IPDC holds three days of “Mostra CPLP_IPDC_2026”

The CPLP_IPDC Showcase 2026, held from 20 to 23 January 2026 at the Instituto Profissional de Canossa (IPDC), constitutes a case study in the integrated promotion of the Portuguese language in higher education in Timor-Leste, developed within the framework of the Portuguese Language Promotion Activity Plan (PAPLP) of the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Culture.

Conceived as a strategic institutional response, the initiative intentionally and systematically articulated the dimensions of teaching, research, and extension, positioning Portuguese not merely as an object of learning but as a situated social practice, a space of interaction, knowledge production, and civic participation.

Structured around the guiding model Empathize, Understand, (Co)Act and Multiply (ECcAM), the Showcase integrated a diverse set of pedagogical, scientific, and cultural devices, including participatory workshops (NarrAçõesLab), cycles of conversations with institutional and social actors, cultural activities, a photographic exhibition focused on “Stories of Timorese Women woven in Portuguese,” and collaborative processes of narrative production and critical reflection.

A central axis of the initiative was youth participation, operationalized through the creation of the CPLP_IPDC Youth Club, which played an active role in the design, facilitation, and development of activities. This approach fostered the development of transversal competences, strengthened critical thinking, and promoted the appropriation of Portuguese as a tool for science, expression, identity, and citizenship.

The Showcase also distinguished itself by adopting active, experientially anchored methodologies such as the Human Library, autobiographical writing, and the drafting of a collective manifesto, thereby evidencing the value of participatory processes in the construction of meaningful knowledge. This trajectory culminated in the creation of the Canossa Lusophone Youth Network, as a mechanism for continuity, mobilization, and sustainability of the action.

The presence and involvement of multiple institutional and social actors, representative of different spheres, reinforced the legitimacy, relevance, and projection of the initiative, contributing to the establishment of bridges between the academic context, institutional dynamics, and contemporary social challenges.

As a case study, the CPLP_IPDC Showcase 2026 demonstrates the potential of integrated, participatory, and contextually rooted approaches to promoting Portuguese in multilingual settings, affirming the role of higher education institutions as spaces of cultural mediation, youth empowerment, and knowledge production with social impact.

The Showcase reaffirmed the commitment of the Canossa Professional Institute (IPDC) to promoting Portuguese as an instrument of intercultural dialogue, academic formation, civic participation, and social transformation. Over three days of intense, collaborative, and multidimensional activities, the initiative demonstrated that Portuguese can serve as a living space of encounter, creation, research, and collective construction of meaning, particularly in multilingual contexts such as Timor-Leste.

The success of the CPLP_IPDC Showcase 2026 resulted from the joint effort and active collaboration of multiple institutional, academic, cultural, and social actors. In this regard, IPDC expresses its profound gratitude to the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Culture, within the framework of the PAPLP, as well as to the Embassies of Angola, Brazil, and Portugal for their support and institutional participation. Recognition is also extended to partner governmental institutions, namely the Secretariat of State for Equality, SEFOPE, and the Ministry of Youth, Arts and Culture, as well as to civil society and non-governmental organizations, among which Rede Feto stands out, alongside many other partners and collaborators.

IPDC further thanks all guests, facilitators, participants, students, members of the CPLP_IPDC Youth Club, teachers, staff, and volunteers who contributed, with dedication, commitment, and a spirit of cooperation, to the successful realization of this initiative. The collective involvement of all parties was decisive in transforming the Showcase into a space of learning, sharing, and appreciation of Lusophony, laying solid foundations for future actions of continuity, youth mobilization, and strengthening of Portuguese in Timor-Leste.