"With determination, we build the legacy of the past to open the doors of the future." This is how Isabel Capeloa Gil, Rector of the Catholic University of Portugal, summarized the University's mission during the session that marked its National Day, on the 2nd of February. Addressing the academic community at the Cardeal Medeiros Auditorium in Lisbon, the dean added that, despite being "uncertain", the future is always looked upon "with hope".
Under the motto "Knowledge at the service of social fraternity", Isabel Capeloa Gil reflected on the role of the University "which teaches to aspire in a country where risks are rarely taken" and which is oriented towards "the development of science at the forefront of knowledge, for scientific, artistic and technological innovation, oriented towards equity and social inclusion".
During the intervention, the Rector highlighted UCP's contribution to the national scientific system and the continuous growth of the university, highlighting innovation in particular. He highlighted as examples the recently launched Degree in Applied Data Science, from the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences, and the new Degree in Liberal Sciences, which will be launched in 2023. He also referred to the Strategic Development Plan which, among several measures, proposes the renewal of methodologies and curriculum reform, with the aim of "overcoming disciplinary monocultures, oriented towards transversality and the articulation of knowledge".
In this session marked by the importance of knowledge, Barbie Zelizer and José Manuel Durão Barroso were distinguished as Doctors Honoris Causa by the Catholic University of Portugal.
Barbie Zelizer, holder of the Raymond Williams Chair at the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Pennsylvania, is, according to Isabel Capeloa Gil, "one of the most influential and globally respected academic voices in the field of Journalism Studies". When thanking this distinction, the researcher highlighted the important relationship built with Católica over almost 20 years, explaining that this collaboration contributed to strengthen her academic thinking. "Portugal and Catholic became my second home", she said fondly.
José Manuel Durão Barroso, Director of the Center for European Studies and Invited Full Professor at the University's Institute for Political Studies, was described by the Dean as "a personality who shaped crucial moments in the development of Portugal, Europe and the world, present in places of decision-making, in the most critical and transforming moments in Europe in the last decades".
Durão Barroso left messages of thanks to the entire academic community, noting: "this Honoris Causa doctorate means a lot to me, not only because I come from an institution in my country, but also because it is one of the schools where I work as a teacher". In his speech, the former President of the European Commission defended the importance of Europe, referring that "the border for the defense of our interests and our values is today the European border".
At the end of the session, D. Manuel Clemente, Chancellor of the University, recalled the theme of the Day of the Catholic University, "Knowledge at the service of social fraternity", inviting those present to face it "as an existing reality and now projected with still more conviction".
The ceremony also included the imposition of badges and the delivery of doctoral letters to new doctors, as well as the awarding of medals to employees who celebrated 25 and 40 years at the University's service.
