On October 9 and 10, 2025, the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences (FFCS) of the Portuguese Catholic University, in Braga, hosted the International Meeting EWODOR 2025, under the theme “Addiction, mental health and recovery: From research to practice”.
The event was organized by the Braga Solidarity Center – Projeto Homem, in partnership with the Portuguese Catholic University and the EWODOR network (European Working Group On Drug-Oriented Recovery Research), bringing together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from across Europe.
Following a warm-up conference at Braga’s Municipal Market on October 8, supported by the Municipality, the opening session at the FFCS featured the participation of Paulo Dias (Pro-Rector of UCP – Braga), Marica Ferri (European Union Drugs Agency), Phaedon Kaloterakis (President of the European Federation of Therapeutic Communities), Sushma Taylor (President of the World Federation of Therapeutic Communities), Carlos Videira (representing the Municipality of Braga), and Guilherme Meneses (President of CeSB – Projeto Homem Braga).
“This meeting shows how science and clinical practice must go hand in hand to respond to the challenges of addictions, mental health, and recovery processes,” stated Paulo Dias, on behalf of UCP.
Over the course of two working days, the FFCS Grand Auditorium hosted conferences, parallel panels, and workshops, welcoming around 200 participants including speakers and guests. Highlights included lectures by Jo-Hanna Ivers (Trinity College Dublin), Mulka Nisic (University of Derby), Carmela Martínez Vispo (University of Santiago de Compostela), Wouter Vanderplasschen (Ghent University), Pedro Hubert (Instituto de Apoio ao Jogador), and Emily A. Hennessy (Recovery Research Institute, Harvard Medical School).
According to Marica Ferri, representative of the European Union Drugs Agency, “recovery must be understood as a social process, in which public policies, healthcare professionals, and communities must be aligned.”
There were also thematic workshops on online gambling disorder and gaming, conducted by Pedro Hubert (Instituto de Apoio ao Jogador) and João Nuno Faria (PIN - Partners in Neuroscience), as well as multiple open scientific communication sessions that highlighted the vitality of ongoing research.
The event also included the official reception hosted by the Municipality of Braga (held at the Municipal Market), reinforcing the bond between the city, academia, and civil society organizations.
At the closing session, Diana Moreira, CeSB – Projeto Homem, emphasized:
“Bringing the EWODOR network to Braga is a recognition of the work carried out here, but it is also a challenge for us to continue innovating in therapeutic intervention and strengthening international cooperation.”
The 2025 edition thus reinforced the role of UCP – Braga and Projeto Homem in the international reflection on addictions, mental health, and recovery, fostering a closer relationship between scientific research and clinical practice. At the end of the meeting, participants set the agenda for the EFTC Congress in Bordeaux, in September 2026 and the EWODOR meeting in Denmark in 2027.
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