This work-in-progress research paper explores how the growing recognition of the social implications of artificial intelligence (AI) is prompting the need to revise engineering curricula. preparing engineers to promote social engagement, foster public participation, and enhance citizens' AI literacy. The paper is based on ongoing research that includes interviews with engineers working in AI, directors of engineering courses, and policymakers focusing on the identification of the main implications of AI for society. The preliminary results point out the relevance of debating engineering curricula in light of the new challenges imposed to meet citizens' and community expectancies and develop AI literacy.

Despite the opportunities for intercultural exchange and diversity in higher education, HEIs continue to grapple with implementing diversity policies and establishing a culture that fosters dialogue and acceptance of diverse perspectives and modes of life. This paper analyzes important trends in the country (Portugal), highlighting key incidents and identified problems, as well as showcasing main practices that have been implemented. Furthermore, it describes the primary policy instruments adopted by one specific university - University of Minho- and provides insights into students' perceptions of discrimination and hate practices within the same institution. By examining these aspects, this work aims to contribute to the understanding of the challenges and potential strategies for Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in fostering a culture of diversity, ultimately paving the way for more inclusive and equitable learning environments in engineering education.

Answers and discussions on the subject of skill gaps have established that young Higher Education Institutions (HEI) graduates display high rates of job-hopping and strong resistance to signing long-term contracts with companies. These graduates are part of a generation with increasing access to online and/or freelance work, as well as working simultaneously for several companies. However, local companies, particularly in the North region of Portugal, are still strongly dependent on people able to make a long-term commitment due to the nature of their operations. This text seeks to shed light on the implications of this mismatch between an increasingly mobile, nomadic labour force and long-term recruitment needs among companies. This working in progress shall analyse data obtained through interviews held with 20 employers in the Northern region of Portugal, shedding light on this disparity as both a great source of instability and of new opportunities for local entrepreneurs to develop innovative firms able to respond to HEI graduate profiles.

This practice work in progress presents the perception of employers regarding the skills graduates bring to the labor market and the strategies they implement to cope with soft skill problems. It draws on an original qualitative data gathered from interviews with human resources managers of 20 firms located in the North of Portugal, a region that has been engaged in a public initiative that attempts to solve skill gaps and deficits. The findings show that employers complain about soft skills and blame higher education institutions for their skill problems. The type of soft skills required by employers reveals different strategies. The employers sampled implement remedial strategies and turn to the expertise of consultancy and other specialized services to provide training for their recent graduates. Sometimes, higher education appears as a partner for critical knowledge development. Insisting on the need to strengthening the links between different institutions in Portugal, the text underlines the assumption that a multidisciplinary approach joining social sciences and humanities with technical fields of education should be fostered as one of the solutions to cope with soft skills gaps.

This paper describes the initial steps of a project developed with the aim of fostering diversity and the gender equality at the University of Minho, with a particular focus on the school of engineering. The project follows the action-research method, starting by gathering the perspectives of the various organizational participants (academics, non-academics, researchers, and students). The insights emerging from the collected information supported the definition and the prioritization of actions and activities of the Gender Equality Plan. Four levels of intervention were considered: Human Resources and Management Practices, Research Content and Delivery, Teaching and Students' Services and Institutional Communication, under the EQUAL-IST Project (Gender Equality Plans for Information Sciences and Technology Research Institutions). The techniques used to gather the supporting information included interviews with decision makers, as well as focus groups with students, teachers, and academic staff at the School of Engineering. From the analysis of the gathered information emerged a set of challenges and opportunities to improve gender equality. The Gender Equality Plan (GEP) now being implemented at the university addresses the identified challenges and integrates actions to seize the opportunities to achieve greater gender equality. GEP was designed in line with 3 main goals: raise awareness, implement structural changes and engage stakeholders in mind-set change.