Patrícia Oliveira-Silva, Deputy Director of the Faculty of Education and Psychology at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (FEP‑UCP) for Global Positioning and Director of the Human Neurobehavioral Laboratory (HNL), is the only Portuguese representative in the new Thematic Peer Group (TPG) of the European University Association (EUA). The group brings together 25 academic leaders from 18 countries to reflect on how universities can make more strategic use of their data.

 

A European forum for reflection on data governance and quality

The EUA’s TPGs are specialised teams that bring together experts and university leaders to analyse structural challenges in European higher education. Each group has a limited number of members and produces recommendations that guide institutional policies and practices.

In this TPG, the focus is on emerging practices in the use of institutional data, addressing topics such as data quality, data literacy, governance and information sovereignty, as well as the role of data in digital transformation and evidence‑based decision‑making.
 

“Universities need access to rigorous data, and the courage to interpret it”

For Patrícia Oliveira‑Silva, this participation represents a unique opportunity to contribute to the European debate on informed governance: “In the projects we lead on the internationalisation of higher education, we have frequently reflected on what underpins good governance and truly informed decision‑making. And there are at least three aspects that seem indispensable to me: universities need access to rigorous data, they need to know how to interpret it, and they need the courage to allow that interpretation to guide their decisions.”

The lecturer also stresses that the challenges are not only technological, but also scientific, institutional and ethical, requiring interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches.

 

Contribution aligned with FEP‑UCP research projects

Patrícia Oliveira‑Silva’s inclusion in this TPG is directly aligned with the research work she has been developing at FEP‑UCP, particularly through the INSPIRE and IMPACT‑iLab projects.

The INSPIRE project analyses the impact of international mobility and intercultural experiences on students’ personal, social and academic development. Drawing on longitudinal data, it seeks to support the creation of more effective and evidence‑informed institutional internationalisation policies.

Meanwhile, IMPACT‑iLab, developed in partnership with Catherine Montgomery (Durham University, United Kingdom), explores innovative methods of data analysis relating to teaching, mobility, participation and inclusion, with the aim of supporting university policies that are more reflective and strategically oriented.
 

A Portuguese contribution to the European debate

Patrícia Oliveira‑Silva’s participation in the EUA TPG strengthens the Portuguese contribution to the strategic discussion on data in higher education. At a time when universities face growing challenges linked to information governance, institutional transparency and digital transformation, this work positions FEP‑UCP at the heart of a European debate that is decisive for the future of higher education institutions.