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On July 9, 2025, another meeting of the Scientific Council of CeiED took place,

At the meeting of the CeiED Scientific Council held on 9 July 2025, the new composition of the Executive Committee was approved, in accordance with Article 10, paragraph 1 of the CeiED Statutes.

From July 14 to 18, 2025, Universidade Lusófona hosted the in-person component of the Summer School “Learning and Becoming a Researcher in Intercultural Contexts”, part of the Erasmus+ BIP programme (ID: 2023-1-PT01-KA131-HED-000116521-1). The initiative gathered master's and doctoral students, as well as researchers from several European institutions, for an intensive week of learning, sharing, and reflection on the journey of becoming a researcher in culturally diverse contexts.

This innovative course aimed to provide a concrete and immersive experience, based on a culturalist approach to learning, in which culture is seen as a fundamental framework for thought and knowledge construction (Bruner, 1990; Illeris, 2008). For five days, Lisbon became the privileged setting for this intercultural experience, where academic knowledge was interwoven with collaborative practices and cultural activities.

The programme included practical workshops, thematic panels, and moments of discussion, with special highlights such as participation in the 6th WCCES Symposium 2025, and the international panel on learning in intercultural contexts, which featured contributions from students and researchers from Portugal, Spain, Estonia, and Austria. The cultural visit to Sintra and Cascais, along with social moments, helped strengthen the bonds among participants.

Topics addressed included arts-based research, multimodal literacy in multicultural contexts, and visual methodologies such as Photovoice and Linguistic Landscape. The course culminated in a fishbowl session focused on the challenges of equity, diversity, and inclusion in research.

This BIP is the result of a partnership between Universidade Lusófona (Portugal), Tallinn University (Estonia), and University of Seville (Spain), and aims to contribute to the development of intercultural competence as an essential dimension in the training of future researchers and educators.

The online component of the course took place between June 2 and 16, 2025, preparing participants for the in-person sessions. The main challenge proposed to students was the development of a critical essay on the challenges and opportunities of conducting research in intercultural contexts, promoting theoretical reflection combined with collaborative practice.

The scientific coordination was led by Lucimar Dantas, with the support of Carla Galego and João Filipe Matos, and included the collaboration of CeiED researchers Sónia Cardoso, Cristina Sin, and early-stage researchers Susana Oliveira, Felisberto Costa, among others.

The Summer School was a space of encounter, dialogue, and learning, reinforcing the importance of interculturality in the production of knowledge and in the strengthening of more inclusive and diversity-sensitive academic communities.

From July 16 to 18, 2025, the Universidade Lusófona – Centro Universitário Lisboa hosted the 6th Symposium of the World Council of Comparative Education Societies (WCCES) under the theme “Renewing the Social Contract for Education: Navigating Possible Futures.” The event brought together around 250 participants from over 30 countries, including 177 who attended in person, in an environment marked by academic rigor, intercultural dialogue, and collective knowledge-building.

Organized by the Comparative Education Section of the Portuguese Society of Educational Sciences (SPCE-SEC) and the CeiED – Interdisciplinary Research Centre for Education and Development, the symposium established itself as a privileged space for intercultural dialogue, critical reflection, and global academic cooperation.

The scientific program was particularly rich and diverse. The opening session featured an inspiring keynote by António Nóvoa, while the closing conference was delivered by António Teodoro, Director of CeiED. Among the highlights were the commemorative session celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Spanish Society of Comparative Education and the 40th anniversary of the Brazilian Society of Comparative Education, as well as the roundtable “Mobilizing Knowledge through Comparative Education: Past, Present, and Future.”

Over the course of three days, the strong participation of scholars, researchers, and experts from diverse regions of the world reaffirmed the dynamism and relevance of comparative education as a critical field of study and an essential tool for shaping more just, inclusive, and sustainable educational futures. The geographical, institutional, and cultural diversity of the participants further underscored the pluralistic character of the symposium, once again highlighting the vitality of comparative education as a field of research, teaching, and socio-political engagement.

The organizers extend their sincere gratitude to everyone who contributed to the success of this edition: participants, keynote speakers, moderators, scientific and organizing committees (SPCE-SEC and CeiED), the WCCES Standing Committee, technical team, volunteers, and institutional partners. Your commitment and enthusiasm were fundamental to the quality and impact of this gathering.

The dialogue initiated in Lisbon will continue in Toulouse, which will host the 7th WCCES Symposium. Until then, we extend our heartfelt thanks to all those who took part in this shared journey of reflection and action toward possible futures for education.

The symposium's keynote speeches and featured sessions are available for viewing here:

• July 16 – Highlight: Keynote by António Nóvoa
• July 17 – Highlight: Thematic panel “Learning in Intercultural Contexts: theoretical foundations and international experiences”
• July 18 – Highlights: Roundtable “Mobilizing Knowledge through Comparative Education: Past, Present, and Future” featuring Régis Malet; Thematic panel “Participation and Democracy in Educational Processes: effects of curriculum autonomy policies on teaching professionalism in Portuguese-speaking countries”; and the closing keynote by António Teodoro.

© Photographs and video kindly provided by Petaxi Baptista

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