Over three days, university professors and school directors from Catalonia took part in a visit to educational institutions in Northern Portugal, organised by the Faculty of Education and Psychology at the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (FEP-UCP), in Porto, as part of the Iberian Observatory of Educational Leadership (EDULID).
Between 21 and 23 May 2025, the Faculty of Education and Psychology welcomed a delegation consisting of university professors and school directors from Catalonia. The visit was part of a collaboration between FEP-UCP, the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), and the International University of Catalonia (UIC), formalised in 2019 during the International Seminar “Education, Territories, and Human Development.”
The initiative, integrated into EDULID’s work and promoted by the Support Service for Education Improvement (SAME)— one of the four Research and Community Outreach Units of the Research Centre for Human Development at FEP-UCP — aimed to deepen the exchange of practices and perspectives on educational leadership between institutions from both countries.
“We sought to present the vision and objectives of the EDULID Observatory, establish network dynamics between universities and schools, and design scenarios for emancipatory and inspiring leadership,” explained José Matias Alves, Professor at the Faculty of Education and Psychology.
Educational institutions and regulatory contexts in focus
The programme included visits to key educational regulatory institutions, such as the Directorate-General for School Establishments (DGEstE), the Porto City Council, and FEP-UCP itself, as well as various schools and school groups in the North of the country, selected for being representative examples of innovation and leadership.
During the visits, ongoing educational policies in schools were discussed, such as the Autonomy and Curricular Flexibility model, along with concrete experiences of school leadership that impact learning processes.
International Seminar promotes Iberian reflection on educational leadership
The highlight of the initiative was the International Seminar “Educational Leadership, Learning, and Inclusion,” which took place on 23 May at the Carvalho Guerra Auditorium at FEP-UCP. The Faculty assumed the scientific and logistical coordination of the event, bringing together academics and education professionals from both countries.
Among the key ideas discussed were “the centrality of educational leadership, the crucial role of intermediate leadership, and the emergence of leadership focused on learning and the emancipation of individuals and communities,” highlighted José Matias Alves.
Strengthening Iberian knowledge networks
The visit reinforced FEP-UCP’s role as a key player in the development of educational leadership committed to human development. “Continuing its recent history, the Faculty of Education and Psychology fosters close and active knowledge of leadership practices that serve learning and human development,” concluded Matias Alves.
