Cunha, BeatrizGalvão, Ana MariaChumbo, IsabelAnes, Eugénia2026-03-092026-03-092025Cunha, Beatriz; Galvão, Ana Maria; Chumbo, Isabel; Anes, Eugénia (2024). Let´s get inclusive. In International Conference on Co-Creation Processes in Higher Education (In2CoP). Bragançahttp://hdl.handle.net/10198/35991In Portugal, higher education has been undergoing changes related to globalization and democratization of access on the one hand and, on the other hand, to the expansion and diversification of the training offer. The increase in the number of foreign students brings greater diversity in terms of their individual, social, economic and cultural characteristics. Figures made available to Lusa by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, confirm that the number of PALOP students has increased by 170% in five years, from 7.355 to almost 19.993, The number of students from Portuguese-speaking African countries in higher education in Portugal has almost tripled in five years, but many face difficulties and there are high levels of dropouts, warns Miguel Chaves from the New University of Lisbon, stressing that the communication difficulties of these students are reflected in a "big problem", namely in terms of academic success. With diversity comes new challenges, which include: a greater demand to ensure effective higher education for all; the need for culturally inclusive and responsive teaching, with a focus on promoting equity, equality, and respect for diversity; and creating a space that allows different people to learn differently [1]. The challenge: to highlight the need to provide sustainable psychosocial support to students from PALOP countries. The approach and process: the approach was based on the Design thinking (DT) process [2]. It took place over the course of a semester. DT is a humanistic approach to innovation and creativity and in this project, the process focused on the students Stakeholders), starting with a deep empathy and discovery of needs in terms of mental health and well-being issues; difficulties encountered in the IPB platform depending on the needs and motivations of the students [3]. The result achieved: in order to raise awareness among IPB managers, the project was presented to the IPB board and academic services. The need for an up-to-date, intuitive platform with clear communication was highlighted, both for academic aspects and for support in the health area. Based on the report, two part-time medical doctors were hired. The next steps planned: it is our goal to contribute to a healthy and happy academic environment, with emphasis on the area of psychological and social well-being.engconference object