European Researchers' Night 2025

The Centre for Psychological Research and Social Intervention (CIS-Iscte) will return to the European Researchers' Night (ERN), taking place on September 26, 2025 at the National Museum of Natural History and Science (MUHNAC) in Lisbon. Among dozens of scientific activities, ERN participants will have the opportunity to get to know some of the projects carried out by CIS-Iscte's. Admission is free.

Just like last year, the 2024 edition of the European Researchers' Night (ERN) is dedicated to Science for Global Challenges. The event will take place between 5:00 p.m. and midnight on September 26, between MUHNAC and Jardim do Príncipe Real. Find out more about the activities proposed by our research center:

Space Inclusion: A cooperative board game to promote the inclusion of migrant children and celebrate diversity (17:00-20:30)

Researchers: Cecília Aguiar, Patrícia Arriaga, Theresa Zagers, Filipa Silva

Activity description: We will present Space Inclusion, a cooperative board game developed within the framework of the European Erasmus+ Programme: Education and Training, which aims to promote the inclusion of migrant children in educational environments. In this game, children embark on a space adventure, visiting three planets where they face playful and collaborative challenges designed to foster socio-emotional and intercultural skills. With the support of a facilitator, players share experiences, solve puzzles, and create inclusive messages while exploring elements of different cultural traditions. Active participation from all is essential to progress in the game, strengthening cooperation, empathy, and the appreciation of diversity. The activity lasts between 30 and 45 minutes and is suitable for children aged 6 to 12. The game is flexible and can be adapted to different time constraints and the characteristics of the participants. More than just a game, Inclusion Space is an educational tool that celebrates diversity and seeks to build more inclusive communities.

Let’s (Re)connect People and Rivers! (20:30-24:00)

Researchers: Maria Alba, Susana Batel, Regina Falcão e Lígia Figueiredo

Activity description: We will have two parallel activities, considering different groups:

Activity 1 (children): A) Giant Puzzle showing Portugal’s river basins, main rivers, and large dams for participants to complete (10min). B) River and Environment Guardians Game: a quiz with multiple-choice questions about rivers and how to protect the environment. At the end, participants get a small prize and are named a Guardian of the Rivers and the Environment in a short fun ‘ceremony’.

Activity 2 (Adults): A) Quiz on the importance of river connectivity for ecosystems, and on the role of community involvement in river restoration processes. This will include various questions and interactive tasks (15 minutes). B) Informative Video about the Rios Livres (Free Rivers) project and its objectives (5 minutes). C) Final Activities (10 minutes): -River Mailbox – Participants can choose a river and write it a letter. -Obsolete Barriers Map – What about you? Can you recall any barrier in Portugal that might be considered obsolete? Where is it located?

Do not miss this opportunity to venture through all the activities the European Researchers' Night has to offer. The full program of all of Iscte's R&D units for the ERN 2025 is available on Iscte's website. The full program of the ERN 2025 can be found on the organization website.

Notes:

The project "KidLe - Playing for inclusion: Developing an intercultural game as a pedagogic tool for the inclusion of pupils with migrant bacKground in new Learning environments" is funded by Portuguese National Erasmus+ Agency (Project Number: 2023-1-PT01-KA220-SCH-000154686).

The project "Process of involving communities and interest groups in removing obsolete barriers and improving river connectivity in the Alviela basin" is part of a partnership between CIS-Iscte, DINÂMIA'CET-Iscte, and GEOTA under the “Rios Livres GEOTA” program (which is currently funded by the following entities: Donors Initiative for Mediterranean Freshwater Ecosystems; Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian; Stichting European Open Rivers Programme; Prémio Dam Removal Europe 2023).