minister of Education of the 24th Constitutional Government between 2001 and 2002, and he was the Rector of the University of Aveiro between 1994 and 2001. He was chairman of the executive board of the Portuguese Universities Foundation between 2005 and 2007.

“Beyond the danger of massive unemployment, what should be the great concern about the path of humanity's future is the possibility of authority passing from human beings to algorithms and opening the way to the emergence of digital dictatorships".

Fernando Moreira warned about privacy issues and the “radical and uncontrolled changes” that are happening around the world. He gave an example: “According to the BBC, there are currently in China at least 170 million video surveillance cameras scattered around the country, and the regime aims to increase to 400 million”.

Whereas oil was the big business in the last century, today data is the “oil” of the digital era. “Smartphones and the internet made data abundant, omnipresent, and valuable”, which makes it urgent to regulate the Internet of Things and increase cybersecurity.

“Free elections or digital slavery?” For Fernando Moreira, social networks have become a “tool used by governments to influence elections and subvert democracy. Russia’s meddling in the US presidential election and the Brexit vote are documented. Turkey, Venezuela, and the Philippines use ‘opinion shapers’ that emphasize the views of governments and control criticism.”

“Life has become a liquid category where the process overrides form; a metaphor for the state of our human condition, because everything is volatile, ephemeral, precarious, fluid, ultimately liquid. There is a passage from the world of fixed nouns to a world of fluid verbs, and products will become services and processes,” he concluded.

The seminar “The Unbearable Lightness of Being: All I Want From Data” took place in the scope of the seminars cycle “The Paths of Humanity,” on April 26th.

The event, organized by RES-UPT on May 16th, brought to the University the Social Responsibility success stories of the Super Bock Group and of Lipor, an exhibition of several institutions that presented their various volunteer opportunities, and testimonials of three volunteers.

A month and a half ago, Ânia Monteiro, an employee of UPT and a volunteer at CASA - Support Centre for Homeless People, spent a Friday night at the charity restaurant serving meals to the homeless and people in need. Josefina Eira, a law student, has already had three volunteering experiences. Once a week, she goes to Cerco School, where she gives support to children with learning difficulties. In Germany, she participated in the redevelopment of an area with refugees from Syria and Afghanistan, and in Morocco she collaborated in a rehabilitation project for a school for children in primary education. Maria Francisca Gonçalves, a student of International Relations, has been involved in various volunteering activities, and this summer she will go to Indonesia to teach English.

Comunica UPT: When and how did the first opportunity come to embrace a volunteering project?
The first opportunity to embrace a volunteering project happened in 2016, through Universidade Portucalense. I participated in the Christmas party of the Raríssimas Association, accompanying and carrying out activities with children with diseases. We sang, danced and bounced in the bouncy castle.

And how did the following come about?
In 2017, I volunteered internationally in Lint, Belgium, with Associação Para Onde. For two weeks, I was in a refugee centre for children, teenagers, and families, broken due to wars or other reasons. The following year, I went to Palestine, where I got to know the Arabic culture, and carried out activities in a holiday camp for more than 100 children. The truth is that my will to help others did not end there. After going to Palestine, I became even more sensitive to vulnerable populations. Therefore, I decided to immerse myself in a new experience at the Acreditar Association and, for 5 months, I carried out play-learning activities and was a companion to children who were victims of cancer.

What were the main difficulties?
It may seem strange, and maybe the first instinct is to just give up, but it's worth holding on and enduring, because it really is something that transforms you. The truth is that once we have overcome the differences that exist between cultures, the hardest part is to fight the longing and to leave behind someone who still needs us. And the hardest thing to forget are the unique moments that vulnerable populations give us. In fact, when we volunteer, we are going to make a difference and bring about change, but we are also the ones who leave that adventure completely changed. Now, I am have a deeper appreciation for life and the small things.

And the main victories?
My main victory is to get a smile from every child that is with me. That is my victory and the main reason why I volunteer. Listening to a child's laughter is as if someone is thanking you for being there. It is that and all the love we take away from every experience in our life baggage. So, I always try to leave room in this “suitcase” to keep the memories, because, somehow, the material goods disappear but the feelings stay.

What do you consider to be a decisive factor for successfully completing a volunteer activity?
The key to successful volunteering is to have team spirit, initiative, willingness to learn, willingness to give more of yourself to others and to risk without fear.

What advice do you give to those who intend to volunteer internationally?
The choice of experience is completely free, so choose the adventure that most interests you and, above all, do not be afraid to venture and plunge into the new culture without fears. Completely devoting yourself to the project is extremely important because people are looking for someone to talk to, and we have to be aware that many of them have lost their entire family during the journey to find refuge. However, I am sure that the volunteers are the ones who need more help when it is time to part. The longing and the emptiness we feel is immense, because we are leaving someone who still needs help and we cannot stop thinking about those people who were so kind to us.

