Study & Research in Lisbon
The impact of Study & Research in Lisbon
Da experiência académica a projeto de vida: Lisboa atrai, acolhe e retém talento internacional
Launched in 2014 by Lisbon City Council (CML) as Study in Lisbon and expanded ten years later to Study & Research in Lisbon, the project connects international universities, students and researchers to services, networks and opportunities in the city. In partnership with the Erasmus Student Network (ESN Lisboa) and Erasmus Life Lisboa (ELL), the program simplifies integration, promotes community and boosts pathways that start with Erasmus and evolve into work and entrepreneurship in Lisbon.
The initiative is based on an information aggregator platform and a physical welcome space, the Study in Lisbon Lounge, which offers support to international students and researchers on their arrival and integration in Lisbon, from help finding accommodation to internships. By simultaneously promoting the city's academic and scientific potential, the project aims to affirm Lisbon as a destination of excellence for study and research.
André Oliveira Martins
Fundador do Erasmus Life Lisboa
Erasmus Life Lisboa - connecting students to the city for over a decade
Through the municipal project Study & Research in Lisbon, CML is strengthening the link between international students and the city. André Oliveira Martins, President of Erasmus Life Lisboa, has accompanied thousands of young people who choose Lisbon to study, research or start a new stage in their professional lives. In this conversation, he shares what makes Lisbon a unique destination to learn, live and stay.
How was Erasmus Life Lisboa born?
In 2013 we launched Erasmus Life Lisboa and got straight to the point: to create community and program activities that would facilitate integration. We dared to call our space Erasmus Corner and it worked. From then on, we grew in scale and consistency.
From Erasmus to community
André Martins describes the journey from the founding of ESM Lisboa (2008) to the creation of ELL in 2013, which helped consolidate a truly international community. The model grew with cultural and sports programming, trips and local outings. Throughout the year, ELL organizes more than a thousand initiatives.
As the founder and CEO of ELL, how important is the Study & Research in Lisbon program in terms of welcoming students?
It's extremely important. Every year we meet hundreds of international students who choose Lisbon, and we know that the first few days can be challenging. Having a central support point - like the Study in Lisbon Lounge - makes all the difference. When I did Erasmus, there was nothing like this; today, thanks to this initiative, students can find help in one place to deal with bureaucracy, look for a house or simply get to know the city. The municipality has brought together various entities to make life easier for those arriving, and this creates a welcoming atmosphere. For us at ELL, it was natural to be partners: together we can make these young people feel at home more quickly, which motivates them to take advantage of everything Lisbon has to offer. It's a joint effort to make the academic experience in Lisbon unique and unforgettable.
Lisbon as an academic and living destination
What sets Lisbon apart from other cities?
The human dimension, safety, culture and, above all, the climate. We have unique conditions for outdoor experiences all year round.
International positioning and events
What international positioning should Lisbon adopt in the coming years?
Outdoor experiences all year round; attracting global corporate events in addition to major concerts.
Are there any indicators of the talent that stays in Lisbon?
On the internship side, we estimate that 5% of students end up staying. And there are ex-Erasmus students who come back to work or have their own business. We've even created a visitor's card for former Erasmus who come back to Lisbon for a week and can take part in our activities.
Highlights
- Lisbon was" Erasmus European Destination' three years in a row - 2014, 2015 and 2016 through the Erasmus program";
- We welcome around 15,000 students a year;
- The profile of international students has changed in the post-pandemic, with a significant increase in students from Germany and Northern Europe, with new expectations and demands and a different vision of the city;
Welcome Day for students - "The initiative brings together between 300 and 400 students at the Town Hall to attend the Welcome Day and receive their Welcome Kit. It's a symbolic gesture of welcome to the city."
News related to the Welcome Day
2025 - Lisbon welcomes 400 international students and researchers
2024 - Lisbon City Council welcomes international students and researchers
Roberto Nardini
Empreendedor, ex-estudante (Itália)
From university radio to ADVPlus
You arrived from Italy as a student and stayed to set up your own company. What led you to stay in Lisbon and how has the city's ecosystem helped you along the way?
