The new academic year began at Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Porto with hundreds of new undergraduate students and the dreams they bring with them as they embark on this new chapter. “Your story at Católica begins today,” said Isabel Braga da Cruz, Vice-Rector of Universidade Católica Portuguesa, during the welcome session held on September 3.
In the late afternoon, the Campus Porto lawn became a meeting point for families, friends and the academic community, under the invitation to “Dream Big”, a challenge reiterated in the Vice-Rector’s words. “To dream big means not limiting the future to what you can see today, having the courage to imagine what does not yet exist, questioning what may seem to be taken for granted and believing that each of you can contribute to transforming reality.”
In her speech, Isabel Braga da Cruz also looked ahead to the years of learning that are now beginning, both inside and outside the classroom, through opportunities to “do, share, question, listen and contribute”. A journey that, she stressed, “does not prepare you only for a profession, but for life”, developing competent professionals while also fostering “people willing to contribute to building a fairer, more supportive and sustainable society.”
“Study to know, study to understand”
Maria José Barros, an alumna of the Porto Faculty of Law, whose professional career has focused on institutional management in the fields of education and healthcare and who is a former Secretary of State in the 16th Constitutional Government, also shared her experience with the new students. “Católica shaped me as a student, but above all, it contributed to shaping my values, my high standards, my multidisciplinary outlook, my ability to actively listen and my respect for others,” she said. She also left the students with a challenge: “Don’t study just to get a good grade in an exam; study to know, study to understand.”
The new students come from very different fields, united by their ambition to learn and grow at Católica in Porto. This year, they are beginning their undergraduate studies in Economics, Management, Law, the Double Degree in Law and Management, Psychology, Nursing, Religious Studies, Theology, Nutrition Sciences, Microbiology, Bioengineering, Sound and Image, Film, and Conservation and Restoration.
The session was also a moment of recognition. Scholarships and merit awards from the different faculties and partner institutions were presented, along with the “Voluntário SER +” certificates awarded to students who stood out for their commitment to Católica Solidária (CASO).
The event was attended by the leadership teams of the seven faculties of Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Porto, representatives of Student Associations, the Porto Academic Federation and Alumni Associations, as well as alumni, faculty members, staff and University partners.
Integration is only just beginning. Over the coming days, the different academic units will welcome the new students through activities and opportunities to meet one another, get to know their professors and discover the spaces, services and projects that will shape their university experience.
At Universidade Católica Portuguesa in Porto, the challenge for this new journey has been set: “Dream big and have the courage to turn your dreams into reality.”
