Manuel Luís Bogalheiro Rocha Fernandes

Manuel Luís Bogalheiro Rocha Fernandes is a faculty member at the Faculty of Communication, Arts, Architecture and Information Technologies (FCAATI) at Universidade Lusófona do Porto (ULP), where he serves as Director of the Master in Communication, Networks and Technologies. He is also an integrated researcher at CICANT (Centre for Research in Applied Communication, Culture, and New Technologies) and a guest professor at the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, Universidade Nova de Lisboa.

His research focuses on the intersections of communication, technology, and culture. Key interests include techno-animism, cognitive capitalism, magical realism, and philosophy of media. He explores how digital technologies reshape human perception, identity, and social structures, often drawing from literary and philosophical frameworks such as the works of Philip K. Dick.

The available publication, 'Tecno-animismo ou a existência mágica de objetos técnicos' (2021), reflects a trend in his work that blends media theory, digital culture, and critical philosophy, emphasizing the anthropomorphization of technical objects in the age of IoT and artificial intelligence.

He is actively involved in academic leadership and knowledge dissemination, having co-directed the PhD in Media Arts (2017–2021) and edited recent volumes on media critique and disruptive visual expressions in public space.

Manuel represents young researchers in the Philosophy of Communication section of the European Communication Research and Education Association (ECREA), contributing to broader academic networks. He has supervised eight academic works, indicating an ongoing commitment to mentoring emerging scholars.

He is affiliated with CICANT, a dynamic research center fostering interdisciplinary studies in communication, arts, and new technologies, where he contributes to projects exploring the cultural and philosophical implications of digital innovation.