Universidade Católica Portuguesa (UCP) has been recognised by the United Nations (UN) for its exemplary practices in initiatives "SDG Curricular Units: Humanity’s Great Challenges" and in the refugee scholarship programme.

UCP's pioneering "SDGs Curricular Units" initiative was published on the UN Academic Impact website as a good example of the action universities can take in their commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Launched in 2022 in the Strategic Development Plan for 2025, the project aims to integrate subjects dedicated to the SDGs into bachelor's and master's degree curricula, promoting education aligned with sustainability.

"Integrating the SDGs into curricula and offering interdisciplinary courses" can equip students "with the necessary knowledge and skills to become change-makers and by aligning their academic pursuits with sustainable development principles", emphasises the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, Amina J. Mohammed, on the role of higher education institutions in this commitment.

For the University's President, Isabel Capeloa Gil, this initiative exemplifies “the university’s mission and reinforces the commitment to the 2030 Agenda. Innovation and social responsibility are at the service of the community in a project that brings together the knowledge of several schools and academics.” In its ongoing Agenda for Sustainability, UCP is responsible for implementing measures and strategies geared towards the common good, creating prosperous, healthy, supportive, diversified, and resilient communities.

Since the initiative was launched in 2022, more than 150 students from all over Portugal have participated in these courses.

“From Borders to Classrooms"

The programme for accepting students in humanitarian emergencies has also been recognised by the UN. It will be shared at the Global Refugee Forum, an event organised by the UN Refugee Agency in Geneva between December 13 and 15, and is available on the UNHCR's Global Compact on Refugees.

The refugee scholarship programme is an effort in line with the SDGs, with the primary aim of promoting the inclusion and integration of refugees, strengthening the university's commitment to diversity and social responsibility.

For Inês Espada Vieira, head of the programme, "more than recognition for the work carried out at UCP, this recognition is a stimulus to continue working with our refugee students to build a present of hope and peace for all".