The start of a new academic year brings new schedules, curricular units, assignments, and challenges. For the academic community, returning to classes is also a time to discover or reconnect with digital tools that accompany students throughout the year.
It is in this daily life that the resources made available by Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), through its digital services unit FCCNThey play a prominent role. In conjunction with higher education institutions, FCCN provides free digital services that facilitate access to knowledge and technology, as well as collaboration.
However, many students are still not fully aware of this ecosystem, which they can leverage for various needs, both inside and outside the classroom.
Fast and reliable Wi-Fi from day one.
Internet access is one of the most basic needs in the day-to-day life of higher education students and one of the first experiences many students have with the services provided by FCT.
The network eduroam It allows secure access to the Internet. Students only need to use their institution's credentials once and can then quickly connect to the Internet network of various faculties and institutes, both in Portugal and abroad.
This option is particularly useful for students on mobility programs, allowing them to maintain secure and fast internet access during periods of study or international travel. In 2025, the eduroam It was present in 100 countries and in 79 educational institutions in Portugal.
Finding information to study and investigate
As the semester progresses, assignments, presentations, projects, and dissertations arise. Finding suitable sources of information is an important step in grounding ideas and deepening understanding of the topics studied.
THE b-on – Online Knowledge Library It provides access to thousands of scientific journals and ebooks from international academic content providers. It is an extremely useful resource for researching bibliography, consulting scientific articles, and following research in a specific area of knowledge.
THE RCAAP – Open Access Scientific Repositories of Portugal This complements the research. The portal allows users to find articles, theses, dissertations, and other works compiled in repositories and scientific journals, promoting access to knowledge produced in Portugal. For students, it can be a starting point for exploring previous studies and finding references for their own work.
When an academic paper requires consulting information from the past, the Arquivo.pt allows you to recover pages web preserved since 1996.
Collaborate and share throughout the semester.
Academic work is increasingly collaborative. Students often need to coordinate schedules, prepare a presentation together, or discuss a dissertation project with researchers from other institutions. The experience of higher education is, above all, a collaborative one.
That is precisely the mission of Colibriwhich allows you to conduct video conferencing sessions, such as webinars.
Already the Filesender It facilitates the secure sharing of large files, a need that may arise, for example, in academic projects involving video, photographs, databases, or other content that is difficult to send by email. e-mailThe service allows you to transfer files up to 100 GB to a maximum of 100 recipients, making them available for... download for 30 days: a period far longer than that offered by some of the most popular free services.
To produce and review educational content.
THE Educast It allows you to record, edit, and publish educational videos, including lessons, tutorials, and events. The content can be integrated into learning platforms. online, on the portals and in websites from higher education institutions, complementing study support materials. The portal also allows users to search for videos in different areas of knowledge.
Artificial intelligence applied to higher education
Learning also involves becoming familiar with new tools and understanding how to use them in an academic context.
THE IAedu This project brings together the Pro version of different generative artificial intelligence (AI) models in a single environment. Its aim is to democratize access to these technologies in higher education and research, ensuring that the financial resources available to invest in advanced AI models do not create inequalities in their use among students.
Learning beyond the classroom
The desire to learn is not always limited to the curriculum. Throughout the year, an interest in a new area may arise, or the need to develop skills that complement academic training.
THE NAU It is a teaching and training platform that offers courses. online Promoted by higher education institutions, public bodies and private entities, the platform offers training in different areas of knowledge, promoting lifelong learning and strengthening digital literacy. For students, it can represent a valuable opportunity to complement the knowledge acquired in classes or explore new interests.
A digital ecosystem at the service of students.
Being connected, finding a scientific reference, meeting with colleagues, or sharing work are needs that arise at different points in every student's academic journey.
By providing resources that support these activities, FCCN accompanies students as they return to school and throughout the academic year, putting technology at the service of those who learn and create knowledge.
