International Conference
Studant resistance in Estado Novo: organizations, publications and arts

[Versão portuguesa]

March 24, 2025 | Mário Soares and Maria Barroso Foundation

Deadline | January 31, 2025

Organising Committee | Álvaro Costa de Matos (HTC-CFE-NOVA/FCSH), Filipe Guimarães da Silva (Fundação Mário Soares e Maria Barroso), Joana Ralão (HTC-CFE-NOVA/FCSH), Pedro Marques Gomes (LIACOM/ESCS), Vanessa Batista (Hemeroteca Municipal de Lisboa) 

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This colloquium, held on the pretext of the centenary of the birth of Mário Soares (1924-2024) and his participation in the leadership of the Youth Democratic Unity Movement (MUD Juvenil) from 9 April 1946, aims to revisit student resistance to the Estado Novo and, consequently, bring new contributions to the history of student movements until the revolution of 25 April 1974. It also aims, in a comparative logic, to analyse the influences or impacts of international student movements on the Portuguese student struggle against the dictatorship or the echoes and interpenetrations of that struggle in those movements, particularly European ones.

In what form(s) was student resistance carried out, how effective was it, what were its internal or external references, what means were mobilised in the student struggle against the dictatorship, who were the protagonists or leaders, what was the effect of the politicisation of student opposition to authoritarianism, what role did the student struggle play in the genesis of the end of the Estado Novo? These are some of the questions that serve as a motto for the colloquium, which will focus on the following thematic axes, without prejudice to other related proposals:

- The role of the university and student organisations;

- Other student resistance organisations;

- Reasons, forms of struggle and objectives;

- Newspapers, magazines and civic and artistic events;

- Student repression and/or police violence;

- Ideological and political influences in the university environment;

- Criticising the university and the regime;

- Historical memory of the resistance/student movement;

- Criticism of the university and the regime;

- Comparative perspectives;

- International solidarity;

- Preservation policies and access to archives, libraries and libraries.

Call for Papers

• Paper proposals (up to 300 words and three keywords) must be accompanied by a brief CV (150 words) and the applicant's institutional affiliation;
•  Presentations will be allowed 20 minutes;
• Proposals are accepted in Portuguese, English and Spanish.
• Texts will be published after evaluation by the Congress Scientific Committee;
• Proposals must be submitted by 31st January 2025;
• Communication of results: 20 February 2025;
• Paper proposals should be sent to: hemeroteca@cm-lisboa.pt
•  Applications for participation should be sent to: geral@fmsoaresbarroso.pt
• The Congress will be held in a hybrid format.

Scientific Committee: António Ventura (CH/FLUL), Conceição Meireles Pereira (CITCEM/FLUP), Maria Fernanda Rollo (HTC-CFE-NOVA/FCSH), Maria de Fátima Ferreira (ICS/UM), Maria Manuela Tavares Ribeiro (CEIS20/UC), Paula Borges Santos (IPRI/NOVA), Paulo Miguel Rodrigues (CIERL/UMA), Teresa Nunes (CH/FLUL).