Universidade Catòlica Portuguesa and Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore are full partners of the ELEVATE project within the EIT Higher Education Initiative funded by the European Union


Cartina d'Europa con evidenziati in arancione i paesi partner del progetto ELEVATE, Italia, Danimarca, Portogallo

 

ELEVATE aims to accelerate entrepreneurship and innovation capacity in the fields of Food Biotech, Biomedicine, AI and Creative and Cultural Industries, fostering value creation, start-up generation, and knowledge-intensive solutions. By integrating expertise of these knowledge areas, ELEVATE creates sustainable business opportunities in an interdisciplinary, co-creation-driven environment.

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Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and Universidade Catòlica Portuguesa are project partners of the Consortium CATALYSE

 

Pomodori, limoni e peperoni sul tavolo osservati con lente d'ingrandimanto

 

The CATALYSE project will create a network of food safety actors with the aim to support adoption of knowledge and innovative solutions along the value chain. It is co-funded by the European Union, the Swiss Confederation and UK Researh and Innovation. The network will foster collaboration and food safety knowledge sharing in a model that collects and then translates knowledge and practices across our community through active education and facilitation.

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With friends like these: love and friendship with Ai Agents


Ragazzo di schiena immergo in fumetti di chat


An article published by William Hasselberger and Micah Lott (co-chairs of the SACRU Working Group “Artificial Intelligence, Agency and the Human Person”) in Quartile 1, Topoi.

This paper focuses on a central question for Human-AI interaction: Can you be friends with an AI agent? If not, why not?
Some have argued that friendship with AI agents is impossible because software artifacts do not, and cannot, care about you. Proponents of human–machine friendships have responded that such relationships may indeed be one-sided, but still count as relationships of genuine love and affection—perhaps constituting a whole new category of friendship.
Our paper takes a different path. We argue that you cannot be friends with an AI agent because you cannot sensibly be a friend to an AI agent. Being a friend to an AI would require caring about the good of the AI agent for its own sake, and it does not make sense to care about an AI agent in that way, since these agents lack a good of their own. After spelling out this argument, and responding to several objections, we highlight some initial implications of our argument, the most important of which is that the very idea of a tool – or, technological fix – to address social isolation and loneliness is misguided.

 

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 Pontificia Universidad Javeriana joins SACRU as a new member

 


 Zlatko Skrbis and Luis Fernando Múnera Congote, SJ, signing the agreement

The Governing Board of the Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities (SACRU) officially admitted Pontificia Universidad Javeriana (Colombia) as a new member of the Alliance during its meeting held on Sunday, July 27, 2025, at the Westin Hotel in Guadalajara, Mexico.

This marks the first enlargement of the SACRU network since its foundation in 2020. With this addition, Javeriana becomes the ninth member of the Alliance and the third university from South America, following Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro and Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile.

 Professor Isabel Capeloa Gil elected as the new President of SACRU

From left to right: Miki Sugimura, Elena Beccalli, Josep Antoni Rom Rodríguez, Pier Sandro Cocconcelli, Zlatko Skrbis, Luis Fernando Múnera Congote SJ, Isabel Capeloa Gil, Juan Carlos de la Llera, Fr. Anderson Antonio Pedroso

The Governing Board of the Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities (SACRU) met on Sunday, July 27, 2025, at the Westin Hotel in Guadalajara, Mexico, under the chairmanship of SACRU President, Professor Zlatko Skrbis, Vice-Chancellor and President of Australian Catholic University.

Professor Isabel Capeloa Gil, Rector of Universidade Católica Portuguesa, was elected as the new President of SACRU for the three-year term 2025–2028. Alongside her, the Governing Board elected Professor Miki Sugimura, President of Sophia University, as the new SACRU Vice-President, succeeding Professor Elena Beccalli, Rector of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.

Isabel Capeloa Gil is Full Professor of Culture Studies and the current Rector of Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP). She holds a B.A. in Modern Languages and Literatures (1987) and an M.A. in German Studies (1992) from the University of Lisbon, as well as a Ph.D. in German Language and Culture from UCP (2001). She has served as Guest Professor in Germany (Saarbrücken, Munich), the United Kingdom, Ireland (National University of Ireland), Italy (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice), Brazil (PUC-Rio), and the United States (University of Pennsylvania and Stanford University). She is also an Honorary Fellow at the School of Advanced Studies of the University of London. From 2005 to 2012, she was Dean of the Faculty of Human Sciences at UCP. She founded The Lisbon Consortium network and leads the International Doctoral Program in Culture Studies. She is also a senior researcher and founder of the Research Centre for Communication and Culture.

The Governing Board wishes to thank Professor Zlatko Skrbis, the second President of the Alliance, for his leadership and to congratulate Professor Isabel Capeloa Gil on her appointment.

 

Driving Global Change:
SACRU Contribution to a Sustainable Future

 

 

From mental health in Portugal to the meaning of institutions in Italy, from biodiversity in Japan to access to water in Ecuador, the report offers a concrete geography of Catholic academic engagement around the world

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015, with the goal of providing a path for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, both now and in the future. At the core of the Agenda are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which represent an urgent call for action by all countries —developed and developing— through a global partnership aimed at ending poverty and other deprivations, improving health and education, reducing inequality, and spurring economic growth.

