Análise às Políticas Desportivas no Ensino Superior em Portugal e na Europa

Abstract

This dissertation analyses sport policies in European higher education, seeking to understand how university sport has been conceptualized, organized, and studied as an instrument of public health, social inclusion, human development, and lifelong participation. Recognizing higher education as a critical stage in the consolidation of physical activity habits, the study positions university sport at the intersection of public policy, health policy, sport policy, and institutional governance. Methodologically, the research is based on a literature review and a systematic review of scientific production on university sport in Europe. The literature review provides the normative, political, and conceptual framework of the topic, bringing together contributions from political science, public policy, public health, and sport management. In addition, the systematic review gathers, organizes, and interprets the existing European research on university sport, identifying the main themes addressed in the literature, the dominant perspectives, and the main gaps that still remain. The evidence suggests that university sport has gained increasing political and social relevance in the European context, particularly because of its relationship with physical activity promotion, mental well-being, academic integration, and inclusion. However, the literature also highlights persistent weaknesses in the structuring of higher education sport policies, especially regarding participation, equity of access, flexibility of provision, and coordination among institutions, federations, and student associations. In this sense, the dissertation reinforces the need to deepen research on sport policies applied to higher education, understanding this setting as a strategic space for the development of more integrated, inclusive, and sustainable institutional responses.