Down through its history, the FCH – the Faculty of Human Sciences has demonstrated its capacity to read the signs of the times and correspondingly coming up with timely and innovative training programs capable of responding to the different needs of Portuguese society. Ever since its foundation in 1972, the faculty has striven to reach out for new horizons of knowledge with the FCH correspondingly challenging the established canons whether in terms of the research it produces or in the degree programs provided. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Faculty of Human Sciences underwent a complete process of restructuring following the establishing of the Faculties of Law and of Economics and Business Sciences. 1991, the year the FCH was re-founded, saw the launch of the Social and Cultural Communications Studies and Applied Foreign Languages degree programs, which have now celebrated their 25^th anniversaries, and that joined the already existing degree in Philosophy.

Five years later, in 1996, the launch of the Social Work degree took place, becoming the first such university program in this field in Portugal. In 2012, FCH launched the Undergraduate Degree in Psychology and more recently, in 2021, the first Degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) in Portugal, one of the most prestigious degrees in Europe and North America. 

We would recall here some of the most defining moments in the quarter century of the FCH’s history:

2023

• Barbie Zelizer awarded an Honorary Doctorate;
   
• FCH 50 Years" Cycle with Gilles Lipovetsky and Byung-Chul Han; 
   
• 1st edition of the Spring School in Translation Studies;
   
• "Other Institution(s)" project of CECC researcher funded by Globus Opstart of the Nordic Culture Fund;

 
2022

• Entrance of the Master's Degree in Communication Studies into the Western European Top 10 in the Eduniversal ranking;
   
• Launch of PhD in Psychology: Emotions and Wellbeing;
   
• Launch of the "FCH Solidarity | 50 years, 50 gifts" campaign;
   
• Gulbenkian New Talents Scholarship awarded to a student from the Undergraduate Degree in Communication and Cultural Sciences;
   
•  Católica was elected the best University in Portugal for the 4th consecutive year; 
   
• FCH organises a conference on "Pandemic and Communication" with the Minister of State and of the Presidency, the Minister of Health and the Navy's Chief of Staff;
   
• Project "LEA Translators for Ukraine" awarded with the European Seal for Languages 2022.

 
2021

• Launch of the Undergraduate Degree in Philosophy, Politics, Economics (PPE), one of the most prestigious degrees in Europe and North America;
   
• Master's Degree in Communication Studies launches "MCC Talks" cycle;
   
• Centre for Communication and Culture Studies organises the XVI OBITEL International Seminar;
   
• Professors from FCH integrate task force of the Ministry of Health and the General Direction of Health in the fight against the pandemic COVID-19;
   
• Undergraduate Degrees in Communication and Cultural Sciences and Applied Foreign Languages celebrate 30 years;
    
• Undergraduate Degree in Social Work celebrates 25 years of existence.

 

2020

 

• Project "ResiliScence 4 COVID-19: Social Sensing & Intelligence for Forecasting Human Response in Future COVID-19 Scenarios, towards Social Systems Resilience", developed by the Católica Research Center for Psychological, Family and Social Wellbeing (CRC-W) funded by FCT;
   
• CECC selected to participate in the "Voices of Culture" programme, a European Commission programme aimed at establishing dialogue with civil society on the theme of sustainable cultural development; 
   
• FCH launches "Tandem Language Learning" initiative; 
   
• CRC-W's "#EntreViagenseApprenticeships" project receives funding from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation;
   
• The Lisbon Consortium celebrates X Lisbon Summer School for the Study of Culture with the theme "Ecoculture";
   
• Católica Católica distinguished among the 100 best universities in the world in the Best "Golden Age" Universities ranking
   
• FCH launches "Psychology in Isolation" initiative during pandemic COVID-19, an initiative linked to psychology and the promotion of well-being during the isolation period;
   
• FCH Spanish students launch Puente Solidario Social Project;
   
• Project "New career strategies for new European remote careers" and "Dissemination, Monitoring and Surveillance of the Portuguese 24-Hour Movement Guidelines: making the whole day count" of the CRC-W approved in the contest of the Foundation for Science and Technology for all scientific fields.

 

2019

• 1st edition of Lisbon Winter School for the Study of Communication: “Media and Populism”;
   
• Entrance of the Master in Communication Studies into the Top 12 in Europe according to the Eduniversal ranking (Corporate Communication);
   
• Signing of an Exchange Protocol with the School of Communication Studies of Kent State University, which allows undergraduate students from Social and Cultural Communication Studies to study one semester in Ohio;
   
• Host of the MLA International Symposium;
   
• 20th edition of the Traduzir Award;
   
• FCH awards Julia Kristeva with a Honoris Causa Doctorate.

 

2018

• Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) and European Founds financed the study “Broadcasting in the Portuguese Empire: Nationalism, Colonialism, Identity”;
   
• Entrance of the Master in Communication Studies into the Top 15 in Europe according to the Eduniversal ranking;
   
• Entrance of the Master in Communication, Marketing and Advertising into the Top 19 of the Europe Eduniversal ranking for the Marketing category;
   
• Launch of the Católica Research Centre for Phsychological, Family and Social Wellbeing (CRC-W);
   
• Inauguration of the new radio studio, co-financed by Renascença Multimédia Group;
   
• Launch of the Master in Portuguese as a Foreign Language/Second Language.

