EUTOPIA Doctoral Summer School: a very special summer school with an eye on the future

30 doctoral students from NOVA and various partner universities of the EUTOPIA alliance spent 5 days at Convento da Arrábida tackling interdisciplinary solutions for the challenge of longevity. The team with the winning project has already guaranteed that they will get to participate in one of the activities of the EUTOPIA Alliance.

“Welcome to paradise,” greeted João Amaro de Matos, Vice-Rector of NOVA University Lisbon overseeing Education and International Development, kicking off the 2024 edition of the EUTOPIA Doctoral Summer School held from July 18th to 22nd. Installed at Convento da Arrábida for 5 days, 30 doctoral students from NOVA and several EUTOPIA partner universities were ready to collaborate in groups to propose solutions to one of today’s most pressing issues.

Under the guidance of Paula Macedo from NOVA Medical School, Bernardo Toninho from NOVA FCT, and Iva Pires from NOVA FCSH, they were challenged to design a project addressing a problem that would leverage the skills of each group member.

“We don’t want to talk about aging; we want to discuss longevity and the growing needs that allow for the transition from a society with a shorter life cycle to one that already has a longer life cycle,” emphasized Iva Pires, with the concurring gaze of Karen François, a Philosophy professor from Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) – a partner university of NOVA in EUTOPIA. “There’s a profound societal change demanding a paradigm shift.”

The following days unfolded as this small “melting pot” – where more than half the participants were non-Portuguese – delved into the challenges of their chosen theme, sharing and working together to ultimately facilitate comprehensive solutions. “We want them to learn to think outside their specialization,” summarized Paula Macedo, adding, “Today, if you ask what the added value of hiring a doctoral graduate is, the unequivocal answer lies in their problem-solving abilities!”

Back at NOVA’s Rectory in Campolide campus after those five days of immersive work, everyone agreed it had been a very special summer school.

"An incredible experience, a program that struck a good balance between work and leisure time" said Iuliana Mihaela Badica, a 24-year-old doctoral student in science from the University of Gothenburg, one of NOVA’s partners in EUTOPIA, reflecting on her first visit to Portugal. “It was extraordinary not only because of the location but because it allowed us to learn so much from sharing with people from such diverse fields,” added Muhammad Sadiq, a doctoral student in Law at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), another EUTOPIA partner university.

Massoma Barbari, 41, who came to NOVA FCT three years ago after leaving Afghanistan, remarked, “The multidisciplinary approach made all the difference!” This sentiment was echoed by Zabya Abo Aljadayel, 32, who arrived from Syria in 2015 to specialize in archaeology at NOVA FCSH. She could only say “hello” when she first arrived; now she even sings fado and delighted everyone with her rendition of “Cheira bem, cheira a Lisboa,” made famous by Amália.

Soon, silence fell as they awaited news of the winning project. When it was announced, the winning team erupted in joy. “When we first came together, we had no idea what to propose, but then serendipity struck,” recounted Bahram Salamat Ravandi, studying Computer Science at the University of Gothenburg, Maria João Parreira, specializing in Human Ecology at NOVA FCSH, Pedro Pena from the Public Health doctoral program at the National School of Public Health at NOVA, along with Adriana Alves from Industrial Engineering at NOVA FCT and Ana Caulino Rocha from NOVA Medical School.

The project they developed, which has already earned them a place atand which has already guaranteed that they will get to participate in one of the activities of the EUTOPIA Alliance, in Paris, is an AI-driven application for pregnant women with multiple objectives: not only to improve maternal health during pregnancy but also to assess how healthy habits during this period can positively impact postpartum and infant health. “…and to see if, by following best practices, these children can have better longevity,” they concluded, ensuring that “there are many apps out there, but none quite like ours, because it’s preventive and aims for a long-term positive impact on people’s lives.”

Now they know they’ll always have Paris soon – and of course, there’s more of EUTOPIA Doctoral Summer School to come next year.

This article was originally published on NOVA website.