Universidade Católica signs Memorandum of Understanding with University of California, Berkeley
The Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP) has strengthened its collaboration with the University of California, Berkeley by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in December 2023. This new agreement marks the beginning of a dynamic partnership aimed at promoting academic exchange, research collaboration and cultural understanding.
For Francisco Mendes-Palma, Director of Global Engagement at Universidade Católica, "the protocol now signed between Católica and Berkeley highlights Católica's strategic positioning on the international university scene. It is the result of a solid internationalisation strategy, driven by Global Engagement, which also counts on the collaboration of the Alumni."
The origins of this cooperation lie in the visit of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa delegation to the University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley), in 2022, and the reciprocal visit of Colette Plum, Assistant Dean, Office of Study Abroad, representing UC Berkeley to UCP, in June 2023.
Reflecting the evolution of this alliance, the MoU aims to pave the way for a variety of collaborative activities, which may include exchange programmes, joint research projects and faculty development initiatives.
Founded in 1868, UC Berkeley is the n.º 1 public university in the United States according to the U.S. News and World Report 2024 rankings. With 35 Nobel Prize-winning alumni, it is recognised as the 10th best university in the world in the QS World University Rankings 2024.
Colette Plum, Assistant Dean, Office of Study Abroad, at UC Berkeley, and Francisco Mendes-Palma, Director of Global Engagement at UCP, during UC Berkeley's visit to Universidade Católica Portuguesa