The Faculty of Education and Psychology of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (FEP-UCP) held a welcome session for Master's and PhD students in Education Sciences, marking the beginning of the 2025–2026 academic year.
The event, held at the Universidade Católica in Porto, brought together lecturers, students, and members of the academic services in an atmosphere of closeness and sharing, reflecting FEP-UCP’s commitment to a people-centred and human development-focused education.
The session began with a welcome coffee, offering an initial moment of social interaction and integration between new and returning students, lecturers, and course coordinators.
This was followed by the formal opening session, featuring contributions from Raquel Matos, Director of the Faculty of Education and Psychology, Aline Villas-Boas, representative of CADOS - Católica Doctoral School, and Diana Soares, coordinator of the PhD in Education Sciences. These speeches highlighted the importance of knowledge and research in Education as drivers of social transformation, emphasising FEP-UCP’s role in training professionals who are critical, creative, and committed to the common good.
“Here begins the building of a community of learning, research, and transformation”
For Diana Soares, “Welcoming new students is always a very special moment. It is here that we begin to build a community of learning, research, and transformation. We want each student to feel an integral part of this educational and scientific project which is, above all, human.”
The session continued with a presentation by Filipa Barradas and Vânia Fernandes from the Academic Services, who shared essential information about the administrative functioning of the courses and the support available to students.
The event concluded with a moment of experience-sharing, where students from different backgrounds had the opportunity to engage in dialogue, exchange ideas, and express their expectations for the new academic year. This informal moment highlighted the spirit of community that characterises the Education Sciences programmes at FEP-UCP, reinforcing the importance of collaboration, active listening, and meaningful involvement throughout the educational process.
The Faculty of Education and Psychology of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa thus reaffirms its commitment to training researchers and education professionals with ethical awareness, critical vision, and innovative capacity, prepared to contribute to a fairer, more sustainable, and inclusive society.
