Yesterday, the Portuguese Catholic University - Braga (UCP - Braga) marked Academic Day by presenting awards to the best students and paying tribute to employees with 25 years of service and retirees.

It was a moment to celebrate the merit and effort of the institution's students. "Merit is not a coincidence. It is not a lottery ticket that fell into your hands. Each person's performance is the result of multiple factors, from family support, the context that welcomed you and has accompanied you all these years, but also your commitment and effort," said Paulo Dias, pro-rector of UCP - Braga.
Paulo Dias also thanked the teachers and staff of UCP-Braga for their commitment.

The pro-rector also revealed some of the projects to be implemented on the Braga campus. "A lot of work has been done to improve research and teaching conditions, with the renovation of the campus and continuous improvement of conditions for study and learning. We are beginning a process of renovating buildings A and B, and with sponsorship we will continue to improve the learning rooms and improve and restructure the student reception areas, so that the start of the new year, with a new Management course, will be a sign of hope for the future," said the Vice-Chancellor of UCP-Braga, Paulo Dias.

Isabel Vasconcelos, Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs, Global Education and Pedagogical Innovation at UCP, emphasised that the ceremony celebrates “people. It is people who give institutions their soul and direction. The mission of the university is to educate people”.

In a written message shared by Canon Luís Miguel Rodrigues, the Archbishop of Braga, José Cordeiro, expressed his wish that UCP ‘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.’

Professor José Cãndido Oliveira Martins gave the Wisdom lecture on “Celebrating Camilo Castelo Branco on the Bicentenary of his Birth”.
The musical moments were provided by the Academic Choir and Líricas - Tuna Feminina da Universidade Católica - Braga.

The award-winning students from the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences were as follows: Catarina Oliveira (Caixa Geral de Depósitos Award - Communication Sciences); Margarida Costa (Prof. Maria da Graça Alves Award - Social Work); Mariana Osório (Padre José Bacelar e Oliveira Award - Tourism); Tomás Mendonça (Padre António Freire, SJ Award - Portuguese Studies); Diogo Rodrigues (Caixa Geral de Depósitos Award - Applied Data Science); Júlia Cunha (Father Manuel Simões Award); Letícia Páris (Father Júlio Fragata SJ Award - Philosophy); Daniela Costa (Father Manuel Simões Award - Psychology); Tomás Ramos (Father Manuel Simões Award - Communication Sciences); Beatriz Amorim (Father João Mendes Award - Portuguese Studies): Margarida Jácome (Lúcio Craveiro da Silva Award - Philosophy) and Luís Pimenta (Father Alfredo Dinis Award - Psychology).

The award-winning students from the Faculty of Theology are: Tiago Paiva (D. Eurico Dias Nogueira Award - Theology); Tiago Paiva (Dr. Jorge Coutinho Award - Theology); Samuel Afonso (Caixa Geral de Depósitos Award - Master's Degree in Religious Sciences/Distance Learning) and José Freitas (Braga City Council Award - Best Entrance Examination Results).