The Rector of NOVA University Lisbon, Paulo Pereira, and the Pro-Rector responsible for Sustainability, Júlia Seixas, attended the National MetaRed TIC, X and S Portugal 2025 Meeting, held at the University of Évora on the 19th. For the first time, the event brought together the three national networks dedicated to digital transformation, university entrepreneurship, and sustainability and social responsibility.
“Higher education institutions are committed to thinking about the future through the lens of sustainability. It is a way of thinking and acting that permeates all teaching,” said NOVA’s Rector, who opened the event, highlighting the role of institutions in building a sustainable future.
Referring to NOVA’s commitment — to make the university carbon neutral by 2040 — Paulo Pereira stressed that this goal “requires rethinking practices, creating new solutions, integrating scientific knowledge and engaging the entire academic community in this shared purpose.”
The event also marked the launch of MetaRedS, the national network dedicated to social responsibility, coordinated by NOVA University Lisbon. Its aim is to create synergies within university communities, provide tools, and share best practices to achieve high levels of sustainability performance.
“It should be a driver of progress,” emphasised NOVA’s Rector, advocating a shift “from a logic of sharing to a logic of action, with common metrics, cross-cutting training and inter-university projects,” reinforcing that “what we do in the coming years will be decisive for the credibility of the public mission of higher education institutions.”
Present in nine countries, including Portugal, Spain and several Latin American nations, MetaRedS is committed to promoting Sustainability in Higher Education Institutions across its various dimensions: diagnostic indicators, governance models, sustainability culture, academic training, research and innovation aligned with the 2030 Agenda.
The MetaReds are an international initiative of the Universia Foundation, supported by Banco Santander.