The scientific activity of CES-Associate Laboratory is piloted by three major strategic orientations:

- To continue endeavours to consolidate a strong interdisciplinary and internationalised research team; to continue to reinforce CES’s presence in national and international networks, with special attention being devoted to North-South cooperation and to relations with countries having Portuguese as their official language;

- To train young researchers in the area of the social sciences and humanities and promote their scientific activity;

- To promote and disseminate scientific culture, openness to the community and to support initiatives taken by citizens and by the ‘third sector’ in fields related to the Centre’s scientific activity.

These major strategic lines are developed within a framework of four thematic areas which make up the structure underlying the organising and integrating of the scientific activities of the Centre for Social Studies-Associate Laboratory.