What is the most important thing you learned with volunteering?
The greatest learning I took from volunteering was to really appreciate the simpler things in life, such as a hug. I realized that Belgium, when a mother hugged me to thank me for being there. She said I reminded her of her daughters who were in other refugee centres. It was a mix of emotions. And the hug I gave to my mother and my grandparents when I returned was unbelievable. It was a hug that was worth a thousand words.

Another story you would like to share?
The story that struck me most was when a young refugee about my age told me that he had to leave everything behind, including his own family, to escape the war. I was in the Refugee Centre for two weeks and I missed my family. That young man had been in the Centre for more than five years, without seeing his family.

You are finishing your degree in Social Education. What led you to choose this degree?
I have liked to help others from an early age and sharing is something that is already part of me. This world can be better, if we all do good and contribute in the best way so that the change that we all yearn for can happen. Today, I am what I am and became what I became, in large part, due to my academic career. Undoubtedly, the opportunity to participate in international volunteer projects made me like Social Education even more. Pursuing this degree was the best choice I have ever made in my life.

Future wise, what do you want to do when you finish your degree?
I will continue to participate in volunteering projects. As the future is unknown, I am open to new challenges and projects that allow me to feel fulfilled. I intend, therefore, to enrol in the master’s degree in Educational Sciences and, later, to give training in my field. I think society needs to hear about itself to realize what is happening in the real world.

A dream: Volunteering for 6 months in Mozambique.
A word that defines you: Courage.
A book: “Best of Me” by Nicholas Sparks
Hobbies: Cake design and hand work
City where you live: Porto.

During this period, they also visited the Ceuma University, the Federal Institute of Maranhão (IFMA), and the Federal University of Maranhão (UFMA). All of these activities aimed to consolidate the exchange process between the two Universities, at the level of faculty and students, seeking new partnerships for future international projects.

This initiative intended to apply the new trends or developments in the field of IT to businesses, thus stimulating entrepreneurship and cooperative work in multidisciplinary and international teams.

The projects presented focused on “Obesity and healthy lifestyle” and resulted in the design of apps prototypes for various purposes: a plugin system for online retail stores, healthy food shopping suggestions (Poho Healthy Solutions System); encouragement to practice sports through the promotion of social connections between practitioners (Gymbuddy); food recommendation in case one is unwell or with a mild illness (Freshop); or voice assistant to recommend recipes based on dietary requirements, ingredients, and time available (Happy Table).

This initiative involved 27 students from 10 European Higher Education Institutions (Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, France, Portugal). Each team, made up of students from different institutions, worked on the development of the Internet of Things (IoT) project, using tools made available by IBM and IoT devices, such as Arduinos, sensors and actuators.

Over the course of a week, workshops were held on IoT techniques and on soft skills and pitches evaluated by University faculty and representatives of IBM. The projects developed by the students of the UPT resulted in the design of prototypes for various purposes: a system for monitoring the water ph of a pool (Waterproof); a monitoring system of free places for a car park (Easypark); a bicycle locking system (Bicycle security); a system for monitoring plant water, light and air levels (Plantation); and a campus noise and air quality monitoring system (Find your oasis on campus).

With the Seminar “Craftwork and popular culture in the North of Portugal: working on clay”, “it was sought to promote and arouse interest in researching craftwork and popular culture, contributing to the endurance of the tradition of clay work, which has in Portugal a unique wealth and diversity. Despite worldwide recognition, through the various World Heritage Classifications, such as Bisalhães' black pottery and the clay figures of Estremoz, clay stories are still far from the Academia and they should not be”, explained Fátima Silva, lecturer of the Department of Tourism, Heritage, and Culture.

This seminar took place on May 17th and marked the International Day of the Museums, whose theme for this year was “Museums as cultural hubs: the future of tradition”.

Quinta da Covela, in Baião, which belonged to filmmaker Manoel de Oliveira, is now owned by the Lima & Smith group, led by the Brazilian Marcelo Lima and the British Tony Smith.

Quinta de Soalheiro, in Melgaço, is one of the first Portuguese producers of Alvarinho. In 1974, João António Cerdeira planted the first continuous vineyard of Alvarinho and in 1982 he created Soalheiro, the first brand of Alvarinho de Melgaço.

The PRESENT - Enhancing the Right to Be Present, implemented with the support of the JUSTICE Program of the European Commission GA: 760482, is a research project focusing on European Directive 2016/343 of March 9th 2016 on strengthening certain aspects of the presumption of innocence and the right to stand trial in criminal proceedings.

This project is led by the Law and Internet Foundation and involves the participation of universities and NGOs from Portugal, Bulgaria, Slovakia, Austria, Romania, and Cyprus.

Admission is free (limited to 25 participants), by prior registration until June 20th, at noemia@upt.pt.