From April 29 to 30, 2025, the University of Minho hosted the 46th edition of the International Relations Colloquia, the university’s longest-running academic event, organised by the Centre for International Relations Studies (CECRI). This year's theme, “Emerging Technologies and Future Generations: Energy, Security, and Sustainability,” brought together around 15 national and international researchers for two days of intense debate with faculty and students on today’s most pressing global issues.
The event opened on April 29 with a session on the lethality of AI-powered weaponry used in current conflicts, such as in Ukraine and Gaza. Speakers included Marijn Hoijtink (University of Antwerp) and Verity Coyle (Amnesty International – London), who also addressed the legal and ethical implications of deploying such technologies. Anthropologist Susana de Noronha (Centre for Social Studies, University of Coimbra) also contributed with a talk titled “In Three Days, Everything Will Change: Emerging Technologies at the Intersection of Art and Social Sciences.”
The opening session featured:
Luís Aguiar-Conraria, President of EEG
José Palmeira, Director of the International Relations programme
Matilde Almeida, President of CECRI
On the second day, sessions began with “Climate Danger! Or: How We Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Energy Transition”, followed by “Artificial Intelligence and Nuclear Energy: Bridging Innovation and Regulation.” The day concluded with a keynote by Fernando Carvalho Rodrigues, widely known as the “father” of Portugal’s first satellite, titled “From Republic to Empire: The Wars of the Triumvirates.”
The final day, April 30, focused on technological and geopolitical challenges. The morning featured the panel “The New Space Race: US, China and EU in the Global Competition for Space Supremacy.” In the afternoon, attention turned to “From Cyberconflicts to Digital Diplomacy: Managing Power Competition in the Digital Age.” The closing keynote, “Modern Techno-Authoritarian Ideologies,” was delivered by José Luís Garcia.
This edition held special significance as it marked the 50th anniversary of the International Relations degree at UMinho (1975–2025) – the first of its kind in Portugal – created by Professor Lúcio Craveiro da Silva, the first directly elected rector of a Portuguese university.
More information:
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