Polytechnic University of Coimbra organized the staff week ‘Global Week 2025’ from 19 to 23 May. The highlight was the international conference Internationalisation at Home, which brought together experts and representatives from national and international higher education institutions to reflect on the challenges and opportunities of internationalisation in the local context.
The opening session was attended by Joana Loureiro, Head of Coimbra City Council’s International Relations office, who emphasised the importance of incorporating an international perspective into the daily life of educational institutions, highlighting the role of this approach in forming more empathetic, innovative and collaborative communities. She also stressed the cosmopolitan vocation of Coimbra, a city that ‘lives internationalisation on a daily basis’, through cultural events, international summits and a strategic commitment to knowledge. ‘Coimbra is the ideal place to ensure true Internationalisation at Home, where students, teachers and non-teaching staff can live meaningful intercultural experiences without leaving their environment,’ she said.
Ana Rita Fialho, representing the National Erasmus+ Education and Training Agency, praised the dynamics promoted by the Polytechnic University of Coimbra in the area of internationalisation, stressing the relevance and impact of its initiatives in the context of Portuguese higher education. Closing the opening session, Maria João Cardoso, at the time PUC’s pro-president and Institutional Coordinator for International Relations, gave a brief overview of the main international actions and strategies developed by the institution, including UNIGreen.
The programme also featured two important speeches: the vice-rector of the University of Aveiro, Sandra Soares, who addressed the current challenges of internationalisation in Portuguese higher education, and Sara Connelly, from Conestoga College (Canada), who presented the COIL model – Collaborative Online International Learning, highlighting the potential of virtual collaborative learning to promote internationalisation at home.
Also noteworthy was the high level of participation from the polytechnic community (students and teachers) in attending the conference.
Throughout the week, PUC welcomed more than 40 participants from 16 countries, representing 19 higher education institutions. The initiative included conferences, workshops and cultural events with the aim of promoting reflection on the challenges and future of mobility in the context of the Erasmus+ Programme.
In addition to the academic environment, the international guests had the opportunity to get to know the city of Coimbra through cultural visits and moments of conviviality, and to strengthen ties between the institutions by promoting the exchange of good practices in the area of internationalisation, mobility and teaching.
Global Week 2025 reaffirms PUC’s commitment to internationalisation and the development of collaborative networks, promoting Coimbra as a meeting point for cultures and knowledge.
