On 29 April, the Centre for Pedagogical Innovation (CIP) at the Polytechnic Institute of Porto (P.PORTO) hosted another edition of Critical Thinking Day, an initiative forming part of the Portuguese Critical Thinking Network (CrithinkNet), which this year centred on the theme of well-being. The event brought together students from various schools at the Polytechnic of Porto, who were challenged to analyse a complex contemporary issue and develop well-founded, feasible proposals underpinned by principles of critical and creative thinking.
Within the institutional context of P.PORTO, the scenario explored was “Mental Health and Academic Performance – How can someone learn effectively if their mental health is not being looked after?”, encouraging reflection on the relationship between psychological well-being and academic success, as well as the ability to integrate multiple perspectives when analysing real-world challenges. The proposals presented were assessed by a judging panel comprising Daniela Mascarenhas, Bárbara Veiga, and students Inês Guedes and Sílvia Geraldes, who were responsible for organising this event with their peers, based on pre-defined criteria, including clarity, coherence, reasoning, creativity, feasibility, oral communication and time management.
The winning team in this edition consisted of Alicia Ferreira (ISCAP), Ana Pinto and Rodrigo Borges (ESE), whose proposal received the highest score among the participating groups. The students will represent the Polytechnic of Porto at the 5th Inter-institutional Critical Thinking Day, which will take place on 13 May 2026 at the Northern Polytechnic Institute of Health (IPSN/CESPU) in Gandra, Paredes, bringing together participants from around 20 Portuguese higher education institutions.
Critical Thinking Day aims to foster critical thinking in an academic setting, encouraging students to reflect on and debate relevant current issues, within a framework that prioritises understanding different perspectives over the search for single answers. In the 2026 edition, participants will explore scenarios such as disinformation and fake news, digital literacy and the responsible use of technology, mental health and academic performance, and healthy relationships and the fight against bullying.
The event programme will begin at 9.30 am with the reception of participants, followed by the opening session at 10.00 am. Group work begins at 10.30 am, with participants split into different rooms according to the defined scenarios. After a packed lunch at 12.30 pm, presentations and voting on the projects will take place from 2.00 pm, culminating in the final pitch and the closing session at 3.30 pm.
The initiative forms part of the work carried out by CrithinkNet, a national network dedicated to promoting critical thinking in higher education, which aims to strengthen teaching practices geared towards developing essential skills for training citizens and professionals capable of operating in a context marked by complexity, uncertainty and rapid change. By promoting this type of experience, the Centre for Pedagogical Innovation at P.PORTO reinforces the institution’s commitment to teaching and learning methodologies that value intellectual autonomy, the ability to present reasoned arguments, and the collaborative development of solutions to real-world challenges by its students.