President of Católica visits Japan for "week of academic diplomacy"

The President of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Isabel Capeloa Gil, visited Japan to take part in the world's top meeting on science and technology, the Science and Technology in Society Forum (STS Forum). From 1 to 3 October, Isabel Capeloa Gil joined world opinion leaders to debate the future of Artificial Intelligence and its impact on society, having been one of the 36 university presidents invited to attend.

According to the President, the highlights of this forum were the "remarkable address by the Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida," and the "warning by the President of the American National Academy of Sciences about the disruption of silos and the need to integrate AI development with the knowledge brought about by ethicists, scientists, engineers, health professionals and cultural analysts."

In addition to attending the STS Forum, Isabel Capeloa Gil also visited Sophia University (SU), partner of Católica within the framework of SACRU (Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities), where she met with Yoshiaki Terumichi, President of SU. Of particular note was the President's intervention in the webinar "The Future of Women's Leadership", on the importance of women's leadership in Japan, a discussion that the Isabel Capeloa Gil hopes can continue in order to "see change happen".

During her trip to Japan, Isabel Capeloa Gil also met with the Portuguese Ambassador to Japan, Vítor Sereno, where she had the opportunity to share the initiatives that Católica has developed with Japanese universities. For the President of the Universidade Católica, "it was a great pleasure to be received by the Portuguese Ambassador in Tokyo, Vítor Sereno, at the end of a week of academic diplomacy in Japan and to see the fantastic work he is doing in the special relationship that unites us with the country of the rising sun."

The institutional visit to Japan was followed by a visit to Macau, where the President of Católica was received in audience by the Chief Executive of the Macau Special Administrative Region (MSAR), Ho Iat Seng, on 9 October.

Also present at the meeting were Stephen Morgan and Álvaro Barbosa, Rector and Vice-Rector of the University of São José, an institution created by the Universidade Católica Portuguesa and the Diocese of Macau in 1996.

On 10 October, Isabel Capeloa Gil met with the Secretary of Education of the Macau SAR, Ao Ieong U.

Yoshiaki Terumichi, President of Sophia University, and Isabel Capeloa Gil, President of Católica