IMPROP has always been an irreverent magazine produced by students – and that's how the latest issue of this historic title begins its distribution to the academic community this Wednesday. In this editorial return, the magazine, published by the Students' Association of the Faculty of Sciences of Lisbon (AEFCL) since 1970, has adopted as its main theme the new challenges and opportunities emerging in higher education, with a special focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI).
The new edition of IMPROP can already be downloaded from Google repositories or alternatively from Linktree services.
“AI changes the landscape, and that's one of the facets we address in this issue of IMPROP. We also look to the past and make comparisons with what we are experiencing today, and with what we may experience in the future,” describes Carlos Gonçalves, a student who served as administrator of AEFCL last academic year and who acted as editor of the new issue of IMPROP. “Besides discussing what the Students’ Association is and what it might become in the future, we also cover topics related to courses, student groups, curricular and extracurricular activities, among many other subjects,” adds the student from the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (Ciências ULisboa).
The latest issue of IMPROP is themed “Being a Student: – From Textbooks to Artificial Intelligence”. In addition to being free, this issue of IMPROP prioritizes digital format (only about one hundred printed copies were produced). The new issue comprises 24 pages organized into four chapters, featuring articles written by students, interviews with current and former students, and contributions from other prominent figures in the academic community.
Featured contributions to the new edition of IMPROP include Glória Ramalho, who was president of AEFCL when the first issue was published in 1970; Eduardo Matos, former president of AEFCL and creator of the Scientist's Festival (Arraial do Cientista); Pedro Neto Monteiro, President of the Lisbon Academic Federation, with an opinion article; and Celma Padamo, Director of Communication and Image at Ciências ULisboa, who analyses the capture of attention in a world dominated by information. In the new magazine, it is still possible to find contributions from Ciências ULisboa’s professors Ana Prata and Carlos Assis on teaching and classes today.
“The first issue of IMPROP already had a very active facet, despite being launched at a time when Portugal was living under a dictatorship,” recalls Carlos Gonçalves.
Glória Ramalho's participation also reflects the passage of time for IMPROP. Besides being the first woman to preside over a Portuguese student association, the former president of AEFCL stood out for managing to launch a student magazine at a time when the most diverse publications were subject to censorship. “Glória Ramalho had to deal with several risks to launch the first issue of IMPROP when she was president of AEFCL. Today, we have the freedom to write what we want, where we want, and when we want. It was this freedom that we enjoyed in producing the most recent issue of IMPROP,” says Carlos Gonçalves.
The new issue of IMPROP also emerges as the culmination of another academic year that has passed and as a way of passing the torch to a new leadership at AEFCL. Despite some irregularity in publication in recent years, there is an expectation of keeping this title active in the coming years.
"This issue of IMPROP aims to be useful by addressing various current trends and showing how a student today has a very different experience from what they would have had 50 years ago. The idea is that IMPROP will continue to be published with new editions throughout the next year," concludes Carlos Gonçalves.