The Fernando Pessoa University (UFP) presented its Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence Policy to the academic community, approved by the Rector on October 14, 2026, in a session that brought together experts from different higher education institutions to reflect on the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence in the academic context.
The initiative, which took place at UFP, began with the intervention of the Rector, Professor Dr. Eugénio Campos Ferreira, followed by the presentation of the new institutional policy by Professor Dr. Feliz Gouveia, Vice Rector for Research and Innovation and Director of the Faculty of Science and Technology.
The document sets out guidelines for the conscious, ethical and responsible use of artificial intelligence tools, emphasizing critical reflection, learning, and the development of skills that enable the integration of these technologies as tools for innovation, co-creation, and creativity.
Rather than regulating the use of artificial intelligence, this policy seeks to promote an academic culture that values knowledge, intellectual autonomy, and individual responsibility, while recognizing the potential of these tools in transforming the processes of teaching, learning, and research.
The reflection on the role of artificial intelligence in higher education was also at the heart of the two conferences that made up the program.
Professor Dr. Paulo Novais, Director of the Department of Informatics at the School of Engineering of the University of Minho, presented the conference «Thinking after AI — The new role of the university in a world of abundant knowledge», focusing on the challenges that the growing availability of information and knowledge pose to higher education institutions and their mission to train critical and prepared citizens for a transforming society.
This was followed by the intervention of Professor Dr. Luis Paulo Reis, Director of the LIACC — Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence and Computer Science, of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, with the conference «Your Next Colleague Won’t Be Human! Is our University Ready?» which brought the discussion to the impact of artificial intelligence on work dynamics, collaboration between humans and intelligent systems, and the preparation of universities for new models of interaction and knowledge production.
The session was also marked by the signing of a Protocol of Cooperation between the Fernando Pessoa University and the Order of Engineers, reinforcing the institutional rapprochement and opening up perspectives for the development of joint initiatives.
With the presentation of this policy, Universidade Fernando Pessoa reaffirms its commitment to pedagogical and scientific innovation, promoting a responsible integration of artificial intelligence in academic life, based on ethical principles, critical thinking and the valorization of human competencies.
The UFP Responsible Use of Artificial Intelligence Policy will be available for consultation on the institutional website of Fernando Pessoa University as soon as possible.
