Inaugural Lecture of the PhD in Tourism 2025/26

The Inaugural Lecture of the PhD in Tourism 2025/26 took place on October 10, 2025, at the University of Évora, officially marking the beginning of another cycle of advanced training in this strategic field for both the university and the region.

The lecture was delivered by Professor Jafar Jafari (University of Wisconsin-Stout, USA), with the presentation “Paradigm shift in hospitality and tourism education – Bridging Theory and Practice”, and by Professor Jorge Umbelino (School of Hospitality and Tourism of Estoril), who presented “Tourism in transition: what role for academia?”

The institutional panel included Maria do Rosário Borges, Director of the PhD Program in Tourism at the University of Évora; Noémi Marujo, Vice-Rector for Communication, Institutional Promotion, and Documentary Information, representing Hermínia Vasconcelos Vilar, Rector of the University of Évora; Rui Salgado, Director of IIFA; Fernanda Olival, Director of CIDEHUS; Joana Lima, Director of the Department of Sociology; and Pedro Beato, Vice-President of the Regional Tourism Entity of Alentejo and Ribatejo.

The event served as a moment of reflection on the challenges and opportunities associated with the paradigm shift in higher education and research in Tourism, both at the national and global levels.