Coimbra's City Council (CMC) and the Centre for Social Studies of the University of Coimbra (CES-UC) have signed a cooperation agreement to co-organise the exhibition "Meridianos do Futuro – Casa dos Estudantes do Império de Coimbra (1945/1965)", which will open in March 2026 and will be on display until September at the Galeria Pedro Olayo (filho) - Convento São Francisco. The exhibition seeks to revisit the memory of the Casa dos Estudantes do Império (CEI), a place in Coimbra where students from the then Portuguese colonies could socialise, find support, and mobilise.

The opening is scheduled for 11 March next year and is curated by Miguel Cardina (CES-UC) and Helena Wakim Moreno (Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho/Instituto de História Contemporânea da Universidade Nova de Lisboa). The exhibition aims to highlight the importance of the CEI's Coimbra delegation, which operated between 1945 and 1965 and welcomed numerous students from the then-colonies.

Despite its financial dependence on the Lisbon headquarters, the CEI in Coimbra developed its own activities, playing a fundamental role in cultural production and in the politicisation of a generation of young people who would later play a decisive role in liberation movements and independence processes.

The exhibition highlights, in particular, the cultural activity developed by the CEI, the affirmation of African identities in a colonial context, the relationship with other spaces and structures in Coimbra, and how this student environment contributed to transforming the political and cultural life of the time.

A cultural and educational programme will be organised alongside the exhibition,  aimed at different audiences, including guided tours and mediation activities, concerts, cinema, and other artistic initiatives. Other academic and scientific initiatives are also planned, including a roundtable with students of African descent and a colloquium dedicated to the CEI of Coimbra, on a date to be announced.

Recognising the historical, cultural and political relevance of the CEI in Coimbra, the protocol defines the terms of the co-organisation between the two entities. The City Council is responsible for ensuring the production of the exhibition, including logistics, assembly and technical conditions of the spaces, as well as the associated artistic programming and its public promotion. CES-UC is responsible for scientific and cultural curation, ensuring the research, selection and organisation of content, as well as promoting the academic aspect.

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_{Image: First building of the Coimbra delegation of the Casa dos Estudantes do Império, at Rua Aires de Campos, 18 (UCCLA Archive)}