Research units

Extension of the Functional Ecology Center of the University of Coimbra

POLES, NUCLEI AND EXTENSIONS
Coordinator: Maria de Fátima Pereira Alves
Contacts: 300001731
Email: fatimaa@uab.pt
Link: https://cfe.uc.pt/

The Extension of the Center for Functional Ecology, Science for People and the Planet, of the University of Coimbra (CFE/UC) at Universidade Aberta was formalized in January 2013 and includes more than 30 researchers (national and foreign) from the Societies and Environmental Sustainability line of research, including 8 professors from Universidade Aberta (integrated PhD researchers), belonging to the DCSG and DCET, as well as several PhD students in Intercultural Relations, and in Social Sustainability and Development, as well as Masters in Environmental Citizenship and Participation and in Intercultural Relations, from Universidade Aberta.

The mission of the Societies and Environmental Sustainability line of research is to develop and promote research and extension activities based on an interdisciplinary vision, integrating social sciences and environmental sciences in a socio-ecological approach to the multidimensionality and complexity of the functioning of ecosystems in their interaction with societies.

Main themes:

  • Ecogovernmentality, Public Policies and Environmental Citizenship
  • Socio-ecological, economic, political, cultural and ethical analysis of socio-ecological systems
  • Configurations, perceptions and practices of socio-ecological relationships
  • Inter-multi-trans-disciplinary and dialogues with other socio-ecological knowledge
  • Imaginaries of the socio-ecological Future(s)
  • The role of Social Studies in understanding and mitigating climate change
  • Critical Education for Sustainability
  • Inequalities and Socio-ecological Integration
  • Socio-ecology of protected areas and biodiversity
  • Agro-ecological challenges.

The Center for Functional Ecology, Science for People and the Planet, University of Coimbra (CFE/UC) is an R&D unit, funded through national funds by FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, the Portuguese national funding agency for science, research and technology, and co-funded by FEDER and COMPETE2020. CFE-UC’s mission is to continue pushing the limits of knowledge in all areas of Ecology and its interfaces with Technology and Societies, in a permanent commitment to producing Science for People and the Planet. It currently comprises 124 doctoral researchers and 135 non-doctoral researchers, divided into eight main lines of research.