João Emílio Alves

School of Education and Social Sciences

CARE – Research Center on Health and Social Sciences

Portalegre Polytechnic University

Contact information

j.alves@ipportalegre.pt

ORCID: 0000-0003-3019-3176

CiênciaID: 1D19-1C7B-57EA

Relevant links outside academia

Currently, is a Full Professor in Portalegre Polytechnic University,  Director of the School of Education and Social Sciences; Pro-President for Research and Innovation in the Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre (2014-2021); Member of the coordinating team of Classes, Inequality and Public Policy Section – Sociology Portuguese Association, Member of the Board of ARIPESE (Association for Reflection and Intervention in the Educational Policy of Higher Education Schools of Education), Portugal. Previously to his work in teaching and research in higher education, he served as a sociologist at the Local Technical Office (GTL) of the Castelo de Vide City Council, where he was involved in the rehabilitation of the city’s historic centre and the planning of initiatives related to the development of local potential. He also served as Executive Producer for the Lisbon ’97 Festivals—under the Lisbon City Council’s Department of Tourism—where he was responsible for programming cultural initiatives linked to associations and regional houses based in the capital. He served as Senior Local Social Intervention Specialist at the municipal company GEBALIS, EP (Lisbon Municipal Neighborhood Management), working in offices across various social housing neighborhoods in Lisbon, specifically in the Horta Nova neighborhood (Telheiras) and the Alto do Lumiar neighborhood. He served as executive producer for the Lisbon ’96 Festivals—under the Lisbon City Council’s Department of Tourism—with responsibility for organizing cultural initiatives linked to associations and regional houses based in the capital.

Expertise

  • Sociology of Development (social, regional, and local);
  • Public Policies on Higher Education and Science;
  • Spatial planning in the areas of social, regional, and local development, and in education in low-density areas;
  • Quality Management Systems in Higher Education Institutions;
  • Evaluation Studies of public policies, programs, and projects for regional, local, and social development;
  • Poverty, Social Exclusion, and Social Inequalities;
  • Heritage and Urban Rehabilitation of Historic City Centres;
  • Aging and aging communities in low-density areas;
  • Social housing and rehousing processes;
  • Urban and sociocultural revitalization;
  • Regional cultures and regional associations.

Relevant projects

  • Project: Study on the Monitoring and Evaluation of Measures to Promote Academic Success and Prevent School Dropout in Schools in the Alto Alentejo Region (2025–26 and 2026–27 school years), (IR), Funded by CIMAA – Activity 5 – Observatory of the Alto Alentejo Intermunicipal Program for the Promotion of Academic Success (PIPSEAA);
  • CISAA Project—Alto Alentejo Center for Social Innovation, in partnership with LISA (Alentejo Laboratory for Social Innovation). Study on Social Innovation and Impact Entrepreneurship in the Alto Alentejo (Scientific Coordinator), funded by Portugal Social Innovation and CIMAA;
  • RECinMED Project – Development of an innovative methodological guide for establishing CERs in rural areas. The case of the municipality of Gavião, Funded by AREANATEJO
  • Project “Education for Development in ESE Schools: Design and Planning of Networked Actions” (Organizing entity: ARIPESE—Association for Reflection and Intervention in Educational Policy for ESE Schools; funded by: Camões—Institute for Cooperation and the Portuguese Language (Lisbon, PT));
  • Project “Education for Development in ESE Schools: Assessment and Capacity Building under the ENED Initiative Support Mechanism” (Organizing entity: Association for Reflection and Intervention in ESE Educational Policy). Funded by: Camões – Institute for Cooperation and the Portuguese Language (Lisbon, PT);
  • Project “Ubuntu Leaders Academy – Alentejo Schools” (Operation Code: POISE-03-4639-FSE-000993), Co-IR, Funded by: PORA – Operational Program for Social Inclusion and Employment – POISE;
  • PEDIAA – Strategic Plan for Intermunicipal Development of the Alto Alentejo and Educational Charters Project (IR), funded by CIMAA – Intermunicipal Community of the Alto Alentejo;
  • Project “The Culture of Performance: The Production, Transfer, Dissemination, and Other Impacts of Knowledge in Polytechnic Higher Education.” Funded by: FCT;
  • Project “Drafting of the Intermunicipal Social Charter and Municipal Social Charters”, Funded by CIMAA – Intermunicipal Community of Alto Alentejo;
  • “Guardians” Project (Operation Code: ALT20-09-5864-FSE-000004), funded by PORA – Alentejo Regional Operational Program;
  • Project “PPIN: Portugal Polytechnic International Network” (Operation Code: POCI-02-0752-FEDER-046021), funded by: Operational Program for Competitiveness and Internationalization;
  • Project “Ir Além – The Social Inclusion of NPT and the Development of Low-Density Territories,” (Operation Code: PT/2020/FAMI/535), funded by the FAMI Fund – Asylum, Migration, and Integration Fund (PT/2020/FAMI/535);
  • Project “LifeON – Life-Long Learning Opportunities Network” (Operation Code: POCH-02-5312-FSE-000018), funded by: Human Capital Operational Program – POCH;
  • Project: PerSoParAge – Personal and Social Resources for Autonomy and Social Participation in an Aging Society (Project No. 023678), funded by: 02/SAICT/2016;
  • Project: Evaluation study of Portuguese polytechnic institutes, in partnership with IGOT—Institute of Geography and Spatial Planning, University of Lisbon; Center for Geographic Studies; Funded by: CCISP;
  • Project: The economic impact of polytechnic institutes after the crisis, in partnership with the University of Porto; Funded by: CCISP;
  • Project: Building Paths to Death: An Analysis of Daily Work Practices in Palliative Care (Principal Investigator: Alexandre Martins), funded by FCT (PTDC/CS-SOC/119621/2010).