First‑year students of the Master’s Programme in Psychology and Human Resources Development (PHRD) from the Faculty of Education and Psychology of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa (FEP‑UCP) visited CESAE Digital – a centre of excellence dedicated to the development of digital skills, where the students had the opportunity to observe first-hand various professional applications of psychology within training and people development contexts. The initiative took place within the scope of “Tutoring”, coordinated by the lecturer Adélia Monarca.
 
The students had the opportunity to visit CESAE Digital’s training rooms and multimedia laboratory, and also to hear testimonies from trainees, as well as insights shared by trainers about projects and experiences of upskilling and reskilling. They further engaged with the institution’s team of psychologists, who described the work carried out daily at the Centre.
 

The Importance of Bringing Theory and Practice Together 

Many students from the Master’s Programme in PHRD emphasised that visits of this kind are beneficial in complementing what they learn in the classroom.

Mafalda Garcez highlighted that “as future human resources psychologists, while theory is fundamental, practice is equally essential.” Meanwhile, Inês Branco mentioned that it was only through direct contact with companies and professionals that they were able to feel “a real connection to development and human resources.”
 

A Visit That Strengthens Career Choices

For most FEP‑UCP students, this visit, which took place on 13 March 2026, helped to reinforce their choice of field and their confidence in the academic path they are building.

“Experiences like this further strengthen our interest in the area and help us form a more concrete vision of what our professional journey might be,” highlights Mafalda Garcez.
 

Experiences That Help Illuminate the Future

The students also heard insights from professionals – including former FEP‑UCP students who are now part of CESAE Digital teams – as well as from a second‑year Master’s intern. These contributions provided them with a clearer perspective on what their future careers may hold in areas such as training and development, recruitment and selection, and performance and career management.

For Afonso Mendes, “these visits give us the opportunity to engage with different organizational realities and to hear from various people in the field with different paths and trajectories within these companies”.

“When we hear former colleagues from our university speak about the company with a sparkle in their eyes, it gives us the sense that they are in the right place and made the right choice,”  they state.

The main conclusion regarding the experience at CESAE Digital is captured in Beatriz Pratas' words: “These visits are essential for students to receive testimonies and evidence that, by the end of the Master’s, they will learn, progress, and be able to apply the knowledge previously acquired.”