CeiED researcher Sónia Cardoso participated in the 2026 CHER Annual Conference, held at the Department of Economics and Business of the University of Catania, Italy, from 31 August to 2 September 2026. Under the theme “Redefining Higher Education in an Era of Shifting Geopolitics”, the conference brought together researchers and experts to discuss current challenges and transformations in higher education within a shifting geopolitical context. On 31 August, during a session held from 5.00 to 6.30 p.m., Sónia Cardoso presented the paper “Assessment, Funding and Governance in Doctoral Education: Brazil and Portugal in the Lusophone Space”, co-authored with Gionara Tauchen, a collaborating researcher at CeiED. The paper provides a comparative analysis of the assessment, funding and governance of doctoral education in Brazil and Portugal, contributing to wider reflection on these areas within the Lusophone space.