Coming from Lisbon, Guarda, Gandra and Vila Real, 60 secondary school and university students met last 19th April at the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD) to think critically about some global problems. The 4th edition of the Critical Thinking Day counted with the involvement of four Higher Education institutions and took place at pole II of the School of Sciences and Technology, between 9am and 5pm.

Faced with the challenge of finding solutions to problems such as water, food waste, the ageing population, the climate crisis and the student movement, students from each Higher Education institution brought their best ideas to UTAD. It was up to the jury of experts, composed of professors and external guests with professional activity in the thematic areas under consideration, to evaluate them and elect the “best” solution for each scenario presented.

This Critical Thinking Day initiative involved a total of 280 students in the sessions held at the Cooperative of Polytechnic and University Higher Education (CESPU) – Gandra Pole (16 February), at UTAD (28 February), at the Lusófona University – Lisbon Centre (2 March) and at the School of Tourism and Hospitality of the Guarda Polytechnic Institute (8 March).

From the Lusófona University, 8 students from the various years of the Degree in Education Sciences-Social Education and the teachers Elsa Estrela and Carla Galego