Portugal | The University of Lisbon has completed its “SOS Mentors and Tutors” workshop cycle, designed to strengthen campus support networks, combat academic dropout rates, and enhance diversity. The events united 130 experts, faculty members, and student leaders to optimize peer-to-peer mentoring and faculty guidance.Vice-Rector Luís Castro emphasized that without proactive integration, higher education risks becoming a revolving door for vulnerable individuals. Since mentors and tutors serve as the primary contact point for freshmen, their role is essential in guiding students toward proper resources.The sessions featured active panels with African, Brazilian, feminist, and Queer student collectives to address real-world campus challenges:Neurodiversity: Specialists recommended creating predictable activity structures and clear functional diagrams to ease anxiety and better integrate neurodivergent students.Identity & Safety: Representatives shared inclusion strategies, such as using preferred pronouns to build safe spaces for LGBTQIA+ individuals and drafting an institutional “Respect for Difference Charter.”Discrimination & Mental Health: Forums focused on developing effective reporting mechanisms for cyberbullying, structural sexism, and Eurocentrism, urging mentors to offer zero-judgment emotional support.The insights gathered from these discussions are being compiled into a standardized reference tool to unify student support and ensure safety and mutual respect across all university departments.
Source: Universidade de Lisboa
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