Latest news and stories about higher education in technology in Portugal for expats and residents.
The integration of AI chatbots in classrooms presents significant uncertainties and a lack of national data, yet the trend appears unstoppable, prompting a critical look at the future of education.
Rogério Casanova argues that not all functional academic writing—such as recommendation letters or election manifestos—needs to be crafted by highly skilled humans. He advocates for more explicit manifestos and institutional policies governing the use of AI in universities, allowing routine and low-value writing to be delegated to tools while preserving human oversight where it matters. The column frames such manifestos as pragmatic, ethical guides to protect quality, fairness and accountability in higher education’s adoption of AI.
Ivo Vieira, CEO of Lusospace — Portugal’s first homegrown space company — explains on the podcast 'O Futuro do Futuro' how the country’s Aerospace Engineering courses continue to post record-breaking averages and how that strong educational pipeline is producing talent the national space sector can recruit across roles, not only engineers. He stresses that the quality of graduates makes recruitment easier for emerging Portuguese space firms, signalling a maturing ecosystem linking higher education and industry needs.
NOVA IMS (NOVA School of Information Management) is the information management and data science faculty of NOVA University Lisbon. It specialises in data science, information management and business analytics through taught programmes, applied research and industry partnerships. The school emphasises quantitative methods, practical analytics skills and interdisciplinary approaches to prepare graduates for roles in data-driven organisations and to support research and consulting activity across public and private sectors.
Professor at the Instituto Superior Técnico warns of “risks and uncertainties” of AI in the near future and argues that students should “go back” to taking exams on paper or orally.
The IST professor warns of the “risks and uncertainties” of AI in the near future and argues that students should “take a step back”.
Good luck to all the young people starting their higher education entrance exams, and to their families. It is a demanding phase, filled with anxiety, expectations, and choices that feel bigger than they should. Many have asked me if it is still worth studying computer science when artificial intelligence can already write code. My answer is a firm yes. The focus is shifting from mere programming to understanding technology as an essential language for building and decision-making. As AI reduces the cost of producing code, the value shifts toward problem-solving, system design, and risk assessment. Professionals who can bridge the gap between technical language and real-world business needs will be the most valuable. Universities must adapt by prioritizing architecture, cybersecurity, and ethics over isolated syntax. Technology will permeate every sector, and those who understand how to lead, validate, and apply it will have the most opportunities in the future.
By democratising access to knowledge, AI strips the university of its status as an expert in this task. This does not mean that a specific university loses market power.
The University of Coimbra (UC) and the Macao Polytechnic University (MPU) have signed a cooperation agreement to establish a Joint Global Campus in the Guangdong-Macao In-Depth Cooperation Zone in Hengqin. The protocol will be signed this Wednesday, June 10, Portugal Day, by UC Rector Amílcar Falcão and MPU Rector Zhou Zhongrong. The ceremony will be attended by the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, and the Chief Executive of the Macao Special Administrative Region, Sam Hou Fai. The initiative aims to boost joint degree programmes, research projects, and innovation hubs, further strengthening academic and technological ties between Portugal and the Sino-Lusophone space.
Statements from the key figures at the Startup Capital Summit, which took place at the Convento de São Francisco in Coimbra, and which Expresso joined as a media partner.
The author reflects on the challenges posed by AI in higher education, describing how students increasingly rely on tools like ChatGPT for exams and assignments. Citing studies on the decline of critical thinking and the potential for long-term skill degradation, the author argues that students risk their future relevance by over-relying on technology. The piece concludes that the university's mission is more vital than ever: to cultivate critical minds that can think, evaluate, and provide unique value beyond what machines can produce.
The newly established Technical University of Porto aims to enhance Portugal's national competitiveness.
The University of Coimbra is hosting a discussion regarding the future of scientific management practices within Portugal.
The Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD) has announced a new call for applications for its UP Higher Education programme, aimed at fostering academic collaboration and research ties between Portuguese and American institutions.
Over 17 editions, the ISEG Management Challenge has involved 3,088 students in a simulation of what it is like to manage a company
The Lisbon Institute of Accounting and Administration (ISCAL) is preparing for the era of doctoral degrees in polytechnics. In the 2027/2028 academic year, ISCAL believes it will be in a position to present a curriculum for obtaining a doctoral degree in areas such as accounting, taxation, auditing, and other more cross-disciplinary fields like sciences.
In an interview, the co-founder of Forward College discusses why traditional higher education is failing to keep pace with a rapidly changing world, the role of AI in learning, and how his institution uses a hybrid model of academic excellence, social skills, and real-world projects to prepare students for an uncertain future.
The Secretary of State for Higher Education argued this Thursday that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will not replace teachers, but rather reinforce their role as “pedagogical mentors.” In a debate on the future of universities at the Nova School of Business and Economics (Nova SBE), Cláudia Sarrico warned that the ongoing technological transformation “is a ...
Reflecting on the challenges facing the University of Porto under its new rectoral team, this piece argues that the institution must reinvent itself to remain relevant. It calls for a new pedagogical model and a stronger connection with society and the economy. By focusing on technology, talent, and tolerance, the University should act as a catalyst for change, fostering global citizens and driving competitiveness in an increasingly complex world.
The Pedro Nunes Institute has been selected to lead the MIT Portugal partnership programme through to the year 2030.
New educational initiatives in Portugal are using virtual reality technology to teach financial literacy and budgeting skills.
The university of the future will require more theory, not less. AI has not killed theory. It has killed the illusion that transmission is enough.
The Instituto Pedro Nunes has been appointed to lead the executive direction of the MIT Portugal partnership.
At the entrance to Higher Education there is, at least metaphorically, an old mirror. For decades, it reflected professors, students, and researchers—not always aligned, but still recognisable as part of the same ecosystem. Over time, that mirror accumulated cracks: the growing centrality of rankings and metrics, the massification of education without proportional investment, and...
Cooperation between institutions in Rio Grande do Sul and Leiria, in Central Portugal, also targets promotion in the field of innovation and the creation of economic and scientific opportunities.
The adoption of generative AI in higher education has advanced faster than the institutional capacity to define usage policies, concludes the National Council for Pedagogical Innovation.
The President of the General Board of the Coimbra Academic Association says it is necessary to monitor the use of new tools and explains the main points of the Manifesto for AI Regulation.