The passion for Lisbon was immediate. During my master's I made incredible contacts through the initiatives for international students. I took part in cultural events, workshops and met mentors who showed me the potential of the local ecosystem. When I finished my studies, I realized that Lisbon offered excellent conditions for starting a business project. I had access to an international community of colleagues, support from Study & Research in Lisbon to navigate practical issues, and I felt welcomed. Today, I am the co-founder of a technology start-up in Lisbon and we also employ other young people who studied here. Lisbon has given me not only quality training, but also a network of contacts and a lifestyle that I would be hard-pressed to find elsewhere. Staying was a natural decision - the city became my home and the place where I wanted to invest my talent.
She arrived in Lisbon in 2012 and did Erasmus at the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities at NOVA University Lisbon. she returned with Erasmus+ in 2014/15 at the School of Social Communication and stayed. He worked in digital marketing and, in 2017, co-founded ADVPlus, an agency that operates in several European markets with a flexible and collaborative team. Between consultancy, campaigns and training, Roberto Nardini highlights an agile ecosystem in Lisbon, with coworking, events and communities that connect entrepreneurs, digital nomads and brands.
Tip: take risks, accept the possibility of failure and use local networks to accelerate projects.
Mirthe Van der Harst
Profissional de marketing, ex-aluna (Países Baixos)
From an internship to the basis of her life and work. A photographer and strategist, she set up a creative marketing agency and organizes workshops. She sees Lisbon as a vibrant city, present in the daily lives of young people and a city that boosts job opportunities.
Advice: say "yes" to opportunities and combine local and international knowledge.
What made you choose Lisbon to study and, later, to start your professional career?
I've always wanted to have an experience outside my country and Lisbon caught my eye for its young dynamism and welcoming culture. I initially came for a semester, through an agreement between universities, and quickly fell in love with the energy of the city. I felt very welcomed, from the welcome session, where I was given useful information about transportation, health and even leisure tips, to the activities where I met students from all over the world. Lisbon has a vibrant international community; I made friends for life and realized that I could grow professionally here. After completing my studies, I had the opportunity to work as an intern at a marketing company, and I was eventually hired. Today I work in Lisbon in a multicultural team. I believe that the support I had at the beginning was crucial to my integration. Choosing Lisbon was one of the best decisions of my life and I'm happy to still call this city "home".
Mette Kajander
Antiga estudante e investigadora, atual profissional de comunicação (Finlândia)
How would you describe the experience of studying and researching in Lisbon, and what support did you find to integrate into local academic life?
The experience was deeply enriching. I came to Lisbon from Finland on a short-term research program, somewhat apprehensive because I didn't know anyone in the city. However, I found an exemplary welcoming structure for international students and researchers. At Study in Lisbon, I received the support I needed in the first few days: to register in the country, to find out about Portuguese courses and to discover scientific and cultural events where I could easily make connections. I felt welcomed and part of a community. In the research lab, I found Portuguese and foreign colleagues who were always willing to help - this openness is undoubtedly a hallmark of the Lisbon spirit. After completing the program, and thanks to the networks I built up, many of them through Study & Research in Lisbon initiatives, I was able to join an institution dedicated to science communication. Lisbon didn't just train me academically: it retained me professionally. I've grown a lot here. It's a city that inspires collaboration, sharing and belonging; it was natural to stay because I felt truly valued as a young researcher and now as a professional.
Lisbon, where talent is here to stay
Lisbon is not just a city for passing through in academic life, it is increasingly a destination where young talent chooses to stay. The Study & Research in Lisbon program contributes directly to this reality by creating favorable conditions for retaining talent and building international communities in the capital. Through welcoming initiatives, such as welcome sessions and integration weeks, Lisbon City Council brings students closer to the local culture and to each other.
Study & Research in Lisbon has acted as a catalyst for a global academic community in Lisbon, where talent from diverse backgrounds finds reasons and opportunities to stay, feeding a cycle of innovation, multiculturalism and development in the city.
