About

The Centre for Social Studies (CES), founded in 1978 at the Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra, is a scientific institution devoted to research and advanced training in the area of the social sciences and humanities. Headed since then by Professor Boaventura de Sousa Santos, CES now numbers 116 researchers, 48 associate researchers and 40 junior researchers. Many of these researchers work on a full time basis at the Centre. Remaining members combine research with lecturing (the vast majority at the Faculty of Economics, the Facultys of Humanities and the Faculty of Science and Technology) or with other professional activities. The team of researchers at CES include sociologists, economists, jurists, anthropologists, historians, specialists in the areas of education, literature, culture and international relations, geographers, architects, engineers, biologists and medical doctors. Over the past years, CES has seen its scientific activity expand to a significant degree. This can be noted in its increased number of researchers, in its academic progression, in the growth of research projects involving CES researchers, in the broadening of international cooperation networks, in activities carried out in cooperation with the outside sphere and in the vitality of its main instruments for scientific dissemination.