The Polytechnic Institute of Porto, represented by Mário Cruz, director of the P.PORTO Centre for Pedagogical Innovation, participated in the EDEN Digital Education Leadership Academy (DELA) 2025, which took place from 5 to 7 November at the Open University of Catalonia in Barcelona.
The participation took place within the scope of the INOV-NORTE consortium — which includes the University of Porto, the University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro, the Portuguese Catholic University (Porto Regional Centre), the Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, the School of Nursing of the University of Porto and the Polytechnic Institute of Porto itself. The director of CIP at P.PORTO was part of the delegation composed of one member from each institution, once again joining forces to promote and develop the decentralisation of innovation and pedagogical modernisation initiatives in Portuguese higher education.
The three-day programme focused on topics such as strategic planning for digital education, analysis of emerging trends and networking among professionals in the field. During the event, educational leaders and managers shared experiences and strategies on how to adapt their institutions to the challenges of digitisation.
The programme included, among other activities, guided readings on ‘Vision-Making and Strategy’, strategic thinking workshops, and sessions on ‘Tackling Digital Transformation Challenges’ and ‘Ensuring Your Institution Is Future-Ready’. Topics such as digital leadership, ethics in the use of artificial intelligence, changing mindsets and organisational structures, and sharing real cases from European institutions were also addressed.
The sessions also included the participation of prominent figures such as Dr Josep M. Garrell, President of the European University Association (EUA), who shared his knowledge on leadership, cooperation and innovation. The debate on digital education was further enriched by contributions from Albert Sangrà, Vice-President of Strategic Thinking and Networking at EDEN and Director of the UNESCO Chair in Education and Technology for Social Change, as well as Josep Duart, former Director of the UNESCO Chair in e-Learning.
The event organiser, EDEN, further reinforced its involvement in this area by mentioning its partnership in the AI-teach project, which focuses on training educators with AI tools.
The participation of Mário Cruz, from CIP at P.PORTO, and the INOV-NORTE consortium in EDEN DELA 2025 reflects the goal of bringing new ideas and practical strategies to Portuguese institutions, with a view to strengthening the quality and resilience of digital education, and underlines the importance of collaboration between higher education institutions in order to face the challenges of the digital age.
The INOV-NORTE project is co-financed by the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR), through NextGenEU funds, and specifically aims to drive the digital and climate transition in higher education. Find out more about this consortium at: inov-norte.ipp.pt.