News

Public Presentation of the Book “Citizen Initiatives as Instruments of Democracy” On the afternoon of May 14, the public presentation of the book “Citizen Initiatives as Instruments of Democracy” was held at the José Saramago Library, Polytechnic of Leiria. The book is coordinated by Mário Simões Barata, Ângelo Abrunhosa (both from the Polytechnic of Leiria), and Dora Resende Alves (Universidade Portucalense). The session featured a presentation by Professor Maria Manuela Magalhães Silva, Director of the IJP and author of the book’s preface.

The 3rd edition of the Young Scholars International Conference on Enterprise Law (YSICEL) took place on the morning of May 14, featuring early-career researchers presenting their work across various fields of business law. The event was organized by the Leiria Branch of the IJP.

On May 14, the IJP joined other UPT departments and units for the roundtable “Raising Awareness for Ocean and Marine Heritage”, an initiative linked to the European Maritime Day (May 25). The event promoted reflection on key themes such as marine governance, environmental education, international cooperation for sustainable development, marine biodiversity protection, the blue economy, and the preservation of natural and cultural maritime heritage. Image Accordion #1 Image Accordion #2 Image Accordion Content Goes Here! Click edit button to change this text.

As part of the Europe Day celebrations, the conference The Role of Regions in European Integration took place on May 9, hosted by Universidade Portucalense, the Law Department, and the IJP, in partnership with the Delegation of the Government of Catalonia in Portugal. Guest speakers included: Agustí Fernández de Losada Passols (Secretary for European Affairs, Multilateral Relations and Development Cooperation – Government of Catalonia), António M. Cunha (President of the Northern Regional Coordination and Development Commission), Luís Nobre (President of the Euroregion Eixo Atlântico and Mayor of Viana do Castelo), Rafael Barbosa (Deputy Director of Jornal de Notícias), Paulo Silva (President of the Association of Paredes for Social Inclusion), Pedro Ponte e Sousa, Pascoal Pereira (faculty members at Universidade Portucalense), and Giuliano G. Braga Braga (faculty member at the University of Minho).

Conference – “Human Rights and Reproductive Health: Current Ethical and Legal Dilemmas” On May 20, the Leiria Branch of the Instituto Jurídico Portucalense (IJP) will host the conference “Human Rights and Reproductive Health: Current Ethical and Legal Dilemmas”. The event, held in hybrid format, is co-organized with the Department of Legal Sciences and the Nursing undergraduate program of the School of Health, Polytechnic of Leiria. This initiative aims to foster critical reflection on the ethical and legal challenges currently shaping reproductive rights, while highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary dialogue between Law and Health in defending fundamental rights. Registration is free and available at the following link.

The 2nd International Symposium on Human Rights and Citizenship is a joint initiative between Universidade Portucalense Infante D. Henrique (UPT – Portugal) and Universidade Salvador (UNIFACS – Brazil), consolidating an academic partnership that has lasted for over a decade. For this second edition, which will take place on 1st and 2nd July 2025, the chosen theme is “Human Rights in Crisis? Tensions between Global Challenges and Local Contexts”, reflecting contemporary issues that challenge the guarantee of Human Rights in a scenario marked by rising inequalities, political crises, climate emergencies, and democratic setbacks in various parts of the world. Abstract submissions will be accepted until 30th May 2025. For further information and guidance on submitting proposals, please visit the Symposium website: