The creation of international collaborations with tangible impact was at the core of the participation of the Faculty of Education and Psychology of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (FEP-UCP) in the Transform4Europe (T4EU) matchmaking event “Cooperating on a Sustainable Future: from Natural Sciences to Science Diplomacy”. The meeting took place on 21 and 22 April 2026 at the University of Silesia in Katowice, Poland.
The event brought together academics, researchers, technical and administrative staff and academic leaders from several European institutions, with the aim of fostering interdisciplinary collaboration in the fields of teaching, research and science diplomacy. It was conceived as a working space focused on the development of joint initiatives and the activation of scientific networks with potential for growth at European level.
European collaboration focused on action and interdisciplinarity
FEP-UCP was represented by Raquel Matos, Dean of the Faculty, Patrícia Oliveira-Silva, Vice-Dean for Global Positioning, Mariana Barbosa, Coordinator of the Master’s Degree in Psychology, and Diana Seabra, Head of Marketing and Communication of the Faculty. The Faculty’s participation focused on creating concrete conditions for interinstitutional collaboration, including mapping researchers and teams with converging interests, identifying scientific and pedagogical complementarities, and discussing opportunities for joint projects.
Different formats of cooperation were explored, including joint programmes, doctoral networks and advanced training initiatives, as well as European funding opportunities aligned with the interests of the teams involved. There was also an opportunity to gain insight into the structure and working methods of the Department of Marketing and Communication of the University of Silesia in Katowice, as well as to better understand the role of institutional communication within the dynamics of the Transform4Europe alliance. This exchange not only made it possible to identify areas of convergence, but also to move forward in defining concrete collaboration strategies.
Concrete outcomes and next steps in academic cooperation
The presence of FEP-UCP at this matchmaking event went beyond the alignment of intentions and resulted in concrete advances. These included the identification of strategic partners in areas related to psychology and education, the design of proposals already aligned with European funding instruments, and collaboration with different faculties of the host university.
Several collaborations began to take shape immediately, ranging from the involvement of FEP-UCP doctoral students in international initiatives to participation in joint teaching across courses at different institutions, including the opening of Universidade Católica Portuguesa curricular units to contributions from international lecturers. The co-development of joint pedagogical content and formats is also noteworthy, representing a direct step towards curriculum internationalisation and the enhancement of the student learning experience.
The Faculty of Education and Psychology concluded this matchmaking event with clear directions for strengthening ties with T4EU partners. Follow-up actions were defined, including the preparation of joint proposals and the planning of mobilities and visits, key steps to ensure that the work initiated in Katowice continues to develop in a sustained manner over the coming months and years.
