DIRECTOR OF LEARNING AND INNOVATION

Lurdes Martins

Maria de Lurdes Martins is a Senior Lecturer in English at the Polytechnic University of Viseu, Portugal, where she teaches English for Tourism and Hospitality and coordinates the Short-Cycle Degree in Wine Tourism Management. Her teaching and research interests include virtual exchange, intercultural communication, internationalisation, artificial intelligence in higher education, and innovative approaches to language and tourism education.

She is a founding member of the Consortium of Virtual Exchange (CoVE) and represents her institution in the EUNICE European University Alliance Language Steering Committee. Over the past decade, she has designed and participated in multidisciplinary virtual exchange initiatives connecting students and academics across Europe, North America, Africa, and Asia, including ProGlobe, BBAC, European Dialogue and SENSES. Her research has resulted in publications in internationally indexed journals, book chapters, and presentations at national and international conferences. Her current work explores virtual exchange, AI-supported education, intercultural competence, sustainability, and technology-enhanced international learning.