FLAD organizes the 1st FLAD Forum on Portugal and USA Higher Education on October 24th and 25th. For two days, we will bring together specialists in the internationalization of Higher Education in the United States, Portugal and other European countries, with the aim of sharing knowledge, experiences and best practices, with representatives of Higher Education in Portugal.

In an increasingly globalized world with increasing interdependencies, the internationalization of higher education is essential for the development of societies. The recruitment of foreign students for higher education in Portugal allows attracting talent and know-how to Portugal, contributing to the development of higher education institutions in Portugal, but also important funding for their viability.

However, the American market is particularly competitive, both for its size (with more than 4000 Higher Education Institutions), as well as for the impact and quality of its scientific production, regularly occupying the top positions in the international rankings of Higher Education.

The first edition of FLAD Forum on Portugal and USA Higher Education will bring together experts in the area of both sides of the Atlantic, to share experiences and knowledge about internationalization, on the specificities of the important American market, and the best practices of the sector, with a view to higher education more capable of the challenges of internationalization.

For two days, FLAD brings together representatives of American and Portuguese universities, responsible for study-abroad programs and a range of key American and European figures, who will offer their perspectives on the challenges of the sector, the best that is done in the United States and Europe.

This conference is another step taken in FLAD’s strong commitment to the internationalization of higher education Portuguese, which has been implemented through a vast number of important initiatives made available to universities, professors, researchers and students to develop Portugal and bring the two sides of the Atlantic closer together.

“We believe Portugal’s development is fundamentally tied to the educational qualifications of its population, and given today’s highly mobile and interdependent global economy, a more internationalized school has greater potential to prepare students for a lifetime of learning and the careers of the future.” – Michael Baum, FLAD Administrator

To achieve these objectives, FLAD has focused its efforts on internationalization processes directed to the United States. This means creating and supporting initiatives that benefit people and organizations, including:

  • Study in Portugal Network (SiPN): the FLAD program that recruits American students to study at Portuguese universities has brought more than 1,200 American students to Portugal since its inception and is expected to continue its activity, including the expansion of the network of partner universities in the USA;
  • USA-Portugal Campus: the project developed by FLAD, in partnership with Fulbright and the Erasmus+ National Agency, currently has a platform with a repository of resources and events held with higher education institutions in Portugal and the USA to promote greater knowledge of education systems between the parties;
  • Portuguese participation in NAFSA: as has been the case in recent years, FLAD continues to support the participation of Portuguese Higher Education Institutions in the largest internationalization fair of higher education in the USA, through financial support for the Portuguese pavillion;
  • UP Higher Education Program: this initiative was launched in 2022 and aims to finance collaborative projects between higher education institutions in Portugal and the USA, financing innovative ideas that sustainably strengthen ties between the two sides of the Atlantic;
  • Research grants: currently there are programs created with Torre do Tombo and the National Library to finance the research of U.S. teachers and researchers in Portugal. In 2022, the first edition of the Portuguese Archives Exchange was developed, which finances research along the same lines, but projects involving the rest of the public and private archives network in Portugal.
  • Visiting Professor Scholarships in the USA: FLAD has a vast set of opportunities for Portuguese Professors to teach at some of the best universities in the United States, such as Brown University and Georgetown University, among others.

“The benefits of internationalization for Portuguese higher education are several. Given the democratic pressures of a rapidly ageing population, Portugal needs to recruit more international students to its campuses in order to remain financially sustainable. As a largely export-based open economy, internationalization also brings global talent and know-how to Portugal. Similarly, Portuguese students and researchers who spend time abroad, particularly in the advanced research labs and centers of learning in U.S.- based institutions, bring back with them previous experience and connections that have been proven to drive social and economic innovation.” – Michael Baum.

As Michael Baum explains, this work of developing links between the United States and Portugal is one of the essential points of FLAD’s mission, and will continue to be developed as is the Forum on US and Portuguese Higher Education.

How to participate

The conference takes place on October 24th and 25th at the FLAD Auditorium, at Rua do Sacramento à Lapa 21, in Lisbon.

You can check the full schedule at this link, where you will find the panels that will run over the two days, as well as the speakers.

Entry is free, and it is only necessary to register by filling out this form.