The Observatory of Art and Culture in Universities is a research project based at the Institute of Sociology of the University of Porto, developed in collaboration with the U.Porto Rectorate and the Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities (CRUP). The Observatory's mission is to strengthen and make visible artistic and cultural practices in the university context, promoting the university as a living space for creation, enjoyment, participation and cultural dialogue.

SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

• To valorise the arts and cultural practices in the Portuguese higher education context;
• To reflect critically on the conditions of access to cultural creation and enjoyment in the university context;
• To analyse the presence (or absence) of the arts and humanities in academic curricula;
• To study the modes of recognition and integration of popular, traditional and community knowledge in academic spaces;
• To affirm the role of culture in promoting inclusion, well-being and local development. 

LINE OF ACTIONS

1. Map systematically the spaces, initiatives and cultural agents in higher education institutions, to build a living inventory of university culture.
2. Diagnose current cultural policies and institutional practices, assessing impacts and formulating recommendations to guide strategic interventions.
3. Connect universities, cultural structures and communities to foster collaborative networks that enhance joint cultural projects and initiatives.
4. Intervene through the promotion of cultural, educational and artistic extension activities, stimulating the involvement of students, researchers, teachers, technicians and non-academic audiences.