Other Initiatives

The Ecoliteracy course unit has as its main goal to enhance the debate about several environmental and ecological issues, such as sustainable agriculture, the loss of biodiversity or the Ocean protection.The subjects chosen are based on the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations 2030 Agenda, with a special focus on the priorities within Natural Sciences.

The Social Support Fund is a specific support created by the UC Senate in 2004/2005 as a complementary tool to scholarships. The Fund has the dual objective of reimbursing expenses with tuition fees to students without scholarships who, however, prove to have economic difficulties and who face situations of proven emergency, such as situations of serious risk of survival for a student who does no longer have the means to provide for his/her basic needs: accommodation, health and food.

The Office for Cooperation and Development's mission is to support cooperation actions aimed at training higher education systems and institutions in emerging and developing countries, especially Portuguese-speaking countries. It aims to facilitate the initiatives of the various sectors of the UC by providing an institutional framework and guaranteeing the articulation between the different stakeholders.

This initiative aims to promote sports and physical activity among UC students, alumni, faculty, staff, researchers, encouraging socialisation and regular sports and physical activity.

The campaign to combat food waste Less=More aims to sensitize all members of the university community to the importance of a rational use of available resources and to the adoption of responsible consumption behaviours at the UC canteens and cafeterias, namely the adjustment of portions to individual needs and the adoption of cooking methods that promote efficiency in the use of food and the monitoring of waste.

PASEP - Social Support Programme For Students Through Part-time Activites - consists in providing students offers of part-time activities, to be carried out in organic units / services of the UC, whose remuneration is carried out in the attribution social benefits. In addition to the assigned social support, the activities carried out are included in the Diploma Supplement.

The University of Coimbra (UC) created a special programme for students, academics and professionals with refugee status under the Geneva Convention and applicable Portuguese Law.

Physical Activity Programme of the University of Coimbra

The UC + Ative initiative aims to contribute to the promotion of an active and healthy lifestyle, targeting all teachers, researchers and technical staff who, seizing their breaks at work, remain active, thus contributing for a postural improvement.

Anchored in values associated with promoting the dignity of all people and respect for their rights, equal opportunities and fair treatment, the UC4All programme brings together a set of initiatives and projects aimed at achieving these objectives and values.

Since the inauguration of the Inclusive Library, located in the UC General Library and supported by the Altice Foundation, UC has been developing various initiatives with these purposes in mind, ranging from accessibility in various structures, increased special rights, scholarships associated with promoting employability for students with specific needs, and training and civic participation initiatives (such as Equality Days within the scope of the EQUAL.STEAM Project).

The Support Programme for Teachers for the Pedagogical Monitoring of Students with Special Needs is aimed at UC teachers and researchers and is part of the Integrated Programme for the Promotion of Equal Opportunities and Equity in Access to and Attendance at the University of Coimbra - UC4All, with the fundamental purpose of promoting initiatives that promote equal opportunities, respect for diversity, monitoring and support in achieving satisfactory learning outcomes for UC students and preventing dropouts. This initiative aims to better support teachers in understanding the various situations associated with specific needs and consequently improve pedagogical monitoring and continuous learning for students in various study cycles.

In addition, through the Social Action Services of the University of Coimbra, various forms of support are available, including direct social support, such as scholarships and emergency aid, and indirect social support, such as food, accommodation, health services, psycho-pedagogical support, cultural and sports activities, and other educational support. Promoting access to higher education, and the knowledge it provides, for people with specific educational needs, as well as ensuring attendance based on integration and good academic results, are central objectives of higher education institutions in general, and of UC in particular.

The main aim of the SUPERA project is to implement 6 fully-fledged Gender Equality Plans to articulate a structural understanding of gender inequalities, stereotypes and biases in research as a cross-cutting issue to tackle in their complex, multi-layered dimensions and the inclusion of a gender perspective in research and academia.

The UCicletas project consists in the provision and temporary use of bicycles at the UC, in order to promote physical and sporting habits within the academic community, through the adoption of alternative means of transport, thus encouraging attitudes and behaviours that contribute to achieve Sustainable Development Goals, through physical activity and sport.

Biodiversity Promotion Initiative where all new students are invited to adopt and take care of a plant during an academic year, which will afterwards be planted in the region (oak trees, arbutus, hawthorns, stone pines, cork trees, rowans and maple trees).