organisation

The Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences is an teaching and research organisational unit of the University of Coimbra whose mission, in accordance with its Statutes, is

• the production of scientific knowledge by means of the accomplishment of essential and applied research, that leads to the recognition of the faculty as a centre of excellence in thefields of knowledge it develops;
• the promotion of a quality training that favours the future insertion of its graduates in working life as well as the integration of new audiences within the scope of the paradigm of lifelong learning;
• the provision of quality services by means of application of the knowledge that is developed, having the objective of strengthening its ability to intervene in the community;
• the promotion of the conditions of students’ educational success and social development, taking into account their diversity and aiming to integrate them in the academic context.

The Faculty, recognised by its ability to attract students from different parts of the country and the world, by the teaching and research excellence that develops and by the relational and humanistic dimension it cultivates, ensures the teaching of different Cycle of Studies in the scientific fields of Psychology - Integrated Master’s Degree in Psychology, Academic Master’s Degrees and PhD Courses; in the scientific field of Educational Sciences – Bachelor’s Degree in Educational Sciences, Master’s Degree in Educational Sciences, Academic Master’s Degrees and PhD Courses; and the field of Social Work – Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, Master’s Degree in Social Work, Academic Master’s Degree and (available soon) a PhD Course.

Students and collaborators of the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Coimbra find in this faculty the possibility of a quality training that is nationally and internationally recognised and the opportunities for an integrated learning at the scientific, academic and personal levels.

CINEICC (founded in 2003), is based at the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences of the University of Coimbra, and has established itself as an inter/national reference in psychological science (rated as Excellent in the previous FCT evaluations). CINEICC has 206 researchers: 63 integrated members (including 19 full-time researchers) and 143 collaborators (76 are PhD students). CINEICC focuses on fundamental and applied research, aiming to contribute to paradigm shifts in (neuro)psychological and social science. Its scientific aims involve investigating: basic neural and cognitive processes contributing to understanding how the brain generates mental experiences; (neuro)psychological factors and processes in health, psychopathology and aging; empirically-based (neuro)psychological interventions for promoting health/well-being in clinical/community settings, across the lifespan; (neuro)psychological assessment tools; and knowledge transfer for implementation of evidence-based interventions within real-life settings in health, education and other areas of psychological intervention In face of the growing number of PhDresearchers and the acquired specialization, for 2025-2029 it will be organized into 4 Research Groups (RG): (1) CBPI–Cognitive and Behavioral Processes and Interventions; (2) RD&H–Relationships, Development & Health; (3) NAI–Neuropsychological Assessment and Interventions; and (4) CBB–Cognition, Brain and Behavior. All RGs converge into CINEICC’s strategic vision, benefiting from a collaborative research environment and co-joint projects. It hosts large international grants (e.g., ERC Starting Grant “ContentMAP”; ERA Chair “CogBooster”). CINEICC’s research is supported by many infrastructures: e.g., Proaction Lab, an internationally established Cognitive Neuroscience lab working on visual object processing; PsyAssessment Lab, a major lab developing and validating assessment tools widely implemented in clinical and educational settings; “Testoteca”, the largest Portuguese test library. Since 2020, the Cognitive-Behavioral Clinical Psychology Unit (UpC3) offers clinical services to the community, supervision to therapists, advanced training, and external consultancy, playing a crucial role in clinical research, ensuring the long-term dissemination of intervention programs. CINEICC aims to further increase inter/national networks/partnerships with other centers and public/private organizations, to increase the amount of external funding, to integrate young researchers into permanent career positions, to expand knowledge transfer to society, namely concerning the implementation of empirically based interventions, and to promote fundamental science literacy. CINEICC will continue to foster novel and innovative approaches to the Psychological Sciences, disseminating research findings in relevant inter/national scientific journals, following an Open Science policy, and to the lay community in science dissemination events.

Specialising in Classical Studies while contributing to the fields of Culture and Heritage, the Centre for Classical and Humanistic Studies (CECH) spans Greek and Latin antiquity, medieval culture, Neo-Latin Studies, Renaissance Humanism, Philosophy, and Early Music. Its R&D strategy and activity roadmap align with the UN 2030 Agenda, pursuing critical Sustainable Development Goals that ensure people’s well-being, inclusiveness, gender equality, equitable opportunities, and dignity. With a multinational team of 50 Integrated Researchers and 48 PhD Students, CECH operates under the umbrella of a General Project (GP), titled Classical and Humanistic Studies – Empowering People. Valuing Cultures and Heritage. Contributing to the empowerment of people translates into taking citizens as co-creative partners and adopting good practices to foster a balanced, creative workspace for its researchers. Within the general framework of the GP, CECH explores emerging research themes linked to scientific or societal challenges through several Secondary Projects (SPs). In 2025-2029, CECH plans to maintain seven SPs: Artes Docendi: Research and Training in Didactics of Classical Studies; Classics& Open Science; Res Jesuitica & Humanism; DIAITA Heritage: Food, Environment, and Wellbeing; Hermeneutic Rationality; Mundos e Fundos: Methodological and Interpretative Worlds of Musical Collections; and Rewriting Myth. It also anticipates the possibility of initiating other SPs in this period through competitive bids or new partnerships. CECH’s key activities aim to achieve four Main Objectives: MO1. To generate and promote leading-edge fundamental and applied research adhering to rigorous international standards via publications; organisation and participation in scientific events; involvement in significant European networks and projects; and database development for at-risk or underrepresented intangible heritages. MO2. To collaborate closely with educational bodies, cultural organisations, businesses, and public and private entities through four high-quality PhD programmes in: Classical Studies; Food Heritage; Art Studies-Early Music; and Philosophy – CECH’s core R&D areas – alongside applied PhD research in partnership with non-academic entities and in the context of EU projects. MO3. To support research careers across all stages, ensuring researchers’ happiness and well-being by establishing career advisory and support services, a plan to attract and retain talent, and a Well-being Programme for Researchers. MO4. To conduct research that directly serves and engages civil society through inclusive outputs and dissemination activities targeting socially and economically disadvantaged groups, and by involving society in shaping the Unit’s societal agenda as envisaged by activities like the Coimbra Global Lectures, CECH’s Open Day, and CECH Roadshows for All.

The Laboratory of Rationality and Applied Ethics is a project that has been running since May 2019 under the institutional auspices of the Centre for Classical and Humanistic Studies at the Faculty of Arts of the University of Coimbra. Its main objective is the interdisciplinary debate of practical cases illustrating ethically complex situations, particularly in the area of hospital ethics. The Laboratory organises various activities open to the general public, such as lectures, colloquiums and debates, alongside a monthly meeting of the Observatory, made up of members from various academic backgrounds (Philosophy, Classical Studies, Law, Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, Psychology, Health Sciences, among others), with a view to interdisciplinary discussion of a practical case in the area of clinical ethics. It also organises training courses for doctoral students and researchers in general.