Social Affairs

Geographer, holding a PhD in Geography and Territorial Planning from the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities (NOVA FCSH) of the New University of Lisbon. He is Professor at NOVA FCSH, Coordinator of the Department of Geography and Regional Planning and Researcher at the Interdisciplinary Centre for Social Sciences (CICS.NOVA).
His research focuses on housing policies, real estate market dynamics, urban public policies, urban geography, spatial planning and urban studies. He has published various studies in these fields, in addition to conducting diverse knowledge dissemination activities, such as coordinating scientific projects and curating exhibitions.

Last updated: July 2023

José Pedro Monteiro is an assistant researcher at the University of Coimbra Centre for the History of Society and Culture. He has a PhD in History (ICS-UL, 2017), with a thesis on the internationalisation processes of the issue of «indigenous labour».
José regularly publishes articles on this and other topics in national and international journals, and he wrote the book «Portugal e a Questão do Trabalho Forçado: Um Império Sob Escrutínio (1944-1962)» (Edições 70, 2018).

Last updated: August 2025

Miguel Bandeira Jerónimo is an associate professor of History at the University of Coimbra Centre for the History of Society and Culture. His research interests focus on the global, connected and comparative history of imperialism and of colonialism (19th-20th century).
Miguel publishes regularly in the foremost publishers and journals, both in Portugal and abroad. He recently co-authored «História(s) do Presente» (2020, Tinta-da-China) and coordinated «Os Mundos do (Sub)Desenvolvimento» (2023, Imprensa da Universidade de Coimbra).
He has a PhD in History from King’s College London.

Last updated: August 2025

She has a PhD in Sociology, specialising in Development and Social Change, from the Nova School of Social Sciences and Humanities in Lisbon.
She is an associate professor in the Department of Sociology at NOVA FCSH, where she coordinates the Master’s degree in Human Ecology and Contemporary Social Problems. She is an integrated researcher at the Interdisciplinary Centre of Social Sciences and has done research work on the subjects of ageing and the related social policies, family and intergenerational relations, as well as health.

Last updated: July 2024

She specialises in cognition and the cognitive distortion patterns that prevent us from making better life choices. She is also an expert on how behavioural changes can lead to a happier and more fulfilling life via positive psychological attitudes.
A professor of psychology and Director of Yale University's Silliman College, her «Psychology and Living Well» classes have been wildly successful, breaking all enrollment records at the institution. They also led her to create a free online course, which has already received over 3.3 million students, as well as the podcast «The Happiness Lab».
Drawing on her research, she explains how we are biologically programmed to be motivated by sex, to be deeply influenced by other people and to repeat our mistakes. Using examples from the animal kingdom, she explains many of our illogical behaviours and gives tips on how we can use our human abilities to counter evolution, make more rational choices and live happier lives.

Last updated: February 2023