Cristina C. Vieira | University of Coimbra
Cristina has a degree in Psychology and a PhD in Educational Sciences by Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Coimbra (FPCEUC).
She is a professor at FPCEUC since 1992 and she is the Coordinator of the Master Degree in Education and Training of Adults and Community Intervention.
She coauthored the five Guides on Gender and Citizenship Education published by the Portuguese Government between 2010 and 2017. She has large experience in teachers’ training on issues related to gender, education and citizenship, being invited as expert by the General Directorate of Education (Ministry of Education). She integrated the external evaluation teams of the National Plans for Equality between Women and Men. Sworking group that designed the National Strategy of Education for Citizenship (ENEC).
Since 2016, she has been a member of the Portuguese National Council of Education (CNE), as a Counselor, representing Women’s Non-Governmental Organizations.
She is an integrated researcher of the Center for Research in Adult Education and Community Intervention (CEAD) of the University of Algarve, Portugal.
She is the Vice-President of the Portuguese Society of Educational Sciences (SPCE) and the Portuguese Association of Studies on Women (APEM).
She is a member of the Board of the European Society for Research in Adult Education (ESREA), since 2017.
She as a large experience in the coordination and publication areas she researches and teaches as well as a close link to the community.
Gina Ebner | European Association for the Education of Adults
Gina Ebner is Secretary General of the European Association for the Education of Adults.
She worked as a language trainer in adult education and as a pedagogical manager for a vocational training institute in Austria. In Brussels, she was a project manager at EUROCADRES (Council for European professional and managerial staff). She was also president of the Lifelong Learning Platform. She has worked on issues such as gender equality, outreach, validation, life skills, benefits of lifelong learning and many more.
She believes in adult learning and education as a central instrument to shape Europe’s future in a positive way and is enthusiastic in advocating for strong adult education communities, structures, policies and civil society. EAEA represents non-formal adult education with 125 member organisations in 43 countries. EAEA promotes adult learning and access to and participation in non-formal adult education for all.
Eugénia Inácio | Portuguese Erasmus + Agency
Eugénia Inácio, has a degree in International Relations, a postgraduate degree in Image, Protocol and Organization of Events, and a master’s degree in International Management. Has been a senior technician for almost 22 years at the National Agency responsible for managing the European Erasmus+ Program for Education and Training in Portugal.
Previously, she also collaborated with the office “Socrates & Youth Technical Assistance Office/TAO”, in Brussels, where he worked as a project officer in the Higher Education team. The journey began with an internship at the Office of European Affairs and International Relations (GAERI) of the Ministry of Education, in 1997.
After having worked with other teams from other educational sectors, she is currently part of the team that works with the Adult Education sector, where her work is essentially focused on transnational cooperation (key action 2). Its functions are diverse and mainly include: – Monitoring of Erasmus+ projects during their life cycle; – Content creation and co-organization of various initiatives, such as national and European events, in order to publicize and disseminate the Erasmus+ Programme; – Preparation of potential candidates in the submission of applications; – Representation of the National Agency externally, including formal meetings with the European Commission and informal meetings with Erasmus+ National Agencies and other countries participating in the Programme. Until last year, she was involved in a Working Group of the National Agency for Equity & Inclusion, with a view to increasing the participation of disadvantaged people in the Erasmus+ Programme.
Maria Eugénia Pereira | University of Aveiro, continUA – Center for Lifelong Learning
Maria Eugénia Tavares Pereira is a professor at the Department of Languages and Cultures at the University of Aveiro and coordinator of the continUA – Center for Lifelong Learning at the University of Aveiro.
At this University, she has been performing functions within the scope of Continuing Learning/Lifelong Learning, holding executive positions both at CIFOP – Integrated Center for Teacher Training, at UINFOC – Integrated Unit for Continuing Training and at UNAVE – Association for Professional Training and Research at the University of Aveiro.
She is currently a member of a working group of ECIU – The European Consortium of Innovative Universities, made up of representatives from the University of Technology of Hamburg, the University of Tampere, the University of Barcelona and the University of Aveiro, which aims to enhance the transformation of European Higher Education through universal education and agile and personalized learning for life.
Diogo Nolasco, Ambassador of University of Coimbra – former graduate of the Qualifica Center
Diogo was named ambassador of the University of Coimbra (Ambassador UC) for the secondary education in November 27, 2021, an assigned function for the students who entered this revered higher education institution with a grade equal or superior to 16. Currently he is in the second year of his degree in History.
