Conference Portugal and the EU: 40 Years of Accession

The event aims to:

• Provide students with direct contact with academic practices close to a scientific conference format, including the preparation of extended abstracts, oral presentations and participation in thematic panels;
• Develop analytical, argumentative and communication skills, essential to the training in European Studies and International Relations;
• Encourage structured peer discussion through interaction between presenters and discussants;
• Promote the ability to evaluate and critically review academic work, encouraging the identification of theoretical and methodological weaknesses;
• Frame individual and group work within the broader debate on European integration, articulating political, economic, social and geopolitical dimensions;
• Foster active and reflective learning, valuing knowledge construction and the incorporation of feedback as an integral part of the academic journey.

The event is primarily aimed at 2nd and 3rd year students of the Bachelor’s degree in European Studies and International Relations, as active participants (presenters, discussants or critical audience); lecturers and researchers in the field of Political Science, European Studies and International Relations, interested in following and promoting innovative teaching practices; the wider academic community, including students from other areas with an interest in European integration and multi-level governance; and the civically engaged public interested in the European Union, particularly in topics such as democracy, public policy, geopolitics and contemporary challenges of European integration.

Programme

10:30 am | Opening Session: Framework of the Conference and Introductory Reflection on 40 Years of Portugal’s Accession to the European Union

• Speakers: Professor Susana Rogeiro Nina | Professor Regina Queiroz

10:40 am | PANEL I – Portugal in the EU: Integration, Society and Contemporary Challenges

• Moderator: Professor Regina Queiroz
• Speakers: Beatriz Barradas | Margarida Pereira

Communications

40 Years of Accession: Economic and Social Transformations

• Speakers: Beatriz Eusébio | Pedro Nunes | Vanessa Vivcharuk

Portugal, European Citizenship and Mobility: The Impact of Integration on Citizens’ Lives

• Speakers: Ana Alves | Iris Coelho | Nicole Machado

Immigration in Portugal in the 21st Century

• Speaker: Tomás Serrano

The Rule of Law in the European Union: Democratic Crisis and Conditionality Mechanisms

• Speaker: Beatriz Figueiredo

11:30 am | PANEL II – European Governance and Multi-level Integration

• Moderator: Professor Susana Rogeiro Nina
• Speakers: Margarida da Silva | Carolina Franco

Communications

Portugal and Accession to the European Community: Context, Motivations and Expectations

• Joana Norberto | João Cardoso | Madalena Pedrosa

European Funds and Modernisation

• Maria Caetano | Ricardo Peseiro | Raquel Espada

City Diplomacy and Multi-level Governance

• Speaker: Inês Mendrea

EU Crises: The Impact of Brexit on European Cohesion

• Speaker: Milton Fonseca

1:10 pm | Lunch Break

1:40 pm | PANEL III – The European Union in the World: Geopolitics, Security and Strategy

• Moderator: Professor Regina Queiroz
• Speakers: Maria Cancola | Mateus Monteiro Tobias de Moraes

Communications

EU Strategic Autonomy: In the Context of the War in Ukraine

• Speaker: Carolina Ribeiro

Geopolitical Ambition and Transatlantic Reconfiguration

• Speaker: Sofia da Conceição

Donald Trump’s Interest in Greenland

• Speaker: Simão Silva

Lajes Air Base and the Limits of Portuguese Strategic Diplomacy

• Speaker: Vasco Rodrigues

2:30 pm | PANEL IV – The European Union as a Global Actor: Climate, Trade and External Relations

• Moderator: Professor Susana Rogeiro Nina
• Speaker: Soraia Filipa da Silva Costa

Communications

Portugal Between Europe and the Lusophone Space: The EU’s Role in Relations with Africa and the CPLP

• Huimin Zhu | Sofia da Silva | Soraia Silva

The European Union and the Paris Agreement: Between Normative Power and Intergenerational Responsibility

• Speaker: Erica de Sousa

The Paris Agreement as a Driver of International Climate Action

• Michelle Gama

Mercosur Agreement: France vs. Germany

• Luca Laurinavicius

3:20 pm | General Discussion and Closing

• Q&A
• Final synthesis by Senior Scientific Consultants
• Joint reflection on key contributions and future challenges