Centre for Research and Intervention in Education (CIIE) of the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences of the University of Porto (Portugal) is a research institution that develops high-quality, innovative research on key issues of educational and social change and processes, in order to broaden the role of education in promoting equity, inclusion and active citizenship. CIIE encompasses 54 PhD full members (faculty from U.PORTO, but also from other PT HEIs and postdoc research fellows) and 60 collaborator members. In the latest research assessment exercise, CIIE was ranked in the top-2 in Educational Research for the quality and impact of its research. CIIE has a long record of excellence in researching education and extensive international cooperation activities, and is currently involved in 16 EU funded projects. CIIE is also focused in developing knowledge transfer, wide dissemination and outreach activities. FPCEUP/CIIE runs high-quality postgraduate programmes (as the Doctoral Programme in Education, assessed as ‘Exceptional’ by an international panel), backed up by intellectually stimulating environments, and enhanced by CIIE’s research breadth and solid grounding in methodologies. CIIE’s solid capacity and performance is built over existing and emerging areas of research strength: Evaluation and public policies in education; Early school leaving and lifelong learning; Training, equity and the teaching profession; Contemporary educational challenges for migrants and refugees; Empowerment and inclusion through digital education and arts; Citizenship, communication and literacy in health and well-being; Higher education, innovation and diversity; Community education, participation and social change; Pedagogical management and democratic participation.

Why we are participating in the Project

Being part of an international team, sharing knowledge and expertise on a common interest. Moreover, the protect theme is relevant for internal understanding in what concern integration and inclusion of first in family students. This is particular important as there is an uneven distribution of those students per department. It is expected that results and activities of this project may inform and  raise awareness in the university on this population in particular and on diversity in general.

Our role in the project

UPORTO is involved in all project components. UPORTO has ample experience in developing strategies to promote students’ participation and equitable opportunities in HE (e.g., peer support activities and mentoring programmes). The project will be embedded in FPCEUP and its research institution CIIE.

UPORTO provides knowledge and expertise in teaching a diversity of students, in particular, underrepresented groups of HE students as first generation students, special needs students and migrant and minority students. UPORTO and its different schools have been developing different pedagogic strategies to be an inclusive university. This effort has been done together with the production of inside knowledge about the students’ population. FPCEUP and CIIE have a long time expertise in doing research and intervention in inclusive education, equality of opportunities and diversity. UPORTO will participate in all tasks of this IO. FPCEUP, the research centre and the rectory office dedicated to develop strategies for inclusion of diverse students have together the knowledge to contribute for the analysis, design and development, besides the other activities in which we may be also involved. Particularly, CIIE has been involved in the construction of instruments both qualitative and quantitative for collecting data and refine knowledge and future development of activities.

Our Team

Sofia Marques da Silva

Assistant Professor at FPCEUP and full member of CIIE

Sofia Marques da Silva is Assistant Professor of FPCEUP and member of CIIE. She has been researching and writing about vulnerable people and education, ethnographic and life stories research on youth cultures, gender and education, and young people from rural and border regions. She is a member of the EU-funded “Sirius 2.02”, the European Policy Network on Migrant Education (2017-2020). She is one of the coordinators of Portugal INCoDe.2030, the Portuguese National Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition. She acts also as the Editor-in-chief of the journal Ethnography & Education. She is leading this team.

Tiago Neves

Associate Professor at FPCEUP and a member of CIIE

Tiago Neves is Associate Professor at FPCEUP and a member of CIIE. He holds a PhD in Education Sciences from the University of Porto, and a MA in Contemporary Urban Studies from Goldsmiths College, University of London. He is mostly interested in the study of social and educational inequalities, both from qualitative and quantitative standpoints. Currently, his research is focused on inequality in access to higher education as well as in impact of policies regarding lifelong learning and inclusion policies on young adults’ life courses. He has published widely in these areas.

Amelia Veiga

Assistant Professor at FPCEUP and full member of CIIE

Amélia Veiga is Assistant Professor at FPCEUP. Since 2017, she is a full member of CIIE. Her main research interests lie on sociology of education and education policy analysis, namely on European policies and higher education governance. Internationalisation, globalisation and quality assurance are also themes at the core of her research endeavours, particularly in the political enactment of policies, instruments and practices. She has also interest in teacher education and inclusion and social justice. She has been publishing a number of influential works on European integration and governance and the institutionalisation of a European dimension in education.

Alexandra Oliveira Doroftei

Alexandra Oliveira Doroftei

Doctoral research student

Alexandra Oliveira Doroftei is a research assistant at CIIE/FPCEUP. She is currently finishing her PhD in apprenticeship courses in Portugal in the scope of European vocational education and training. Previously, she was awarded a 4-year full-time doctoral research studentship from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). Her research interests include social inclusion and exclusion, school (under)achievement, educational policies, educational networking and VET.