The International Doctorate in Applied Psychology at the Faculty of Education and Psychology (FEP) offers the “opportunity to cross-reference cultural information from three diferente contexts”. This is what Daniela Alves shares, a 1st year student on this doctorate, which is being developed by FEP in partnership with two foreign universities - Nottingham Trent University (United Kingdom) and Universitat Ramon Llull (Spain).
As newcomers to the PhD programme, the new students began the academic year with a welcome session. During the event, Luísa Antunes Ribeiro, coordinator of the PhD programme, said: “I wish the new students na enriching career, full of learning and also challenges that will be overcome with the help of their supervisors- and colleagues”.
“Students will be able to access the academic resources offered by these three higher education institutions and enjoy a multicultural environment,” she adds.
Matteo Castillo, from Ecuador and a PhD student, points out that he chose this doctorate because he wanted to embrace “a new cultural experience, different from the Latin American context”.
Internationalisation as a differentiating factor
The doctoral programme is taught exclusively in English and its international component is highlighted as a differentiating factor by the students. “What sparked my interest in applying was essentially the fact this PhD programme is being carried out in collaboration with other universities outside the country, “ says Daniela Alves.
First-year student Joana Freitas also confirms the importance of this dimension in her choice: “I was looking for schools/colleges that offered an international programme. I realised that Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Porto had this doctorate programme and that it would meet my objectives.”
The welcome session, which took place on the 18th October, featured a talk by Ricardo Morais, a teacher at Católica Porto Business School, on the Idea Puzzle tool. The PhD supervisors of the new first year students were also present at the session, which marked the start of the 2023/2024 academic year.
In the International Doctorate in Applied Psychology, students finish their training with a triple degree, awarded jointly by the three universities. The programme also includes a period of mobility, which involves a trip to the United Kingdom.
