This year, the Universidade Católica Portuguesa welcomes seven new research fellows in Integral Human Development, thereby reinforcing its commitment to research projects through social implementation.

Alfredo Brant, one of the new fellows, with the project "Reimagining Lisbon through the visuality of invisibilized groups - artistic-pedagogical strategies and methodologies". Amadea Kovi leads the project "Empowering Youth, Tackling Gentrification: Visualizing the Future in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area". Lucie Calléia, for her part, will develop the project "Empowering Women as Peace Educators in At-Risk Communities in the Lisbon region".

Other projects include Mónica Soares' research, "Where is Demos going? Youth, democratic imaginaries and social media communication in the digital age​​​​​​​". Pedro Franco, with the project "Integral Human Development in the Faculties of Economics and Management​​​​​​​". Sónia Monteiro, with the project "Reparation and Reconciliation - Contributions from the Dialogue between Restorative Justice and Sacramental Theology". Finally, Zohar Ianko, with the project "Building Noah's Arks: Imagining Exterritorial Futures in Alentejo, Portugal".

The launch of the projects was attended by the President of the Universidade Católica, Isabel Capeloa Gil, who urged the researchers to be "proudly unaligned" in the search for true and integral development through their research.

Rita Valadas, President of Cáritas and a member of the committee responsible for selecting the projects, emphasised the importance of transferring knowledge from universities to the field.

The opening ceremony was also attended by Peter Hanenberg, Coordinator of the Postdoctoral Programme and Vice-Rector for Research and Doctoral Education, as well as José Manuel Pereira de Almeida, Vice-Rector for Social Responsibility, Inclusion and Pastoral Affairs.

The Integral Human Development programme offers research grants that combine transversal training and interdisciplinary work. Since 2022, it has supported 20 projects in partnership with Porticus, and this year it is starting seven more with a strong focus on promoting human rights and policies.
 

Meet all fellows