The fall semester of the SUPERNOVA Foundation Programme officially began on Monday 15 September at NOVA Medical School in Lisbon. The programme continues to establish itself as a gateway to international higher education in Portugal and welcomes around 100 students from approximately 78 different countries this semester.
To mark the arrival of the new students, a Welcome Week took place from 8th to 12th September. During this integration week, participants had the opportunity to get to know each other better through an online Meet & Greet session, which included icebreaker activities and strategies to help them adapt to academic life more easily. There was also a presentation by the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) about the support services available to international students.
The highlight of the week was the Welcome Session, held on Friday morning, 12 September, at NOVA Medical School. This featured a welcome address by Vice-Rector João Amaro de Matos, followed by a detailed presentation of the SUPERNOVA programme with an opportunity to ask questions about academic management. The team responsible for the programme was introduced, as were various NOVA University Lisbon resources and initiatives, such as NOVA Sports, the Bandua project and other extracurricular opportunities available to students.
At the end of the session, students participated in a guided tour of NOVA Medical School led by alumni of the institution. The tour covered the main spaces and other areas useful for academic life, enabling new students to familiarise themselves with the campus where they will study throughout the semester.
Important news was also announced this semester: new undergraduate programmes will be available to apply for starting in the 2026/27 academic year. These include courses in areas such as Cognitive and Behavioural Sciences, and Ocean Sciences.