On February 26th, the Portuguese Catholic University (UCP) - Braga celebrated UCP Academic Day for the third year.
The morning panel began with a performance by Líricas - Tuna Feminina da UCP - Braga, followed by a solemn open session with the academic procession to the sound of the Braga Campus Academic Choir.
The Pro-Rector of UCP - Braga, Paulo Dias, began by welcoming those present and referred to the Braga Campus as a “markedly interdisciplinary research center, focused on some of the essential questions of our time, on what it is to be a person, and how it develops, in a time of profound technological, social, ecological and cultural transformation”.
Margarida Mano then gave a lecture on “New Digital Challenges: some reflections”, where she addressed the role of Artificial Intelligence today, from its digital challenges to its inherent ethics. In conclusion, the Vice-Rector of UCP said that “we want to develop machines that think for us and not by us”.
The session also honored teachers and staff celebrating 25 and 40 years of service and retirees, as well as awarding prizes to the best students.
In the speech by the rectoral team, Paulo Dias said that what distinguishes Católica is “the integral development of the human person at the service of the common good”.
Closing the session, Bishop José Cordeiro challenged the UCP to “Be Human” at a time when artificial intelligence, the internet and digital technology are part of our daily lives. He also said that it was “a joy to participate in Campus Day, valuing the community itself, the encounter, the relationship, which is increasingly fundamental and decisive due to the complexity of life itself and also within the university”.
The second panel of the morning was marked by workshops promoted by the various UCP - Braga groups, namely Radio Sintoniza*te, Cuidar*te, the Psychology Student Group, Mentoriza*te, Voluntaria*te, the Community Service, the Social Service Student Commission - Ser Social and the Braga Academic Centre, as well as with the support of the UCP4SUCCESS Project.
In the afternoon, and to round off the celebrations on a high note, Onésimo Teotónio de Almeida, from Brown University (USA), gave a lecture on his latest book “Diálogos Lusitanos” (Lusitanian Dialogues).