22-07-2026
Photo: João Lima/NOVA FCT
Between July 15 and 17, NOVA FCT held the New Faculty and Researcher Induction Programme, a pilot initiative by the Pedagogical Innovation Office that brought the academic community together around institutional integration, experience-sharing, and reflection on the challenges of an academic career. This first edition welcomed more than 40 participants.
Susana P. Pereira, assistant researcher and one of the participants, said that "this initiative is very important because it helps clarify doubts about procedures, services, and support structures," while also making it possible "to get to know the Faculty's ecosystem and colleagues better."
Held in person on the NOVA FCT campus, the programme was designed as a space for participation and joint construction, aiming to identify needs, challenges, and opportunities for improvement in the induction process for new faculty and researchers.
For Bruno Marreiros, from the Department of Chemistry, who has been with the institution since 2017, "the organizers deserve congratulations," calling it "a very useful initiative for clarifying what everyone does, which wasn't always clear."
Over the three days, participants were invited to learn more about the institution's structure and operations, its governing bodies, support services, and available institutional tools. The programme also included sessions dedicated to institutional and scientific communication, ethics and academic integrity, as well as the relationship between pedagogical authority, empathy, and feedback in teaching contexts.
Teresa Santos Silva, Associate Dean for Pedagogical Innovation and Well-being, noted that "these were three intense days, with a great deal of knowledge-sharing and a strong desire to keep improving," highlighting the importance of "valuing initiatives of this kind as tools for integration, recognition, and strengthening the academic community," and underscoring "the generosity of everyone who contributed to making the programme happen, both experienced faculty and staff."
The research component of the programme covered topics such as intellectual property, knowledge valorization and transfer, scientific entrepreneurship, funding acquisition, project management, and open science. There was also space to reflect on research data management and the role of innovation in the production and dissemination of knowledge.
On the pedagogical side, the induction included sessions on curriculum planning and multimedia with a pedagogical lens, with particular attention given to the impact of artificial intelligence on higher education. The programme also featured moments of exchange with several faculty members, some of whom have received awards and recognition for pedagogical innovation projects at NOVA FCT.
The training also covered essential teaching tools such as Moodle and CLIP, and addressed administrative and career-related matters, including faculty/researcher evaluation regulations, contracts, sabbaticals, accumulation of duties, vacation policy, and ADSE (health subsystem), among others.
The closing session featured the panel "The Voice of Alumni," in which former NOVA FCT students shared experiences and suggestions about academic life, the impact of faculty on their paths, and what they consider most relevant in the teaching relationship. The moment reinforced the collaborative dimension of the initiative and the institution's commitment to continuously improving the academic experience.
Browse the photo highlights (photos by João Lima/NOVA FCT).
