The Faculty of Biotechnology of Universidade Católica Portuguesa will host, on May 8, in Porto, the first Science & Society Forum, an initiative that brings together science, citizenship and sustainability in a format designed to engage secondary school students.

The project, developed under the umbrella of the Science & Society degree program, invites multidisciplinary teams to work throughout the academic year on a solution linked to an SDG, documented on video, with the best proposals advancing to the final forum.

A forum with purpose

This forum was created with the goal of bringing scientific knowledge closer to the concrete challenges of society. The initiative is based on an SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) selected each year and combines the field of Citizenship Education with practical, collaborative, action-oriented work.

More than a competition or an academic presentation, the forum aims to encourage young people to observe real problems, think of applicable solutions, and work as a team with different perspectives.

The approach is interdisciplinary, bringing together students from sciences and humanities to design more comprehensive responses with local impact.

Participating teams identified a problem related to the annual theme, developed a proposed solution, and implemented it, documenting the process on video.

Video submissions were open until March 31, 2026, and the final event, featuring the most interesting projects, is scheduled for May 8 at the School of Biotechnology.

Reducing food waste

In the first edition of the Science & Society Forum, the selected theme focuses on sustainable production and consumption patterns. Specifically, the challenge centers on reducing food waste and promoting more responsible choices throughout the consumption chain.

This gives the forum a very clear connection to current issues, encouraging young people to reflect on problems that exist in schools, communities, and everyday family life. At the same time, it requires looking at solutions in an integrated way, combining technological, human, and social dimensions.

A living experience

The proposal stands out for transforming learning into a living experience with impact beyond the classroom.

Instead of only studying sustainability, participants are invited to practice it, negotiate ideas and understand what it takes to change behaviors.

This focus on active participation makes the forum relevant both for the school community and for the broader public debate on science and citizenship.