BRU-Iscte at NEI 2026
BRU-Iscte at NEI 2026
On 25 September, BRU-Iscte took part in European Researchers’ Night 2026 (NEI 2026) at the National Science and Natural History Museum in Lisbon, with two activities exploring new ways of thinking about, and experiencing, environmental challenges and urban futures:
Nature Futures: City Therapy – a cooperative board game, featuring a map of Lisbon that allowed participants to take on the role of ‘urban doctors’ and prescribe Nature-based Solutions based on different locations’ ecological data. The game was accompanied by an explanation of the concept of Nature-based Solutions and a presentation of the Nature Futures research project, by researchers Catarina Roseta Palma, João Faria and BRU-Iscte research manager Mafalda Casais.
From Reaction to Action: Virtual Reality for Environmental Awareness – an activity developed by researchers Beatriz Brito, Mariana Berga Rodrigues and Sandra Loureiro where visitors were invited to engage in an immersive Virtual Reality (VR) experience designed to promote sustainable behaviors and foster climate change awareness.
Through a VR headset, visitors explored interactive scenarios showing the socio-environmental consequences of everyday consumption choices and compared sustainable and unsustainable choices in realistic settings, experiencing their outcomes firsthand.
Visitors also reported their perceptions through a small survey to contribute to better assess how VR campaigns combined with an AI agent can influence emotional responses and prosocial sustainability behaviors.
BRU-Iscte researcher Aristides Ferreira took part in the ISTAR-Iscte activity Mission: People 5.0 – Intelligent Digitalisation of People Management, which challenged visitors to discover how artificial intelligence is reinventing recruitment. Visitors applied for a job by playing a game built around missions, challenges and decisions. Behind each step, AI and machine learning algorithms built a competency profile with a scientific rigour that traditional methods can hardly match.
The activity showcased a digital platform designed to transform the way companies and candidates connect. Through gamification and data analysis, it supports skills assessment and organisational diagnosis, enabling more objective, efficient and evidence-based decision-making.
