Easter message from the President | 2023

Easter is a time of transformation and a reaffirmation of the new time that the message of Christ brings to all of us, believers and non-believers. A new time which manifests itself in the fundamental values of our societies and of our university: the search for truth, goodness, justice, beauty and dignity.

Thus, the mission of the university derives from the testimony of this new time and is manifested through the curiosity of research, the pleasure of sharing and the collaboration that takes place in every class and seminar, in the laboratories and libraries. The new time in which we live is also fulfilled in the willingness to build a university which goes forth, acting outside its campuses in every geography, location and context in which it can contribute to the common good.

This path also requires a willingness to embrace change and transformation, which, after all, are intrinsic to the nature of a university, which must constantly challenge itself to do better, to go further, both in terms of knowledge and in terms of the people and communities it touches and hosts.

We are also living a critical moment of tension, social conflict and war, and at this time it is important to remember that the university understands itself as an agent of change for a better society. That its value proposal is distinguished by an approach to social, scientific and cultural reality anchored in the values inherited from the Christian humanist intellectual tradition. And that precisely because of this, its action is guided by the ethical purpose of "going forth and doing good", recognising its responsibility to contribute to solving the great societal problems of a humanity confronted with hunger, exclusion, war and to raise the awareness of its community of students to this purpose, as is the case with the ODS chairs, made available to all 1st cycle courses.

May this Easter, reassert the permanent novelty of the Christian message and may it help the entire community of UCP in a path of personal and also institutional renewal.

To all of you and your families, may you have a Holy Easter.

Isabel Capeloa Gil

President

International The President
The Universidade Católica Portuguesa launches the Future Leaders programme in partnership with the António Pargana Foundation
The official opening ceremony took place on 14 March in Lisbon and was attended by the President of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa and the President of the António Pargana Foundation. Find out more here.
The President
The president of Católica takes part in a conference to mark International Women’s Day
Isabel Capeloa Gil was one of the guest speakers on the panel discussing the role of women in the economy, leadership and the impact of female talent on organisational transformation. Find out more here.
The President SACRU
SACRU participates in the Laudato Si’ Global Alliance meeting
During the meeting, Isabel Capeloa Gil presented the pioneering Doctoral Programme in Integral Ecology of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, as well as the results and report of the working group on integral ecology developed within the scope of SACRU. Find out more here.