NOVA lauches academy for over 50s and expats in Portugal

Financing will be provided by the participants, but scholarships may be awarded.

@Nova Open Academy

What?

Lisbon’s NOVA University will launch a training program for people over 50 and foreign residents in Portugal called NOVA Open Academy.

The project begins in October at four colleges - the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, the Nova School of Science and Technology, the Nova Medical School and the Institute of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine - but the objective is to expand it to more NOVA colleges and instituitons, such as National School of Public Health, the Faculty of Economics and the Information Management School.

Tell me more?

The university’s Vice-Rector, João Amaro de Matos, told Expresso that the initiative is aimed at retired people, but also at foreign citizens living in Portugal.

“The university's mission is to train students, but also to disseminate knowledge among the various strata of the population. Half of the Portuguese population is aged 50 or over, and we realise that there is a great willingness among retirees and expats to receive training,” he said.

The target audience, he added, “are people with availability and intellectual curiosity, interested in general themes and not just those related to current affairs”.

The programme, which will run from October to June next year, is divided into four two-month periods. Participants can enrol at the beginning of any of the two-month periods.

Lectures are planned on democracy, populism, world politics, social networks and fake news.

There will also be discussion groups on artificial intelligence, medicine, healthy lifestyles and food, as well as workshops on healthy cooking and nutrition.

Other activities include a study trip to Arrábida, in collaboration with geographers and geologists, and a trip to Egypt organised by Nova’s Cairo campus, accompanied by experts in ancient cultures.

In the area of health, Nova Medical School plans to promote sessions on topics such as ageing and mental health, which, according to João Amaro de Matos, “arouse great interest, but people don’t always have time to explore them.”

How much does it cost?

This project will be funded by the tuition fees paid by participants. Those interested will have to pay an initial fee of 50 euros per semester or 75 euros per year.

For those who opt for the ‘premium’ membership, worth 800 euros a year, there will be free access to lectures and discounts on other courses. For everyone else, each lecture will cost 70 euros, discussion groups will cost 100 euros per person and workshops 400 euros.

However, the university is committed to ensuring that the project is inclusive.

“Not all people over 50 have pensions that allow them to pay, but we want the programme to be accessible to everyone,” says João Amaro de Matos.

Although enrolment fees are always required, the university is willing to offer scholarships to those who demonstrate financial need.

“We don’t have a set amount for the scholarships, we’ll evaluate them on a case-by-case basis. Firstly, we have to ensure the success of the project and, as we become more successful, we'll be able to offer some grants to those who need them,” he added.