International Conference
Legacies of Portuguese Colonialism in Africa:
Institutions, Infrastructures and Development
This international conference marks the conclusion of the research project funded by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), dedicated to examining the long-term effects of Portuguese colonialism in former African colonies. The event focuses on administrative, legal and policing infrastructures, as well as the impact of repressive development policies implemented between 1945 and 1974.
 18–19 December 2025
 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
 Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal & Online
🔗Watch here. https://ipri.us15.list-manage.com/track/click?u=23a13703a9bc6cae5214b1baa&id=3211d3f218&e=bdf44ee832
🔗Full programme here.
https://ipri.unl.pt/index.php/pt/agenda/5609-call-for-papers-legados-do-colonialismo-portugues-em-africa-instituicoes-infraestruturas-e-desenvolvimento International Conference - Legacies of Portuguese Colonialism in Africa: Institutions, Infrastructures and Development
18–19 December 2025 | 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Lisbon, Portugal - Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal and Online
PROGRAM LIVE STREAM LINK This international conference marks the culmination of the FCT-funded project JUSELTRA – Justice, Electricity and Transport Infrastructures (PTDC/CPO-CPO/2823/2021), a three-year interdisciplinary study that examines the long-term effects of Portuguese colonialism in Africa through the lens of state capacity and infrastructural development. JUSELTRA investigates whether the capacity-building mechanisms of the Portuguese colonial state continue to shape the institutional and developmental trajectories of Cape Verde, Angola, and Mozambique. By combining archival data with comparative political analysis, the project tests the hypothesis that colonial infrastructural power (SIP) and repressive developmentalist policies (RD, 1945–1974) influenced post-independence disparities in human and economic development. The project’s broader objective is to bridge the gap between colonial and postcolonial institutional histories, producing new data and analytical frameworks that clarify how the late colonial state’s coercive and administrative practices endure in today’s governance structures. Conference Focus Held on the 50th anniversary of independence in the Portuguese-speaking African countries, the conference brings together historians, political scientists, economists, and legal scholars to examine the institutional legacies and contemporary repercussions of Portuguese colonialism. Building on the project’s empirical results, the event addresses questions central to the call for papers: - How did colonial infrastructures of justice, policing, and administration shape postcolonial state capacities?
- How did developmentalist policies affect long-term economic and social outcomes?
- What can the Portuguese case contribute to broader comparative debates on colonial legacies, democracy, and memory?
Program Overview The two-day program combines empirical, historical, and comparative approaches across six themed panels, keynote lectures, and a high-level roundtable discussion. Day 1 (18 December) explores colonial-era institutions and representations:
• Panel 1 – Radio, Press, Culture and Memory examines propaganda, media, and cultural memory under the empire.
• Panel 2 – Education and Gender addresses colonial schooling, language, and gender identities and their postcolonial continuities.
• Panel 3 – Colonial Economy and Late Development discusses extractive industries, settlement schemes, infrastructure, and economic legacies.
• Panel 4 – Colonial Politics, Foreign Policy and Lusotropicalism reflects on ideology, governance, political participation, and diplomacy in late colonial and post-imperial Portugal.
Day 2 (19 December) turns to postcolonial outcomes and contemporary perspectives: • The session “Portuguese Public Opinion and the Empire – A New Survey” (DOMP–IPRI/NOVA) presents original data on how Portuguese citizens today perceive their colonial past, followed by a roundtable discussion with leading social scientists.
• Panel 5 – Postcolonial Legacies: State Capacity and Violence explores institutional continuity, ecological vulnerability, and the politics of coercion in independent African states.
• Panel 6 – Postcolonial Legacies: Inequality, Human Development and Democracy investigates enduring disparities, political instability, and development challenges across Lusophone Africa.
The conference concludes with keynote lectures by Tiago Roma Fernandes (Iscte-IUL) and Olukunle P. Owolabi (Villanova University), offering comparative perspectives on state-building, colonial legacies, and development.
Audience and Contribution The event will convene an international, interdisciplinary audience of junior and senior researchers in political science, history, economics, and law, as well as postgraduate students. By linking new empirical research on Portuguese Africa with broader debates on colonial governance, development, and historical justice, the conference seeks to refine how social sciences conceptualize the long-term effects of empire, not only in Africa, but also in the political culture of former European metropoles. For more information about the project, see https://juseltra.com/#project
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