This is the first issue of the new publication of the Institute of Sociology of the University of Porto, Cadernos IS-UP. Continuing Cadernos da Pandemia (pandemic notebooks) - six volumes on contemporary challenges, published in 2020 -, this journal was created to respond to a knowledge transfer concern, seeking to establish a bridge between university and society, science and practice, or even between research and social intervention. The journal is a digital open-access publication accessible to readers online. In this first volume, you will find five articles with varied themes and scopes that may interest a wide range of readers.