On 28 July, the Civil Engineering Museum at Técnico – Alameda campus hosted the panel discussion “Lusophony in the Digital Age”, promoted by the African Students’ Organisation at Instituto Superior Técnico (NEAIST), in collaboration with the African Academic Federation in Portugal (FAAP). The meeting brought together authors, institutional representatives, and experts to discuss the challenges and opportunities facing African literature in a context marked by digitalisation.
Pedro Aguiar, president of NEAIST, gave the opening remarks. “This initiative aims to discuss the importance of literature, the Portuguese language, education, and culture, as well as the challenges and opportunities that digitalisation poses to the sector. It is an opportunity to share ideas, raise questions, and propose solutions for the future”, he said.
Regina dos Santos Duarte, Director of the Portuguese National Reading Plan, highlighted the importance of encouraging a love of reading among higher education students. “We believe it is very important to promote reading habits at this stage. Young people are defining their life paths and career choices, often focused on technical reading. It is important to create space for other types of reading that complement academic training and contribute to personal and professional growth”.
Guinean writer Mamadú Saliu Djaló, author of As Perfeitas Imperfeições, shared his vision of the “transformative power” of literature. “The book is an invitation to relate to ourselves and others with more beauty and compassion, accepting our imperfections and those of others as part of the process of human growth”.
Rogério Colaço, President of Técnico, shared some of his childhood memories associated with reading, referring to his book A Conspiração de Atlântida, which marks the beginning of a trilogy. “The enormous wealth of the Portuguese-speaking world is not discussed enough”, he said, emphasising the potential of the Portuguese language to connect different geographies and cultures. He also stressed that “the digital age represents an opportunity for democratic strength”, which allows for the wider circulation of works and ideas and creates conditions for the inclusion of new authors and perspectives.
Throughout the session, participants reflected on the promotion of literacy, the contribution of literature to critical thinking and intercultural understanding, and the possibilities that digital platforms offer in building communities of reading, sharing, and creating new audiences. Inequalities in access to literary education and the risks associated with cultural uniformity were also discussed, with an emphasis on valuing the diversity of voices and narratives from the Portuguese-speaking world.
The meeting ended with a quote by Caetano Veloso (in a variation from Fernando Pessoa) – “A língua é minha pátria” (“Language is my homeland”) – emphasising the importance of dialogue around literature and digitalisation as a contribution to building bridges between cultures in the Portuguese-speaking world.
