Pedagogical Charter defines NOVA School of Law's pedagogical vision and mission

NOVA School of Law is holding a public consultation, between April and May 2025, on the new version of its Pedagogical Charter – a foundational document that sets out the school’s vision and pedagogical principles.

The Pedagogical Charter defines the model of legal education adopted by the institution, focusing on student-centred learning, pedagogical innovation and the training of jurists committed to human rights, social justice and the challenges of the contemporary world.

Key pillars highlighted in the document include empathy, excellence, pluralism, openness, transdisciplinarity and a commitment to social change. The document reinforces the importance of shared responsibility between educators and students, recognising mistakes as part of the learning process, and promoting the conscious use of technology, including artificial intelligence.

The public consultation now underway aims to involve students, teachers, staff and alumni in a participatory process for the continuous improvement of the institution’s pedagogy. As part of this process, a public consultation event will be held on 9 April at 5 pm in Room 7 at the NOVA School of Law. Members of the Teaching and Learning Committee will be present  to receive and discuss feedback from the NOVA School of Law community. This will be a key moment in the consultation process for the Pedagogical Charter, which will reinforce the commitment to a culture of active listening and collective construction. It is important to stress that participation is not limited to this event: until the end of May, additional contributions can be sent to the email address of the Teaching and Learning Committee (conselho.pedagogico@novalaw.unl.pt).

The new Pedagogical Charter will enter into force after the consultation phase, reinforcing the role of the Teaching and Learning Committee as the central body implementing the outlined guidelines and best practices.