 

2017

• Entrance of the Master in Communication Studies into the Top 25 in Europe according to the Eduniversal ranking (Communication category);
   
• Entrance of the Master in Communication, Marketing and Advertising into the Top 21 in Europe of Eduniversal ranking (Marketing category);
   
• European financing of the project “4C’s: From Conflict to Conviviality through Creativity and Culture;”
   
• European financing of the project “COMPACT: From Research to Policy through raising awareness of the state of the art on social media and convergence”;
   
• Host of the XV Congresso IBERCOM, an event in partnership between ASSIBERCOM and CECC.

 

2016

• Taking office of Professor Nelson Ribeiro as dean of the Faculty of Human Sciences;
   
• 1st edition of My Career;
   
• Implementation of the FCH Sustainable project;
   
• Launch of two new Master’s Degrees in Psychology.

 

2015

• Entrance of the Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences into the Top 30 in Western Europe according to the Eduniversal ranking;
   
• Establishing the partnership for the Doctoral Degree in Social Services with the Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences at the University of Coimbra;
   
• Attribution of the FCT Program title to the PhD in Culture Studies / The Lisbon Consortium;
   
• Awarding of a Gulbenkian Professorship to The Lisbon Consortium program;
   
• Founding of Católica Languages & Translation;
   
• Inauguration of the FCH television studio.

 

2014

• Entrance of the Master’s Degree in Culture Studies into third position in the Eduniversal world ranking for Arts Management;
   
• Launch of The Global Scholar Exchange Program with Kent State University;
   
• Opening of the Doctoral Degree Program in Translation Studies in partnership with the Faculty of Letters, University of Lisbon and the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, Nova University of Lisbon;
   
• 1st edition of the Study in Portugal Network (SiPN) Program, backed by FLAD.

 

2013

• Launching of the Master’s Degree in Childhood Education;
   
• European financing awarded to the Culture@Work network run by The Lisbon Consortium in the field of Culture Studies.

 

2012

• Taking office of Professor José Miguel Sardica as dean of the Faculty of Human Sciences;
   
• Launching of the Master’s Degree in Asian Studies within the framework of the Asian Studies Consortium;
   
• Opening of the undergraduate degree in Psychology;
   
• Establishing of the AETC – Atlantic Erasmus Training Consortium;
   
• I International Spring School in Communication Studies.

 

2011

• I Lisbon Summer School for the Study of Culture;
   
• Launching of the Master’s Degree in Translation;
   
• Integration of the Asian Studies Consortium into the FCH and the re-launching of the Institute of Oriental Studies;
   
• I Fieldwork – Annual meeting for the presentation of ongoing research works by senior researchers at CECC – Centre of Communication and Culture Studies.

 

2010

• Launching of The Lisbon Consortium.

 

2009

• First undergraduate degree in Philosophy to adopt the blended learning regime in Portugal;
   
• Opening of the Junior Academy;
   
• Signing of a Protocol with RTP;
   
• 10th edition of the Traduzir Award.

 

2008

• 1^st edition of ExpoCarreiras;
   
• Launching of the inter-university doctoral degree program in History: Change and Continuity in a Global World (PIUDHist –Inter-university Doctoral Degree Program in History), restructured in 2013/14 on the awarding of its title as an FCT Doctoral Degree.

 

2007

• Setting up the School of Post-Graduate and Advanced Training;
   
• Opening of the Master’s Degree in Family Sciences;
   
• Launching of the Doctoral Degree Program in Communication Sciences;
   
• Launching of the Doctoral Degree Program in Culture Studies;
   
• Summer School: «(In)Visible Culture – Cultural Conflict and Portuguese Society» in partnership with the Annenberg School for Communication, the University of Pennsylvania.

 

2005

• Taking office of Professor Isabel Capeloa Gil as dean of the Faculty of Human Sciences;
   
• Beginning of the Bologna Process;
   
• Launching of the Master’s Degree in Culture Studies.

 

2003

• Opening of the specialist option Teaching English as a Foreign Language on the Master’s Degree in Applied Foreign Languages;
   
• Launching of the Master’s and Doctoral Degrees in Social Service Studies.

 

2000

• Launching of the Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences;
   
• Launching of the Master’s Degree in Translation and Comparative Cultures.

 

1999

• Taking office of Professor Mário Pinto as dean of the Faculty of Human Sciences;
   
• 1^st edition of the Traduzir Award.

 

1998

• 1^st Faculty of Human Sciences Regulations published.

 

1996

• Launching of the undergraduate degree in Social Service Studies.

 

1994

• Launching of the Master’s Degree in Philosophy.
   

1993

• Beginning of the ERASMUS Program.
   

1992

• Taking office of Professor José Manuel Toscano Rico as dean of the Faculty of Human Sciences;
   
• Launching of the Master’s Degree in Education Sciences.

1991

• Re-founding of the Faculty of Human Sciences;
   
• Launching of the undergraduate degrees in Social and Cultural Communication Studies and in Portuguese Language and Applied Foreign Languages;
   
• Founding of the autonomous new Faculties of Law and of Economics and Business Sciences.