First established in 2026, this award aims to recognise programmes that have consistently promoted, over time, the institutionalisation of Service-Learning and demonstrated its integration into the institutional policies and mission of Catholic Higher Education Institutions.

This international recognition constitutes an important validation of the path that Católica has been forging since 2020 through CApS. Over the years, the programme has developed in a sustained and robust manner, helping to establish Service-Learning as a transformative pedagogical approach, capable of combining academic excellence, social commitment and the holistic development of students.

The awarding of this prize reflects the joint efforts of a broad community of lecturers, students, staff and partner institutions who, over recent years, have contributed to the development and consolidation of Service-Learning at UCP.

For the CApS team, this distinction represents, above all, recognition of the commitment and dedication of all those who believe in the transformative potential of Service-Learning as a pedagogical methodology and a tool for social impact.

The award comes at a particularly significant time for Universidade Católica Portuguesa, which has set out in its 2026–2030 Strategic Development Plan the objective of consolidating and strengthening the process of institutionalising Service-Learning, thereby helping it to gradually establish itself as a defining feature of the University.

The official award ceremony will take place in Rome on 26 and 27 October 2026, during the 7th Uniservitate Symposium, an international gathering of higher education institutions committed to promoting Service-Learning worldwide.