May 272 min read

The nineteenth edition of the PhD Meeting in Psychology was a success

The XIX PhD Meeting in Psychology, organized by the first-year students of the doctoral program at Iscte, concluded with great success on May 24, 2024. This annual event has become a vital platform for presenting research work and projects, as well as fostering networking opportunities among researchers both from Iscte and internationally.

The theme for this year's meeting, "Imagining the (im)possible: The role of psychology in linking past, present and future challenges," captured the essence of the discussions and presentations. The event highlighted diverse topics within psychological research, including Cognition & Music, Education Development, Health & Wellbeing, Intercultural Psychology, Social & Organizational Psychology, and Environment & Community.

Held at Iscte's Building 4 (CVTT), the two-day event began on May 23 with an opening session with Paula Castro, Director of the Doctoral Program, Diniz Lopes, Director of the School of Social Sciences, Cecília Aguiar, Director of the Psychology Department (DPSO), and Carla Moleiro, Director of CIS-Iscte. This session set the stage for a series of engaging presentations and discussions.

A standout moment was the keynote speech by Henda Lopes on the first day, titled "Intercultural skills as a tool for social justice." This address provided valuable insights into the application of psychology in promoting social equity and justice.

First-year PhD students had the opportunity to present their projects, detailing their research ideas and methodologies. The meeting also included four poster sessions, offering a more interactive platform for discussion and feedback with participants from different universities.

On the second day, the opening session featured Marília Prada, Director of LAPSO-Psychology Lab, who introduced the "Caderno de Laboratório," a guide to laboratory practices and resources to support psychology students and researchers at different levels. The first volume is now available through LAPSO's website. This was followed by a variety of presentations and discussions that continued to explore the theme of the meeting.

The event concluded with a thought-provoking round table discussion titled "Women & Health: Addressing challenges and access to healthcare." Participants included Filipa Grencho (Nurse), Mário JDS Santos (Doctorate in Sociology), and Raquel Costa (Psychologist), who shared their perspectives on the challenges faced by women in the healthcare sector.

The closing session, led by the Director of the doctoral program and the science manager of the doctoral programs, Nuno Ramos, was followed by a sunset gathering, providing a relaxed environment for participants to reflect on the insights gained and to network further.