Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, established on August 11, 1973, is the youngest of the city’s three State universities. It strives to enhance higher education and support Portugal’s growth. With 20,077 students and 1,800 faculty, NOVA emphasizes research and aims to expand its international presence while upholding European values. As a European university grounded in research and committed to a global and civic vision, NOVA is dedicated to establishing its international presence and developing a talent policy that represents European values on a global scale. Rooted in European culture, NOVA’s Iberian identity leads NOVA to prioritize three geographical areas: Europe, due to NOVA’s institutional roots; the Mediterranean, due to geographic proximity and cultural affinity; and the South Atlantic, bringing together Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America as engines of the future.
NOVA’s School of Law offers the innovative study track Globalization, Law and Security, in which students will develop a comprehensive understanding of issues related to global security by drawing insights from various fields. This programme provides an interdisciplinary approach to address the complex
challenges of security that require a global response. The curriculum builds on the programme laid during semester 2 at IBEI and may prove particularly attractive to students with a background in political science that choose Leuphana’s M.A. study track. The programme’s significance stems from the recognition of the increasing threats to the security of states and citizens. The programme explores how different systems manage security threats. Students will discuss security as a fundamental right and examine how it may limit other rights according to national constitutions and international laws. This examination is essential as the global system evolves and faces new challenges while upholding the rule of law.
Additionally, students have access to the NOVA War & Law Lab, a specialized centre for applied research. The Lab conducts research on armed conflict, its causes and consequences, and its legal regulation from various perspectives, including law and political science (especially international relations) through research projects and seminars, providing tailored policy and legal advice.
Studying in Lisbon can be a unique and vibrant experience. With more than 20 centuries of history, it is a unique city to discover, not only for its monuments and local neighbourhoods that fascinate visitors, but also for its modernity and its natural and cultural heritage. Cosmopolitan, dynamic and creative, with events and initiatives throughout the year, it also stands out due to its temperate climate, gastronomy and the fact that it is a European city with an accessible cost of living. To this can be added the high security index – Portugal is recognized as the 6th safest country in the world, according to the Global Peace Index – and offers a good quality of life, a good transport network and the well-known hospitality of its inhabitants, all of which makes it a very attractive country in which to live and study.
