IPT’s Prehistory studies offered as part of the Master's Degree from the Centre for Polytechnic Studies in Mação, has once again been recognised by the European Commission, which has granted almost 5 million euros to enable students to follow this networked programme over the next 4 years.

The Erasmus Mundus Masters Programme in Quaternary and Prehistory has been running at the IPT since 2004 and involves the Universities of Ferrara (Italy) and Tarragona (Spain), the National Museum of Natural History (France), the University of the Philippines Diliman and a wide network of universities and other partner institutions on all continents.

The Master's degree in Portugal, based in particular on the important laboratory resources of the IPT and the Earth and Memory Institute, within the Geosciences Centre, will give students the opportunity to participate in some of the world's most important research projects in the field of prehistory: the study of the oldest rock art in the world; research into the oldest human occupations in Eurasia, Africa and the Americas; the use of artificial intelligence in advanced research in archaeology; the construction of cultural landscape management projects in conjunction with UNESCO programmes.

The project involves the participation of over 70 lecturers and researchers and will provide 83 scholarships to students, who will be able to undertake training within the network.

In its deliberations, the panel of experts determined that the Master's programme fosters academic collaboration, facilitates the formation of new international partnerships and enhances the attractiveness of the European Education Area in global terms.