Concluded both his basic and secondary studies through the Qualifica Center of the Agrupamento de Escolas de Anadia. Diagnosed with Asperger Syndrome (AS), or High-functioning autism (HFA), a medical condition characterized by difficulties in socializing, restricted interests and various degrees of physical awkwardness, Diogo has experienced great hardship and suffering at school due to incomprehension. With the intervention of the Qualifica Centre team, Diogo not only passed successfully the entrance exam to University of Coimbra, but had a final grade of 19.80, being the student with the highest final grade entering the institution.
He was the recipient of the prize “personality of the Year”, a prize attributed and voted by the students of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities to members of the community deemed to have made a lasting contribute to the internal and external life of the community. He will soon, on the next 6th June, take an official position in the newly elected NEFLUC(Students Union of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities), regarding civic and social intervention.
Ivete Azevedo | Torrence Center, Portugal
When having to decide between three passions (Mathematics, Psychology and Physical Education), she chose mathematics, having graduated in 1987 in the Faculty of Sciences of Porto.
She later mobilized her other passion, Psychology, so in 1997, he started to work in Emotional Intelligence, after carrying out consolidating research.
These interests led her to England and the United States where she completed her PhD and Post-Doctoral studies, thus acquiring the skills to apply and develop innovative methodologies that connect two areas of high potential: Creativity and Emotional Intelligence.
She worked as a secondary school teacher (1983) and a higher education teacher (1994).
She completed a Master’s in Emotional Intelligence (1995), a Master’s in Neurolinguistic Programming (2000), a PhD in Applied Creativity (2008) and a Post-Doctorate in Creative Problem Solving (2015).
She is a certified trainer in Emotional Intelligence (1997), with over 25 years of experience as a speaker, pursuing the objective of raising awareness to the importance and practical application of three essential tools: Creative Problem Solving, Social Emotional Learning and Simple Living.
She is the author of 43 scientific articles published in national and international journals and 2 books.
She is the representative and coordinator of 2 International Programs in Portugal: Future Problem Solving Program International and Destination Imagination.
She is the founder of the international impact projects Torrance Center ® (Portugal) and CriaAtividade ® and holds the exclusive rights. She is also responsible for the validation of the internationally recognized test of creativity assessment, Torrance Test of Creative Thinking.
Sara Natalini | Erasmus Learning Academy, Itália
Sara Natalini holds a Master Degree in International Relations and Diplomatic Affairs and has always been passionate about education and willing to dedicate her professional career to the promotion of European values.
Working in Erasmus Learning Academy, she has gained experience in the organization and implementation of Erasmus plus training courses for teachers and education staff, training few hundred teachers all over Europe. She specialized in the area of intercultural learning and diversity, innovative and game-based teaching methods and digital pedagogy.
Sara has also gained experience in the design and implementation of Strategic Partnerships in the field of Adult Education. She particularly designed European projects aimed at developing innovative learning opportunities for adults with fewer opportunities with the desire of supporting their inclusion in the society and the job market.
Diogo Casanova | Universidade Aberta, Portugal
Diogo Casanova is the Vice-Rector for Innovation and Quality at Universidade Aberta in Portugal. In the past, he was an Associate Professor at the University of West London, where he was Director of the Department of Education and Educational Technology.
He has extensive experience in leading institutional projects and participating in nationally and internationally funded projects in the area of online learning and teaching and adult education.
His research interests are related to the design of learning spaces, online assessment and feedback, and educational technology. He is a member of the CIDTFF Research Centre and a member of the thematic commission for distance learning of A3ES.
Rogério Duarte | Qualifica Centre of Agrupamento de Escolas de Anadia
Degree in History from the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Coimbra. Master in ‘History of Portuguese Expansion’, by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities of the University of Coimbra.
In addition to a career spanning several decades as a History teacher in Basic and Secondary Education, he has simultaneously performed tasks associated with adult education for several years. Within the scope of the New Opportunities Program and, currently, in the Qualifica Program, he has taken on the areas of Citizenship and Employability and Citizenship and Professionality.
Throughout his professional career, he shows a strong connection to pedagogical innovation, not only in the training courses attended but also in their practical and experimental implementation, both nationally and internationally. His intervention as a speaker is frequently requested by other educational establishments and institutions.