Tomorrow Summit at Universidade Católica discusses women's leadership
Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Porto Regional Centre, hosted the opening session and the first conference of the 2024 edition of the Tomorrow Summit, organised by the Porto Academic Federation (FAP), focused on the theme of Female Leadership.
The roundtable featured Francisca Guedes de Oliveira (Board Member of the Bank of Portugal), Ana Raquel Oliveira (CFO of Fenix Capital Partners and named in Forbes’ “30 under 30”) and Isabel Jonet (President of the Portuguese Federation of Food Banks Against Hunger). The discussion was moderated by Isabel Braga da Cruz, Pro-Rector of the Catholic University of Portugal, and addressed the key challenges women face, as well as inspiring strategies and experiences shared by the speakers.
“Things are managed, people are led,” said Francisca Guedes de Oliveira. During her talk, she shared pivotal moments of her career, such as her experience as a teacher: “Being a teacher means having the ability to mobilise and captivate an audience of students.” She highlighted that, throughout her career, “being a woman was often an obstacle that I managed to overcome. The path to achieving my goals required significantly more effort than it would have if I were a man.” Regarding the importance of diversity, she emphasised: “Diversity is essential, because problems arise when everything is monochromatic. Diversity brings with it the ability to be creative in our choices.” She also called for “active public policies to encourage birth rates” and left a message to women, stressing the importance of not giving up, knowing what they truly want, and being assertive.
Isabel Jonet shared that her calling for management was evident from an early age: “I’ve been managing everything since I was young.” She discussed her work in the social sector, highlighting the management model implemented at the Food Bank, which now serves as a reference for more than 20 food banks in Portugal. On the obstacles women face in reaching leadership positions, she identified “haste” as one of the main ones: “Haste is an obstacle. We live in a fast-paced society. Another challenge is our lack of courage to change or the shortage of opportunities to express ideas, projects, and opinions.” She added that “female leadership can only be effective with the presence of men in teams and always with respect. Valuing skills and merit is essential.”
Ana Raquel Oliveira highlighted the influence of inspiring leaders throughout her journey: “There are leaders we meet along the way who awaken our leadership potential. I was fortunate to encounter such people.” She also stated that “being a leader means passing the torch and providing opportunities. When we lead, we have the responsibility to create opportunities for others.” She emphasised the lack of confidence as one of the main barriers preventing women from reaching leadership roles.
This first panel of the Tomorrow Summit 2024, filled with reflections and practical examples, set the stage for an in-depth and informed debate. The 2024 edition of the Tomorrow Summit, which runs from 4 to 8 November at various higher education institutions in Porto, is entirely decentralised and focuses on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), promoting the role of education as the foundation for economic and social progress in both Portugal and Europe.
“It is an honour to open Católica’s doors to host this event.”
“It is an honour to open Católica’s doors to host this event,” said the pro-rector of the UCP during the opening session of the event, which she described as “already making history, bringing very pertinent contemporary topics and essential themes for sustainable development.” Isabel Braga da Cruz praised the mission of the Porto Academic Federation and highlighted its unifying role.
“The most decentralised edition of the Tomorrow Summit begins here at Católica,” stated Francisco Porto Fernandes, president of FAP, thanking all the higher education institutions involved “for not creating barriers to the dissemination of knowledge.” “We are a generation full of challenges and unprecedented opportunities. We need to think globally. We all have the responsibility to be agents of change.”
Also present at the event were Catarina Araújo, Councillor for the Porto City Council, and Carla Mouro, Secretary of State for Equality. Catarina Araújo praised the event as a “space for dialogue and innovation.” “The Tomorrow Summit is a call to action. The Sustainable Development Goals set a clear path for the change we need,” she said, encouraging young people to get involved, adding, “young people are an opportunity for the city of Porto, and the city of Porto is an opportunity for young people.” Carla Mouro stated that the event represents “a rare and valuable opportunity to unite around the future we all want not only to imagine but to build.” She added “the potential lies not just in what we can create but in how we apply the knowledge we have accumulated.”
The audience at the Ilídio Pinho Auditorium was filled with university students from a wide variety of higher education institutions in Porto. Through the Tomorrow Summit, an event promoted by FAP, academia came together to discuss the major challenges of Tomorrow.