On 25 February, the Portuguese Catholic University (UCP) – Braga celebrated UCP Academic Day for the fourth consecutive year.

The morning panel began with a solemn session opened by the academic procession to the sound of the Braga Campus Academic Choir.

The Vice-Chancellor of UCP - Braga, Paulo Dias, began by welcoming those present and stated that Academic Day goes beyond individual recognition, reflecting ‘an invisible but unbreakable network of support, demand and dedication’ from each person. For the students, the Vice-Chancellor emphasised that ‘merit is not a matter of chance’, but rather the result of ‘multiple factors, from family support to your own commitment and effort.’

Next, Cândido de Oliveira Martins, a lecturer at the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences at UCP, gave a lecture on the theme ‘Celebrating Camilo Castelo Branco on the Bicentenary of his Birth.’

During this session, retired lecturers and staff celebrating 25 years of service were also honoured, and awards were presented to the best students.

In the rector's speech, Isabel Vasconcelos, Vice-Rector of UCP, highlighted the importance of people because they are ‘the ones who give soul and direction to institutions.’

Closing the session, D. José Cordeiro, Metropolitan Archbishop of Braga, represented by Canon Luís Miguel Rodrigues, expressed in his written message his hope that Católica Braga ‘will continue to be a synodal place of reflection and study, where each person can deepen their vocation and the way to best serve Christ, for an ecology of integral and integrated culture of the Gospel.’

The second panel of the morning featured the creative workshops ‘Your Voice on Stage’ with Renata Pereira, alumna of the Master's in Digital Communication at Católica Braga and founder of Reta Comunicação, and ‘How to sell your value: your personal pitch’ with Ariane Feijó, alumna of Católica in Lisbon and CEO of Otimifica.

In the afternoon, to close the celebrations, UCP - Braga provided the academic community with an afternoon full of sport and fun. The programme kicked off with the Braga Warriors, the city's American football club, who provided an interactive practical session, exploring everything from the basic rules and technical exercises to the strategic dynamics of the sport.

This was followed by the second event, at Btennis, where participants had the opportunity to try out tennis and padel. It was an afternoon that combined learning, exercise and socialising.