MA in Digital Society | NOVA School of Science and Technology | NOVA University Lisbon

The academic foundation for strategic work in communications and public policy.

In December 2025 I completed the MA in Digital Society at the NOVA School of Science and Technology, NOVA University Lisbon. The programme is interdisciplinary, oriented towards the critical analysis of the technological, political, economic and social transformations of the digital age.

The course is built on an approach that brings the applied social sciences to bear on politics, digital culture, information sources, data analysis methodologies and critical reflection on regulation and governance in a digital society.

It combines theory and practice, with an emphasis on understanding the institutional and communicational dynamics that emerge in the context of digital transformation.

Skills developed over the course:

• Understanding the social and political impact of digitalisation
• Critically analysing discourse and institutional structures in the digital sphere
• Interpreting data and processes of digital mediation
• Assessing the effects of technology on public policy formulation
• Engaging with a range of stakeholders in digital environments

My research: the city, proximity and digital governance

“Cidade dos 15 Minutos e Smart Cities: caminhos paralelos ou convergência possível na Freguesia de Alvalade, em Lisboa”
[The 15-minute city and smart cities: parallel paths or possible convergence in the Alvalade parish, Lisbon]

My dissertation examined whether public policies grounded in digital urban governance and in the logic of proximity — as set out in the 15-minute city model — are opposing approaches, or whether they can converge to create cities that are more efficient, more sustainable and more humane.

The research combined a theoretical grounding in science and technology studies with critical discourse analysis, qualitative interviews with academics and public decision-makers, and a case study of Alvalade, a civil parish in Lisbon.

The work looked at how institutional discourse, digital tools and proximity-based policies shape the contemporary urban experience in practice.

What this brings to my professional work

The Digital Society programme consolidates an important dimension of my professional life, bringing together communications, governance and public policy in the context of digital transformation.

This academic grounding strengthens my work in:

Developing strategic narratives in the digital sphere for organisations and businesses

Editorial and institutional strategy

Public communications and institutional relations

The intersection of technology and public policy