In line with its mission to foster higher education and research for the Common Good, the Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities has collected insights on the SDGs, reflecting the diverse expertise of its network. These contributions come from the work of 15 faculty members and students from seven partner universities within the Alliance. They embody a unique international, interdisciplinary, and intergenerational approach, capturing the diverse perspectives of those at the forefront of research and academia, all working together to address the global challenges outlined in the SDGs.

The selection of SDGs addressed in this report mirrors the choices of SACRU partner universities, made in light of their academic strengths and leading initiatives connected to specific goals. The contributions represent the personal views of individual academics and students and are not intended as the official positions of SACRU and its partner universities.

The report opens with an introduction by Professor Zlatko Skrbis, President of SACRU and Vice-Chancellor and President of Australian Catholic University, and Professor Pier Sandro Cocconcelli, SACRU Secretary General and Dean of the Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences at Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore.

 

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Unlocking the Power of the Oceans

 

 

June 18 at 2:00 PM (GMT+9, Japan time)
Portugal Pavilion, EXPO 2025, Osaka, Japan
Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87883639572

 

Universidade Católica Portuguesa, in collaboration with Sophia University, is organizing the seminar “Unlocking the Power of the Oceans”,  which will explore the multifaceted significance of the oceans from both practical and symbolic perspectives. Scholars and experts will engage in an interdisciplinary dialogue, addressing the sea as a source of economic potential, environmental sustainability, and technological innovation, while also examining its social impact through cultural, artistic, and symbolic representations.

On the same occasion, the exhibition “Poetry as an Echological Survival” by artist Nuno da Luz, curated by Nuno Crespo (School of the Arts, Universidade Católica Portuguesa), will be inaugurated.

 

Click  here to see the program

Rector Elena Beccalli Elected as New President of FUCE

 

 

Today, June 6, 2025, Professor Elena Beccalli has been elected as the new President of the European Federation of Catholic Universities (FUCE) for the 2025–2028 term, by the General Assembly hosted by KU Leuven and UC Louvain.

The election of Prof. Elena Beccalli, Rector of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore and SACRU Vice President since July 1, 2024, marks a meaningful step in the development of Catholic higher education and for the SACRU network, which benefits from her representation on the Governing Board. Her appointment further strengthens SACRU’s presence within the global and European Catholic academic community.

The European Federation of Catholic Universities (FUCE) was established in 1991 with the aim of offering a renewed contribution to the Catholic university network, building on the momentum of European integration, which was then nearing the formation of the European Union. It brings together Catholic universities across Europe and Lebanon.

Before her appointment as Rector of Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Professor Beccalli served as Dean of the Faculty of Banking, Finance and Insurance Sciences. A renowned expert, she explores the banking sector from an industrial organization perspective, addressing technology, efficiency, cooperation, and financial biodiversity, with a particular focus on the social, ethical and environmental impact and women’s leadership.

 

Fr. Anderson Pedroso SJ Elected as New President of ODUCAL

 

 

On June 5, 2025, Father Anderson Antonio Pedroso SJ was elected as the new President of the Organization of Catholic Universities of Latin America and the Caribbean (ODUCAL) for the 2025–2028 term.

The election of Fr. Anderson Antonio Pedroso SJ, Rector of Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro since June 30, 2022, represents a significant step in the development of Catholic higher education and for the SACRU network, which benefits from his representation on the Governing Board. His leadership will contribute to further enhancing SACRU’s engagement across the Latin American academic landscape.

The Organization of Catholic Universities of Latin America and the Caribbean (ODUCAL) is one of the Regional Associations of the International Federation of Catholic Universities (IFCU). Its mission is to contribute to the advancement of Catholic higher education in Latin America through collaborative actions aimed at improving the quality of teaching, research, and service to society, while also fostering the core mission of proclaiming the Gospel and serving as a space for dialogue between faith and culture.

Fr. Anderson Pedroso holds a Ph.D. in Art History and a Master’s Degree in Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art from the University of Sorbonne. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Theology and a Bachelor’s Degree in Theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, as well as a Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy from the University of the Sacred Heart in Bauru, Brazil.

 

 

Statement on the Election of Pope Leo XIV

 

The Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities (SACRU) welcomes with joy and commitment the election of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV. At a time when humanity faces profound social, environmental, and geopolitical challenges, this new Pontificate offers a sign of spiritual renewal and hope. We offer our heartfelt prayers for the Holy Father and entrust to his guidance the journey of the Church and the global Catholic academic community.

Inspired by his election, the Alliance wishes to reaffirm its dedication to advancing higher education, interdisciplinary research, and intercultural dialogue in service to society and the Church. We also express our deep gratitude to His Holiness Pope Francis, whose Pontificate has left a lasting imprint on our mission. His appeals for ecological responsibility, solidarity with the most vulnerable, and a culture of dialogue have profoundly shaped the vision of Catholic universities.

 

Zlatko Skrbis, SACRU President
Pier Sandro Cocconcelli, SACRU Secretary General