Transforming Higher Education from Within was the central theme of the 5th Uniservitate Symposium, which took place on 7 and 8 November at LUMSA in Rome. The event brought together Catholic universities from five continents to take stock of the first five years of this network's activities and reflect on the transformative impact of Service-Learning on universities, students and communities.
The winners of the Uniservitate Award were honoured at the meeting, including the Ser Cuida(i)doso project by Universidade Católica Portuguesa, led by Catarina Vieira da Silva, professor at the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences (FFCS). Tatiana Ferreira, who is currently studying for a master's degree in gerontology, also took part in the symposium , sharing her learning from this project, which won the award in the Southern Europe region.
During the event, the group of participants had a private audience with Pope Francis, who emphasised that ‘Education is not a process that ends when we leave the classroom or the library; it continues throughout life.’
"Education is done with the mind, the heart and the hands. We must learn to think what we feel and do, to feel what we do and think, to do what we feel and think," said the Pope, stressing the importance of educational programmes that put students in direct contact with the realities around them so that, “starting from experience, they learn to change the world, not for their own benefit, but in a spirit of service.”
At this audience, which was also attended by Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça, Pope Francis emphasised that educating is a challenge that ‘is not easy, but it is certainly exciting! Educating is an adventure, a great adventure’.
During the plenary sessions, which brought together around 200 participants, possible ways of institutionalising Service-Learning in Catholic higher education institutions were also presented and the theme of the spirituality of service was explored in depth.
Over the course of the two days, research projects were presented that have contributed to the Sustainable Development Goals and the Global Education Pact, and which are the result of research grants awarded to supported universities, as is the case with Católica, presenting a paper dedicated to the impact that ApS projects have on students.
Representing Universidade Católica were also Isabel Vasconcelos, Vice-Rector , Rita Paiva e Pona, Rector ‘s Advisor for Social Responsibility, Carmo Themudo, Coordinator of the Unit for the Integral Development of the Person at the Porto Campus, Luísa Maria Ribeiro, professor at the Faculty of Education and Psychology, Paulo Dias, professor at the FFCS and Sofia Câmara, Service-Learning Consultant.
