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Universidade Nova de Lisboa launched a program of short-term courses for retirees or foreign residents in Portugal. THE Nova Open Academy is aimed at people over 50, who are interested in getting in touch with the teaching staff of one of the most important universities in the country. The program, now available on the university’s website, includes lectures, discussion groups, workshops and even a trip to Egypt with university researchers.
“We are aware that it is part of the university’s mission to share knowledge. We realized that there is little offer for people who have true intellectual curiosity and who want to take a more active position at this stage of their life. The Brazilian community is very representative in Portugal, with many already retired, and these courses are perfect for people at this point in life. As well as the youngest, everyone is welcome”, explains vice-rector João Amaro de Matos.
The program is divided into four two-month periods. To be able to take part in the courses, interested parties must first register for the program, which involves paying 50 euros (R$300.00) per semester or 75 euros (R$450.00) per year. Upon registration, participants choose the format of the classes and the topics that interest them. Lectures cost 70 euros ((R$ 420.00). Debates cost 100 (R$ 600.00) and workshops with 4 hours, 400 euros (R$ 2,400.00). Asked if these values are not excessive in a public university, the vice-rector made a comparison: “a personal in a gym it costs between 35 and 50 euros per hour. People who can afford it pay for it. We can give discounts and grants to those with a lower pension, for example. Think of this as a program EPT, Educational Personal Trainer highly qualified, on non-trivial subjects – an escape from the vulgarization of knowledge assumed on social networks”.
Nova operates in nine areas of knowledge. Three in the health area, three in the science and technology area, three in the social sciences area. “With all the structure we have, we can have courses on various subjects, integrating different aspects and perspectives on the topics. We have enormous potential to offer courses with an interdisciplinary perspective”, comments Amaro de Matos.
Responsible for the teaching area, the vice-rector explains that he formulated the program thinking about people who want to continue learning and who normally do not have access to the academic environment. “We set up a pilot project that we would like to see succeed. There are two-hour classes, in groups of a maximum of 30 people, in which the teacher speaks and at the end people can ask some questions. In another type of class, the discussion is introduced while the topic is presented. In this format, the classes are smaller to allow more active participation”, he explains.
Various themes
The courses being offered involve several faculties at the university, explains Amaro de Matos. “We have a wide range of choices. In the areas of Law, Tropical Medicine, Health, Engineering, Science and Technology, Social Science and Political Science. There are courses on current topics. For example, the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. The risks of the Trump versus Kamala election in the United States. It’s important that you have someone who can explain what the future of NATO and US-European relations is. Even though we have this on television every day, it’s nice to hear the perspective of someone who is actually able to explain the subtleties of this conflict.” And he continues: “everyone today has a lot of opinions about almost everything. It is important to have a space and a moment to reflect and question your own positioning. We often don’t know the whole story. I think intelligence is the art of rethinking. A truly intelligent person does not accept anything as definitive”, he observes.
In the health area, the program proposes a fusion between medicine, cooking and nutrition. In the workshop format, participants will learn how to create meals that are pleasant to the palate and that benefit their health, such as, for example, Healthy Cooking for Longevity. “The laboratories are a little more expensive, as they involve twice the duration and the laboratories must have all the consumables. They have a doctor, chef and nutritionist in the classroom. It is not a gastronomy course, although it involves food issues”, explains the vice-rector.
The vice-rector of Universidade Nova João Amaro de Matos, responsible for the Nova Open Academy courses
Felipe Varela
Trip to Egypt
The program includes a study trip to Egypt in February, at a cost of 4,590 euros (R$ 27,540.00) per person, including air tickets, accommodation in five-star hotels and meals. Lasting ten days, it offers an immersion in ancient and contemporary Cairo among the Muslim, Coptic and Jewish communities. Includes a visit to the pyramids, the sphinx and the Museum of Egyptian Civilization. The trip will continue to Alexandria to learn about the Greco-Roman history of Egypt.
“There is a whole part of Egypt’s history that is less seen on tourist trips, but we are going to take a great expert in ancient history to accompany our groups. In Cairo, we will also have a lecture on the campus of Universidade Nova, the only Portuguese university that has a campus outside Portugal. We will then head to Aswan and head up the Nile to Luxor, visiting the various temples along the way. We will end in Luxor and Karnak, in the Valley of the Kings. The difference here is to offer a trip with the hallmark of academic quality and knowledge of the University of Nova Lisboa”, concludes the vice-rector.
