Online Gambling is a major industry in Europe, albeit having potentially devastating social and personal consequences, especially for those most prone to addictive behaviours. For the Portuguese Gambling Inspection and Regulation Service, identifying the actual scope of gambling addiction and dealing with this problem has become a growing challenge. To address this, Mauro Castelli and his team from NOVA IMS developed an AI-based system that employs data from online gambling providers operating nationally and models the behaviours associated with addicted gamblers, allowing for their early detection. Using historical data from 2019, the team was able to identify approximately 1500 users corresponding to pathological players.  

Employing the system developed at NOVA, the Portuguese authority is now able to receive automatic alerts when a user is moving toward a “dangerous” behaviour, enabling them to design prevention actions that protect citizens at risk of developing serious addiction.  

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SDG Target 3.5- Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol.

 

The Smart Region project, led by Miguel de Castro Neto from NOVA IMS, is a territorial analytical platform designed to change the paradigm of how local authorities manage public policies, using data-driven decision-making. First tested in the Oest region, data from municipalities and external entities was collected and integrated in the platform, creating dashboards that allow for a deeper understanding of the region´s metabolism. The platform provides the base for an analytical approach to regional planning, along with the creation of new products and services for citizens. 

Since then, the Smart Region team has engaged with other Intermunicipal Communities to apply the Smart Region model and is in the process of signing a cooperation agreement to take it to Brazil. For this project, NOVA Cidade – Urban Analytics Lab was awarded an ESRI SAG Award, to be received during the next ESRI Annual World Conference. 

 

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SDG Target 11.3- By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries

Professor Francisco Pereira Coutinho, of NOVA School of Law, emerges as the top recipient of the NOVA Pedagogical Innovation Award, securing the win for the project “Moot Courts 2.0: integrating a law-student-centered learning methodology in large Bachelor courses.” Noteworthy for its originality, the project introduces moot courts as a teaching and assessment method in expansive undergraduate courses.

Three commendable mentions recognize outstanding projects: Leid Zejnilovic’s “Three Innovations,” encompassing Program-oriented project-based learning (PBL), Teaching Technology in Metaverse by Building Empathy (TMBE), and “Governing a course as a DAO,” from Nova School of Business and Economics. Ricardo Parreira and João Brás da Piedade, both from IHMT, receive accolades for their project, “Embracing innovation: harnessing the potential of flipped classrooms for immersive laboratory-based instruction in times of COVID-19.”

SDG Target 4.4- By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.

 

The research developed by Tatiana Morais from NOVA Law School as a member of UMAR project and in collaboration with and based on the expertise of members of APJM has identified gaps in the legal framework of sexual and gender-based violence. This entailed the need for a reform in the Portuguese Labour Code to address sexual harassment in the workplace and the need to redefining stalking, sexual offences, and rape.  

The evidence provided by the research resulted in the adoption of recommendations and amendments to various Laws within the Labour and Penal Code. Reports of rape cases in Portugal have increased by 17% from 2019 to 2022. Moreover, companies now benefit from the legal reform which foresees a legal mechanism to establish a code of conduct to prevent and address sexual harassment in the workplace, providing for a safer and healthier work environment. 

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SDG Target 5.2- Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation | 5.c- Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels.

NOVA Sustainability Days 2023 (October 16^th and 17^th) encompassed two days of knowledge exchange between academia and the community, focusing on contemporary issues like climate transition and housing. During the event, a significant milestone was achieved with the signing of a protocol to outline a carbon-neutral and climate-resilient roadmap for NOVA University Lisbon. Júlia Seixas, Pro-Rector for Sustainability, highlighted academia’s responsibility in addressing sustainability and climate change urgently, proposing to provide foundations for reducing carbon footprints.

The first day featured webinars covering diverse topics, such as sustainability’s value in scientific production. The second day, dedicated to partnerships, showcased examples like Campus Sul, a collaboration impacting southern Portugal’s sustainability. Examples from NOVA’s nine schools were also presented, in the words of the partner institutions, spotlighting effective collaborations.

