Sara Rodrigues, researcher at the Centre for Intercultural Studies (CEI) and alumna of the Master’s in Intercultural Studies for Business at ISCAP–P.PORTO, has been selected for a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship (MSCA PF), achieving an outstanding evaluation score of 92.2%.
Her postdoctoral project, AURORA – AI for User Engagement, Resilience and Reach in Cultural Organisations, will commence on 1 November 2026 and will be hosted by the Kaunas Faculty of Vilnius University, Lithuania, under the supervision of Prof. Edmundas Jasinskas.
AURORA investigates how cultural organisations can integrate Artificial Intelligence in a critical, ethical and responsible manner while safeguarding authenticity, inclusion and cultural diversity. Focusing primarily on small and medium-sized cultural organisations, the project will examine the perceptions of cultural professionals, artists and audiences, develop AI use scenarios and prototypes through participatory methodologies, and produce practical guidelines to support the responsible adoption of AI technologies across the cultural sector.
The project also includes a research secondment at the DigiMedia Research Centre of the University of Aveiro, under the supervision of Prof. Nelson Zagalo, where Sara Rodrigues will further develop expertise in human-computer interaction, digital innovation and prototype development. In addition, she will undertake a non-academic placement at Casa da Guitarra, providing an opportunity to test and validate the project’s outcomes within a real-world cultural environment.