Católica President at Eutopia Week highlights the importance of critical thinking in universities

"For a better Europe" was the motto of the seventh edition of Eutopia Week, which included the participation of  Universidade Católica Portuguesa's President, Isabel Capeloa Gil.

For five days, representatives of European universities gathered in Lisbon to celebrate the "Eutopia" alliance - one of the largest European networks of public universities - which seeks to respond to local and global challenges by contributing to the creation of a new model of higher education in Europe.

This year, the meeting, which is held every six months to review the growth of the alliance and what it has achieved, took place at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa from June 19 to 23.

During Eutopia Week six priorities set by the European Commission were under discussion: green commitment, the digital transition, the economy, strengthening the role of the European Union on the world stage, equality and democracy.

At the round table dedicated to the topic "The role of European universities for a better future", the President recalled that "universities must foster in students and graduates new skills, such as the ability to select, as much as possible, the information within our reach". 

"The production of 'big data' is absolutely overwhelming for the human mind, not only because of the quantity, but also because of the need to know how to navigate and select, and for this, we need other types of skills, critical thinking being absolutely essential," added Isabel Capeloa Gil.