24 April 2026
Applications are now open for the third edition of the OPEN and IDEA programmes dedicated to Social and Community Cohesion
Applications are open until May 15 for the third edition of the OPEN and IDEA programmes, promoted by NOVA University Lisbon as part of the Connect – Transforming Knowledge into Impact project.
This edition focuses on the domain of Social and Community Cohesion: Gender, Inclusion and Social Participation, bringing together participants interested in reflecting on and developing innovative solutions to contemporary social challenges.
The OPEN programme will take place on May 26 and offers an intensive one-day session dedicated to analysing and anticipating challenges and opportunities. Key topics include critical approaches to anti-discrimination, the rights and integration of women in vulnerable contexts, as well as dynamics of inclusion and participation in the digital age. The session will be led by mentors Nausica Palazzo, Associate Professor at NOVA School of Law and Director of the NOVA Centre for the Study of Gender, Family and the Law, and Eduarda Ferreira, Integrated Researcher at CICS.NOVA – Interdisciplinary Centre of Social Sciences at NOVA University Lisbon, where she coordinates the Inequalities, Citizenship and Gender research group.
The IDEA programme will run from June 25 to July 16 and is dedicated to the development of social innovation projects based on design thinking methodologies. At the end, two projects will be selected for a six-month incubation period at the Casa do Impacto. The programme is coordinated by Guilherme Vitorino, Deputy Director of NOVA Information Management School (NOVA IMS) and Coordinator of the Nova Innovation & Analytics Lab.
Open to the general public, the initiative is aimed at professionals, researchers, students, and anyone interested in testing ideas and deepening their knowledge in key areas of social and territorial development. Participation is free, subject to application.
The programmes are part of the Connect project, an initiative that brings together NOVA University Lisbon, Casa do Impacto, and the Yunus Social Innovation Center at the Catholic University of Portugal, with the aim of promoting innovative solutions to social and environmental challenges.
More information and applications are available [HERE].