The final debates focused on fair climate transition and housing. Students engaged in a dialogue with representatives from ADENE, Greenvolt, and Santander, emphasizing the urgency for global ambition and innovation to achieve 2030 objectives. The housing panel, addressing legal and ecological aspects, included insights from students, the Minister of Housing, and the Lisbon City Councillor. The state’s role in solution-building and initiatives like housing cooperatives were discussed.

In summary, the NOVA Sustainability Days embraced education, research, innovation, and sustainability, expanding into housing discussions. The holistic approach underscored the interconnectedness of sustainability across various dimensions, echoing Pro-Rector Júlia Seixas’ sentiment that “Sustainability is like the name of the film: Everything everywhere all at once.”

 

Click to watch the recordings of the event: 1st day | 2nd day

 

SDG Target 17.17- Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.

The purpose of this project was to study and analyse the illuminated liturgical manuscripts produced in the Monastery of Alcobaça, the largest and most visited Cistercian Monastery in Portugal, between the end of the 12th and the 16th century.

The project revealed new insights into the internal life of the community, its relations with other monasteries, and especially the liturgical functions of the monastic spaces and how they changed over centuries. A  total of 96 tourist guides have received training on these latest scientific discoveries, enriching the experience of an estimated 4950 visitors over the course of three years (2020-2022). Audiences from 5-18 years old were also engaged through workshops, both at the monastery and at various schools.

Recently, the team of researchers from NOVA FCSH coordinated by Catarina Fernandes Barreira extended the project to Lorvão, another Cistercian monastery, and plans to continue providing training at both sites and beyond.

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SDG Target 11.4-Strengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the world’s cultural and natural heritage

NOVA schools have developed strong collaboration with health institutions, including local, national and global collaborations, covering more than 200 in the last three years.

Continue reading “NOVA’s Collaborations with Health Institutions”

In December 2021, leveraging the learning driven by the pandemic period, the Rectorate and the Social Support Services (SAS) implemented a hybrid work regime, immediately adopted by 30% (47) of the Rectorate workers and 25% (17) of the SAS workers. The rector’s decision was officially published in the deliberation 173/ 2021 and renovated until the end of 2023 (the document is available in the end of the current article). At the end of 2022, 98 workers enjoyed this benefit at the Rectory, corresponding to 61% of the total number of workers. In SAS, the percentage remained at 25%, given the nature of the activity.

This decision was grounded in the recognition that people are the University’s most valuable resource, as mentioned by NOVA’s Strategic Plan 20-30. Attracting and retaining talent was the biggest challenge human resources management faced, particularly after the pandemic has opened the work environment to different possibilities. People started looking for a stronger balance between professional, personal, and family life (work life balance), and a new ‘normal’ had to be implemented.

In 2022, NOVA University Lisbon conducted a survey to evaluate this policy, and the results presented demonstrate a high level of satisfaction with the scheme (90% classify it as Very Good or Excellent) and the willingness of all employees to remain under this scheme.

Among the positive aspects, a few highlights:

• Time saved with less commuting trips was considered by 61% to be one of the most relevant criteria (more than 40% placed this criterion in 1st place); The cost savings were indicated by 32%;
• 42% considered work-life balance to be the most appreciated positive factor; 30% named quality of life and well-being;
• The “Greater Productivity” factor also stands out with 42% and “Higher concentration” with 27%;
• Increased motivation and greater freedom in managing and executing tasks were considered the most relevant by 26% and 22%, respectively;
• It should also be noted that 7% of workers considered reducing stress as a relevant factor.

The survey also highlights some negative aspects of this working mode:

• Less face-to-face contact with colleagues was considered by 67% of workers; this social indicator is complemented by the danger of greater social isolation indicated by 27%;
• The possibility of working more hours (not disconnecting) and the tendency for excessive employee availability were indicated, respectively, by 62% and 44% of the population;
• 30% reported difficulties in remote access and internet connection;
• Less recognition and unequal treatment among workers were valued by, respectively, 19% and 11%, with 12% also considering the lack of clear communication with their manager;
• It should also be noted that the generation of a negative effect on work-life balance was also pointed out by 14% of respondents.

In summary, NOVA concluded that this was a decision with a very positive impact on workers, but at the same time, with benefits to the employer, in terms of performance, motivation and cost reduction. This assessment was also able to identify areas for continuous fine tuning of this great initiative.

Rector deliberation 173/ 2021